The Republican candidate for Oregon governor drew boos at a Portland debate Friday when he suggested successful women aren’t susceptible to sexual violence.

Pierce said “a woman that has a great education and training and a great job is not susceptible to this kind of abuse by men, women or anyone.”

This was after his opponent, Gov. Kate Brown, said that she had been a victim of domestic abuse.  So his response was that that can’t be right because she’s educated?  Hard to fathom what the hell he was thinking.

He later attempted to put out the fire by adding gasoline, a proven method of ending a fire by accelerating its burn out. Going on about how economic factors are a big part of domestic abuse.  Now, he’s not wrong on the finer point that poverty doesn’t help.  But that’s hardly the point.

An article recently published in OPB (Report: Oregon Has Very High Rate of Female Sexual Assault; By Chris Lehman, OPB Sept 21st, 2016) states that over 50% of Oregon women have been sexually abused, that Oregon women have the second highest rate of so-called “asset-poverty” in the nation, and that nearly half of all Oregon households led by women don’t have enough financial resources to meet basic needs for three months in the event of a job loss. Women living in severe poverty may be prevented from separating from their abuser because of economic dependency.

It’s an awfully wonky response to an emotional issue.  So he can prostrate himself and cite his otherwise fine record on women’s issues, but the original foot in the mouth cannot be erased.  Nope, he’ll be tasting sock for a long, long time.

His press secretary resigned out of a bout of conscience to add insult to… stupid.