Iowans Not Buying Twinkie Defense (Lieberman)

[Larkspur]

Before Voters Support Him, They Want To See More Of Joe Lieberman
http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hc-joeiowa0819.artaug19,0,3097534.story?coll=hc-big-headlines-breaking

<SNIP>
Lieberman's two-hour tour, which included a speech in front of hay bales, a look at an 85-foot model of a watershed and general glad-handing, also was a reminder of how far he has to go if he wants Iowans' votes for his presidential bid.

People found Lieberman friendly and engaging, but were rarely ready to commit to his candidacy. Iowans are used to seeing all the candidates, and they want to see more of him. Other candidates were here, too, eating strawberry smoothies (John Kerry), corn dogs and ice cream (Dick Gephardt) or hanging out with organic food enthusiasts and vegans (Dennis Kucinich).

Those guys were here most of the week. Lieberman jetted into Des Moines for a few hours Friday, and at times seemed lost in the crowd. "Clearly he's not producing any spark," said Iowa political consultant Ann Selzer.

Lieberman insisted he's a major player in Iowa. "We're making a big commitment to be here," he said. "I'm running a national campaign."

His campaign now has eight employees. State director Kevin McCarthy estimated that number would double by the end of the month and reach as many as 30 by early fall.

The Lieberman camp touts Iowa as a no-lose opportunity.
<SNIP>

[sonias]

1. He may as well be a Republican

"He may as well be a Republican," said Lynn Fletchall, a farmer from Webster City.

"I don't trust him," said Eleanore Coffeey , an Emmetsburg farmer. "Too much like Bush," added Linda Vaudt, a child abuse prevention worker from Whittemore. "Lieberman is far too enthusiastic about the war than I'd like to see.
(all in article linked above)
----------------------------------

Boy I've said all of these exact things about Lieberman myself.

Here's more on Joe's big mistake:

Lieberman Rejects Strategy Of Running to the Left
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11748-2003Aug18.html
(snip)
Although many Democrats agree with much of his analysis of what it will take to defeat the president in a nation divided almost evenly between the two main political parties, others are angered by his decision to run hard against key Democratic constituencies. Some fault him for hurting the party to help himself.

"It's a bad strategy in a primary where Democratic activists are sort of on a shopping spree for someone who will fight and defend party principles in 2004," said Donna Brazile, the campaign manager for Gore-Lieberman in 2000.
(/snip)

Bye Bye Joe, and thank you for playing.

Sonia

[w13rd0]

2. Yeah...

...it's pretty sad when DLC and Rove friend Donna Brazille condemns your campaign for being too rightist...

[zekeson]

3. And Iowans collectively thanked him

Lieberman insisted he's a major player in Iowa. "We're making a big commitment to be here," he said. "I'm running a national campaign."

Read that, you dumb f*ck farmers should be glad that I am wasting any time with your lousy 7 electoral votes.

Sorry, Joe, right or wrong, the folks of Iowa are used to seeing the candidates around town. You want their vote, ya go and see the people and be glad that they will have you at their tractor pulls and pancake breakfasts and hog calling contests. And when you are there you best not forget that folks in Iowa are better, per-capita educated than anywhere else in the country.

And, just for the hell of it, today, for the 16th time this year, I received the same email from my sister who is in Iowa and has a little less education than the average citizen. Its still kinda funny, and if you don't get, you might not get why Holy Joe ain't working in Iowa...

Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.
"Vacation" means driving through the Amanas or going to Adventureland.
You've seen all the biggest bands ten years after they were popular.
Down south to you means Missouri.
You know several people who have hit a deer.
You have no problem spelling or pronouncing "Des Moines."
You know the answer to the question "Is this Heaven?"
Your school classes were cancelled because of cold.
Your school classes were cancelled because of heat.
You know where all the Yoders live.
You know what "Hawks" and "Clones" are.
You've ridden the school bus for an hour each way.
You've had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
You think ethanol makes your truck "run a lot better."
You know what's knee-high by the Fourth of July.
Stores don't have bags, they have sacks.
You see people wear bib overalls at funerals.
You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it no matter what time of the year.
You end your sentences with an unnecessary exposition; example: "Where's my coat at?"
All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit or vegetable.
You can locate Iowa on the United States map.
Detassling was your first job.
You've been on a "Geode Hunt."
Your idea of a really great tenderloin is when the meat is twice as big as the bun and accompanied only by ketchup and a dill pickle slice.
You learn your pickup will run without a muffler.
You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both
unlocked.
When asked how your trip was to any foreign, exotic place, you say: "It was different."
You remember Robert Ray as the governor the whole time you were growing up.
You consider being called a "Pork Queen" an honor.
People from other states love to hear you say "Iowa."
You carry jumper cables in your car.
You drink "pop."
You know what the numbers I-80, 280 and 380 mean.
You know what "cow chips" are.
You actually understand these statements.

[enki23]

7. don't get too smug about iowa intelligence, however. ;-)

http://www.conterra.com/ehp/scein/scores/satstate98.htm

[zekeson]

13. Remarkable, too when you consider that

the numebr taking the SAT is quite low statewide. Or, used to be. Since the ACT is headquartered in IA the state schools just require the ACT for entrance. ACT is quicker and less costly so many opt for it. I'd never knowingly make fun of Iowan's intelligence. My sister's? Whole 'nother story.

[enki23]

14. eh. i'm sure, in part, it's *because* of the low participation

iowa's got good schools, for the most part. education has gotten more than lipservice in the midwest for a long time, unlike the usual republican stronghold areas. but the sat statistic is padded, no doubt, by the fact that most people taking it are just the ones applying to more 'elite' out of state schools, and people who have to take it for scholarships etc.

[zekeson]

16. Ding Ding Ding

thats the right answer, but I didn't want to appear to be slamming my home state again.

[TahitiNut]

4. We can look at who's funding him.

Irell & Manella $71,700
Lehman Brothers $39,250
Citigroup Inc $34,000
Hartford Financial Services $31,300
Purdue Pharma $27,500
Credit Suisse First Boston $25,500
Richman Group $22,000
Merrill Lynch $21,400
Philipp Brothers Chemicals $20,000
Plastech Engineered Products $20,000
Goldman Sachs $19,000
Exigen Group $19,000
Fulbright & Jaworski $17,000
Schulte, Roth & Zabel $16,200
Wachtell, Lipton et al $15,000
Chadbourne & Parke $15,000
Yale University $14,400
Joe Lieberman for President $14,325
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher $14,250
CDC IXIS $14,000

http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/contrib.asp?id=N00000616&cycle=2004


1 Lawyers/Law Firms $1,096,380
2 Real Estate $555,760
3 Securities & Investment $467,750
4 Health Professionals $233,320
5 Retired $200,805
6 Business Services $181,259
7 Misc Finance $158,750
8 Education $150,868
9 Misc Business $138,050
10 Insurance $123,850
11 Computer Equipment & Services $111,660
12 Retail Sales $95,800
13 TV/Movies/Music $91,250
14 General Contractors $71,498
15 Printing & Publishing $70,000
16 Misc Manufacturing & Distributing $68,750
17 Lobbyists $67,075
18 Hospitals/Nursing Homes $62,600
19 Civil Servants/Public Officials $57,600
20 Chemical & Related Manufacturing $56,800

http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/indus.asp?id=N00000616&cycle=2004


I see an overwhelming bias towards those who profit from the labors/plight of others ("propertied interests") and very little manufacturing or industrial. I don't see labor. This does not look like a 'democratic' or 'grassroots' constituency to me.


The PAC breakdown is supposedly ...

Business $71,500 63% (compared to Kucinich's 0% from business PACs)
Labor $12,500 11% (compared to Kucinich's 99% from labor PACs)
Ideological/Single Issue $28,919 26%

http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/summary.asp?ID=N00000616

I don't see the 11% labor shown in the top contributors. :shrug:

[pansypoo53219]

5. people didn't vote for you!

they voted for GORE.
time to go Joe.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

6. joe should have gotten the message

at paul wellstone's memorial. big applause for everyone who was on the big screen coming into the arena. then silence when joe appeared.

as my father used to tell me, "do i have to send you a telegram?"

[sujan]

8. lol...twinkie defense?

what is that?

[w4rma]

10. The twinkie defense

…
Lieberman approaches the stand and pays $3 for a Twinkie. It looks like a Twinkie wrapped in a big pancake and deep-fried. He squirts a sugary glaze on top from a plastic bottle, then turns around to share the experience with about 20 of his closest media friends. He opens wide and bites.

"Not bad," he declares, adding that if he makes any gaffes the rest of the day, he's prepared to invoke "the deep-fried Twinkie defense."
…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4429-2003Aug16.html


DES MOINES -- Joe Lieberman opened wide and bit into the deep fried Twinkie as a dozen cameras rolled.

"Delicious. Best fried Twinkie I've ever had," he said, his smile broadening, his voice gliding almost into a giggle as the combination of fresh hot batter and soft, airy cake melted in his mouth. "And remember, anything I say the rest of the day, I invoke the Twinkie defense."
…
http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hc-joeiowa0819.artaug19,0,3097534.story?coll=hc-big-headlines-breaking

[catzies]

15. Hoo boy, I remember the history of that. Harvey Milk's murder.

So is Holy Joe saying that if he goes bonkers and kill someone, blame sugar?? What a tool.

[ewagner]

9. This is not serious

His campaign now has eight employees. State director Kevin McCarthy estimated that number would double by the end of the month and reach as many as 30 by early fall.

How can he be running a national campaign with only eight staffers?

This whole campaign is looking like.....I don't know what to call it.

But it doesn't look like a serious effort.

[indictrichardperle]

11. its not a serious effort to win the nomination

he and Rove never intended it to be. Hes there to beat up on the Dem candidates as per Rove. 8 staffers is enough to do the job.

[oasis]

12. "Twinkie Defense" a description of Joe's debate with Cheney in 2000.

:-(

[peabody71]

17. The guy gets booed everywhere he goes.

He hasn't a clue and is simply wasting Dem air space.