Kerry could find himself in a pickle

[T_i_B]

Article about the primary season coming to Missouri from the UK Guardian. Make of this what you will.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1135875,00.html

May Scheve is chairwoman of the Missouri Democratic party, and takes her politics home. In her staunchly Democratic household, there is a boycott against Heinz ketchup for fear it might put pennies in the pocket of John Kerry, frontrunner for the presidential nomination. From the buzz and the opinion polls, it does not look as if Ms Scheve will be relenting any time soon. After his turnaround triumphs in Iowa and New Hampshire, Mr Kerry is the undisputed frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. He has taken the lead in Missouri, and promises to deliver strong showings in the six other states in play next Tuesday.

Missouri has the real clout in the primary contest, 74 delegations to the Democratic convention next summer, the most significant prize so far. The state, which straddles the divide between north and south, east and west, is a bellwether, voting for every US president except Eisenhower over the past century.

Missouri is also hurting. St Louis, a racially polarised city where African Americans make up more than 50% of the population, has been downsizing for a decade. In November American Airlines pulled out, shutting down its hub. Yesterday Ford closed a car plant, putting 1,000 people out of work. Democrats including Ms Scheve describe themselves as shellshocked after native son Mr Gephardt dropped out of the race.

These are the people Mr Kerry needs to win over as he takes his campaign nation-wide: traditional Democrats, industrial workers, African-Americans, and a newly activist, angry contingent who want the knock-down battle against George Bush that Howard Dean, erstwhile Democrat frontrunner, had promised.

[molly]

1. I'm not worried about Missouri

ask yourself what kind of a nutcase woman would boycott ketchup fearful - is she boycotting Campbell's soup. Doesn't sound too bright to me.

[ibegurpard]

4. Gee Molly

Ask yourself why someone feels so strongly about John Kerry that she would act like such a "nutcase." Maybe if Kerry people started doing that and trying to address it instead of just hammering on about how we need to just get behind him, they might make some inroads into these kind of people. That's the same kind of behavior that totally soured me on many Kerry supporters right after Gore dropped out. They were harping on his "electability" and "baggage" and then when he was out started demanding that we get over it and line up behind Kerry.

[T_i_B]

9. I can think of plenty of people in this forum

who are so vehemently ABD that they would boycott anything to do with the good Dr without question. This sort of shenanigans goes for more than one candidate I'm afraid.

Which is a shame when you consider that there is more than one decent candidate out there in the US primaries.

[bowens43]

2. It seems that the Democratic base in Missouri

disagrees with Ms Scheve . But I'm sure that Ms Scheve's boycott of ketchup will have a devastating effect on the Kerry campaign......

[ibegurpard]

5. You're probably right

But your flippancy isn't making me look very favorably at you or your candidate.

On edit: I think I'll go find a botox thread to kick.

[jsw_81]

3. Missouri is Kerry country

The new Zogby poll has Kerry with a forty-point lead in Missouri; there's no way he can lose that in three days.

[loudnclear]

6. With Kerry, nothing will change in the politics of Washington BUT

if he wins the nomination, I will still have to vote for him.

"Kucinich and Sharpton---the only two true Dems in the race."

[jsw_81]

7. "Kucinich and Sharpton---the only two true Dems in the race."

:eyes:

[sventvkg]

8. Kerry is a lightweight and uninspiring..Will not unseat the King..

I'll vote for him or any other democrat anyway...

[jsw_81]

11. You can't be serious

John Kerry is a four-term United States Senator, former Lt. Governor, prosecutor, and Vietnam veteran with a chest full of medals including the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts. He has also been an entrepreneur, a community leader, and a student leader at Yale University.

He is NOT a lightweight by any stretch of the imagination.

[Danocrat]

10. So let me get this straight

Ms. Sheve relished the thought that Gephardt might win Missouri and that Kerry had to play catch-up. Now she's in a pickle that Kerry is winning. Sorry, I couldn't resist.