Allen Weh is a war hero, so what?

Colonel Allen Weh has released a TV spot highlighting his
military service; in this case, in Vietnam, nearly forty years ago.

There will be those who will (deliberately) misunderstand the
point of this post; the absence of any correlation between being
a military hero and an effective Governor. So I will begin by
underscoring my respect for veterans; in particular combat
veterans, and most particular, decorated combat veterans.
Without their abundant sacrifices, we would not enjoy the
many freedoms and advantages that many take for granted.

Never the less, does that make him a better Governor?

How often do we need our Governor to beat someone else's
Governor to death with his bare hands? Realistically,
not all that often.

Does the same skill set that allows a man to lead a squad,
a platoon, a company, or a battalion in to battle, translate
into leading a state legislature to consensus?

I would argue that it does not; the necessary skill sets are
entirely different.

So why point to the one, and ignore the other? Because Weh
does have the one skill set, and can point to no evidence of the
other. In fact, there is considerable evidence he lacks the
latter skill set entirely; witness his intention to "carry a
baseball bat" into negotiations in the Roundhouse.

Does anyone really suppose that strategy will succeed?

And then there is the matter of personal courage.

Based on the medals that have been awarded to Col Weh
based on battlefield performance, he is a man of courage.

Why then will he not step up to the issue of the allegations
of his anger management issues resulting in a "physical attack"
on staff members of his own Party?

What is he going to say when Lt Gov Diane Denish asks him
why the incident was hidden from voters, and points to to his
lack of candor, forthrightness, and honesty?

If he cannot summon the courage to own that incident, it
is fair to ask whether he will be able to summon the courage
to own other, more consequential failures in Santa Fe.

Will he be another Governor (albeit, one with a chest full of medals) hiding the truth from New Mexicans?

So far, he has had nothing to say about the secrecy in the
Roundhouse, about webcasting, open meetings, public records,
or any of the other transparency issues in state government.

He has yet to show us the courage it takes to hold one's self
honestly accountable for their conduct and competence as
a candidate or as a Governor, by telling the truth about
that conduct and competence; candidly, forthrightly, and
honestly.