When is a joke not a joke? The answer seems to be when one is running for political office.
Maryanne Cole is the Democratic candidate for the 67th District of Pennsylvania House of Representatives. On Sunday, during an event at Smethport Fire Hall, Cole made what she said was a joke that was later taken out of context. The event was videotaped, and posted on Cole’s campaign Facebook page.
In one part of the video, Cole said, “Plato, and Thomas Jefferson, and I don’t know who else said it… the basis of a free society is an educated citizenry. And look what happened when uneducated people all went out and voted. What happened? We got Trump.”
That portion of the video is being shared repeatedly around the area on social media, and as of Wednesday evening, had more than 8,000 views. With it are comments from local supporters of President Donald Trump, many of whom were offended, calling her comments demeaning, irresponsible or outrageous.
Wednesday night, The Era reached out to Cole, asking her for a comment on the controversy.
“I was speaking at a meet and greet in Smethport,” she explained. “My friend was taping it. I thought I was among trusted friends — even a Trump supporter — so we were speaking freely about public education and I made a joke. It was not meant to hurt anyone and even the Trump supporter in the audience chuckled. My friend posted the tape and then somehow someone got a copy and edited it down from about 25 minutes to just the joke and posted it on (Facebook). It is being shared everywhere now.”
Cole continued, “People are saying I need to ‘own it’ and apologize. I do and I’ve apologized many times. However, it was taken out of context to make me seem like a terrible person. I’m not and I won’t say I am.
“I’m just not a hateful person,” she continued. “I don’t deliberately hurt people’s feelings and I don’t hate supporters of President Trump. What people feel about the president has nothing to do with me.”
Cole said she entered the race, pitting herself against incumbent Republican Marty Causer, because she “felt that all of us need to bridge our divide.
“I felt that we are all rural Pennsylvanians first and if we worked together we could achieve positive change,” she said. “I wanted people to have a choice so that they would not have to vote for a career politician.
“My intentions were all good. I’m so very sorry if anyone was hurt by what I said. I never meant to hurt anyone,” she said. “I hope people at least will forgive me.”
Marty Wilder, McKean County chair of the Democratic party, offered a brief comment as well.
“Maryanne’s comment was meant as a joke, which those attending certainly understood,” Wilder said. “Beyond that, I’d refer you to the numerous explanations she’s given online.”
For his part, Causer said he found her comment to be demeaning to the people she is running to represent.
“It’s ignorant and really demeaning and irresponsible,” he said. “I know many educated people who voted for Trump.”
He added that he had seen the video, and Cole’s comments “didn’t look like a joke to me. If you listen, you can hear whoever is videotaping say they would cut that from the video. She said it at a public meeting.”
McKean County Republican Party chairman Ken Kane could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.
