Life in Carson: Jim and Dawn Gibbons head to court
Submitted by Kirk Caraway on Mon, 12/28/2009 - 9:53am
Breakups are usually sad affairs, and the implosion of the marriage of Jim and Dawn Gibbons is no exception. Having met and talked with both of them on multiple occasions, it's hard not to feel sorry for them.
But there is a bit of karmic justice to be seen in this for our dear governor. I have met and interacted with political figures at all levels, and Jim Gibbons may be the most egotistical, arrogant, condescending a-hole of the bunch. I don't use that language loosely. That's how more than one high-ranking Nevada Republican has described the GOP governor, off the record. Jimbo is turning out to be just as big an embarrassment for his party as the state.
That Jim would describe his wife as an "enraged ferret" in court documents shows just how classless he is. I'm sure Dawn is enraged, after the long-running rumors of Jim's affairs, the Chrissy Mazzeo assault case and Jim's evolving story to explain it, and the hundreds of text messages to his female friend. Hey Jim, I hate to break this to you, but wives tend to get enraged when they know you're screwing around with other women.
But that's Jim for you. He expects everyone to bow to what he wants all the time, no matter how stupid or nonsensical it is. A fellow journalist describes Gibbon's condition as Fighter Jock Syndrome, the kind of I'm-in-control, screw-everyone-else attitude of the stereotypical Top Gun pilots. But Jim's no stereotype. He's the real deal.
I remember interviewing Jim back in 2006 when he was running for governor, and he claimed with a straight face that there were no illegal aliens working in any Nevada casino. I was so shocked by the the statement that I failed to follow up, or at least suggest we take a trip down to the nearest casino and yell "Immigration!" and try not to get trampled to death.
Gibbons' my-way-or-the-highway attitude was acceptable during his years in Congress. Capital Hill is full of batsh-t-crazy loons railing about one issue or another. But as governor, people expected Gibbons to actually do something besides make stupid statements. His unbending, ideologically driven agenda managed to alienate enough Republicans to push through many Democratic initiatives over his record-breaking number of vetoes.
Gibbons was also not used to being the center of attention, even though that's what he desires more than anything. Being just one of 535 members of Congress didn't bring about the kind of media attention as he has witnessed as governor. He seemed genuinely surprised when photographers caught him with his female companion at various public venues in Reno. It probably made him wish he was still in Washington where he could screw around and no one would pay attention.
To say that Gibbon's time in the governor's mansion has been a train wreck would be an insult to train wrecks. And his personal life is no different.
I feel sorry for Dawn, but she's not entirely blameless in this whole fiasco. People on the outside thought it strange that Dawn would campaign for her husband's congressional seat and move to Washington, at the same time Jim was hoping to move back to Nevada. But those on the inside saw it as evidence that the rumors of Jim's infidelity were true, and that distance was the only way to preserve this political marriage.
I also interviewed Dawn in 2006, when she was running far behind in the battle for Jim's congressional seat. I came out of that meeting thinking that the only reason Dawn was running as a Republican was because of her husband. In fact, I believe that Dawn was being patently dishonest about her political beliefs at the time. Much of what she discussed with me ran counter to her campaign positions and GOP platform. For instance, she made a statement clearly in favor of what her Republican colleagues would brand "Socialized medicine."
It made me wonder how much of her short political career was controlled by her husband, that the votes she cast as a member of the Nevada Assembly were actually proxies dictated by Jim's ideology.
I think divorce is the best thing for Dawn at this moment. Perhaps free of her husband she will find out who she really is, and find her own way in life. And for Jim, one can only hope he will learn from the disasters he has left in his wake, but I think that's asking far too much.
So, let the show begin!
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