Chronicling the Missouri Senate race

   The San Francisco Chronicle was out this way to take a look at the Missouri Senate race: Excerpts:

   The contest is being "considered a barometer" of whether GOPers nationwide "can survive Iraq," providing "the purest test in the country" of whether negative sentiment toward the GOP will translate into lost seats. Missouri is "America's mood mirror," voting "as happily" for Dems or GOPers, "but nearly always for the winner." GOP Sen. Jim Talent and Claire McCaskill, who both hail from the "wealthy St. Louis suburbs," are both "tacking hard to the middle." Talent "trumpets the war on terror, but not the war in Iraq," avoiding President Bush even as he fundraises for Talent.

      McCaskill, who admits she lost her 2004 governor's race against Matt Blunt by ignoring rural Missouri, "is campaigning in rural towns denouncing amnesty for illegal immigrants, supporting fences on the Mexican border and calling herself a Harry Truman Democrat standing with the troops but against Bush's bungling in Iraq."

   St. Louis University political scientist Ken Warren said to win, McCaskill must hold her urban base and chip 2 percent from the GOP's 60 percent share in rural counties, which make up half Missouri's votes. Warren said Talent faces his own problems at the center, appearing to rural voters as a "city slicker" who "may say things they want to hear, but he doesn't look like them, he doesn't act like them, he doesn't talk like them."

  Here's the whole article.

Posted by Keith Chrostowski

Comments

[LarrytheScrabbleGuy]

Go Claire!

Yes, Claire GO!! Missouri has already told you they don't want you once when you ran for Governor!!

[southerngirl]

Talent looks and appeals to rural areas a lot than McCaskill, and she herself admitted that she was concentrating on the "democratic rich" urban areas.

[UMKCStudent]

Southerngirl:

Where exactly did she state that? I am to assume since you indicated quotations you pulled it from a written or oral source from Claire. I followed the link to the story and did not find "Democratic rich" within that article. Just interested in where you get your information.

"Just interested in where you get your information."

You must be new to this blog. Others have wondered the same thing.

[Roos]

I think southerngirl gets her information directly from the Talent campaign.

" St. Louis University political scientist Ken Warren said to win...Talent faces his own problems at the center, appearing to rural voters as a "city slicker" who "may say things they want to hear, but he doesn't look like them, he doesn't act like them, he doesn't talk like them."

But southerngirl said this: "Talent looks and appeals to rural areas a lot than McCaskill"

Based on the first statement, where does southerngirl get her "analysis"????

[John Evans]

Talent is a soft Frat Boy who looks acts and talks like a Suburbanite. He cannot relate to rural people. I live in a rural setting. He is a Country Club type. Claire was Raised in Rural Missouri and she has good ideas. All Talent is concerned with is helping Wealthy Contributors gain access to contracts and giveaways. He is laying the groundwork for a lucrative career on K-Street peddling influence. Southern Girl, when you let wedge issues drive you to vote Republican you are voting against your own pocketbook. Hope you've got a plan when it all comes crashing down. Not only will we be in financial turmoil we will have lost our liberty.

Talent has strongly backed the Bush administration's controversial surveillance and detention policies. If anything, he says, lawmakers have fretted too much about preserving certain rights
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/0/CE815B542FDF61F7862571E800137D8F?OpenDocument

Glad your kids made it through college.

College tuition skyrockets

What's the best way to destroy the middle class and keep the poorer classes in their place? Eliminate public education. And, while they're at it: get rid of school taxes for the wealthy. Republicans are well on their way to meeting all their goals.
http://stxc.blogspot.com/2006/09/college-tuition-skyrockets.html

With tuition skyrocketing, low-income students face steeper odds
http://www.southend.wayne.edu/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1003

The gates to public colleges and universities across the U.S. are slamming shut for low-income students as steady tuition hikes and decreasing aid awards make higher education increasingly out of reach.
http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2003-11/09pandya.cfm

[Chris]

So now you have to be raised in rural Missouri to have good ideas, John? Claire probably belongs to the same Country Club as Talent in West County STL. Isn't it worse to grow up in rural Missouri only to turn your back on it, like Claire has.

[Old Drum]

Jim Talent, ignoring science.

Did anyone notice the answers Talent and McCaskill gave to allowing the sale of plan B over the counter.

AP: Last month, the Food and Drug Administration approved sales of the emergency contraceptive, Plan B (commonly referred to as the "morning after pill") without a prescription for women ages 18 and over. Do you support this decision?

McCASKILL: I agree with President Bush's decision to make Plan B available over the counter to adult women. We need to do everything we can to prevent unintended pregnancies instead of criminalizing women.

TALENT: I was very concerned by this decision, which stated that it is OK for an individual to purchase Plan B - an extremely high dosage of birth control - without a prescription when the FDA still requires a prescription for a lower dosage of the drug.

**********
Talent's answer is, to put it politely, b***s***t.

Plan B has been available in Europe for several years. The FDA has looked at the possible sign effects of it usage as a morning after pill and has found NO evidence of any serious side effects. His answer does not show that he understands the necessary testing such a drug requires for it to be allowed to be sold over-the-counter.

I did not know that rural Missouri or urban Missouri has any difference in being upset when a politician clearly shows ignorance about one of the important agencies of the federal government.

Perhaps, an apologist for Talent will note that there are parts of Missouri that like such b***s***t from a US Senator.

Here is what the FDA said on August 26th.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2005/NEW01223.html

The FDA’s drug center, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research or CDER, completed its review of this application, as amended, and has concluded that the available scientific data are sufficient to support the safe use of Plan B as an over the counter product, but only for women who are 17 years of age and older.

*****
If the junior Senator really believes his answer, he should be hopping mad the FDA for finding that Plan B is safe as an over the counter product.

[John Evans]

Craig I said nothing of the sort. You should go to work for Fox. The way you try to manipulate my words to meet your needs is close to their style.
I agree she probably does go to the same clubs but she is'nt stuck to that mold like Talent. Also she does make sense to me. If you agree with Talent and like his record then that is your choice. I haven't seen Claire turn her back on anyone but I can see Jim Talent turns his back on people no matter where they live.

by Kenny (Hawk) Peters

To All Veterans and Concerned Citizens,

The Senate and Congressional races in Missouri are too close to call. At a time when one would think the Republicans would lose in landslides across the nation.

In our own backyard, Claire McCaskill is fighting for a Senate seat against the incumbent rubber stamp of Jim Talent
http://civillibertarian.blogspot.com/2006/09/veterans-plea-to-fight-to-take-back.html

[southerngirl]

Actually this evening I will cite it back, it was from a story in the St. Louis paper, where she decided to change strategies. I will have to go back in archives although it has been quoted throughout this blog before. ANd my analysis of Jim Talent is the great back to work ad and the fact I am from rural missouri, my family is still in the bootheel and they are seeing a large shift towards Talent this time.

Only analayzing the family and quoting out of St. louis. Like I said I have to look up reference but it was either at the Sheryl Crow event or the Clinton one. Not sure..long time ago in the campaign I guess.

[southerngirl]

McCaskill’s challenge to Talent regarding ballot measure: No guts, no glory
By Jo Mannies
08/31/2006 1:21 pm

But in response to questions, McCaskill also:

– Predicted a possible voter backlash to the new photo ID requirements. She said she’s hearing from Democratic-leaning voters angry on the new law, who plan to make sure they vote because they believe the GOP is trying to block their access to the polls.

– Promised to spend time in Democrat-rich urban areas, after devoting most of her days to rural Missouri since last spring.

[CRD]

"– Promised to spend time in Democrat-rich urban areas, after devoting most of her days to rural Missouri since last spring."

So she said to them that she'd give them some more face time too? I hardly think that's grounds for a claim of abandoning her rural roots or concentrating on urban areas to the exclusion of rural areas.

You implied in your first post above that she was concentrating on urban areas to the exclusion of rural areas. Based on the actual text of the article you quote, I think that's a distortion of what the article says.

[LarrytheScrabbleGuy]

But CRD, the Talent campaign told Southerngirl (or whatever his or her name really is) to try to make Claire look weak in rural Missouri. I know I'm not the only one has has seen this constant theme in nearly all of Southerngirl's posts on here. It's pretty obvious "Southerngirl."

[craig]

What about the event in St. Louis that prompted Claire to make the comments about Bush letting poor black people die. Remember that the reason she made that comment is because the black leadership in St. Louis was complaining that they were losing their stranglehold on the African American vote and that many African Americans were leaning towards Talent.
Maybe she need to focus on the urban areas since she is losing them.

[southerngirl]

It was August 31 and she already abandoned rural. ANd she did not spend lots of time in rural areas, her mom went around in an rv. But if the last 2 months of the campaign she feels she needs to court the domcratic-rich urban areas good for her...it just means picking up that rural vote will be more impossible.

Most of the people in my rural hometown (including me here) get the farm bureua magazine loaded with "Claire did not respond" and the open letter from Cruise blasting her for her lack of concern for rural America. Combine that with the pro life rural voters and don't forget the nra rural voters...and IMO Claire has a BIG problem in rural America. It worked for Blunt in rural America and he was weaker than Talent.

ANd I would like to add that last campaign, Claire ran a much stronger, more organized campaign. It was a better campaign, and I was impressed. I am not sure what happened this time, but it has been sloppy. Just my opinon, November will tell in rural America.

As for me and mine, we will stick with Talent.

[southerngirl]

And LArry--thte Talent campaign tole me nothing, is it so hard for you to think that someone from rural Missouri might want to stick up for Talent. Did Claire's campaig ask you to blast any talent supporter? Get a life..I have life beyond blogging, I do it because I get tired of the same old dems yelling the same old thing. I thought someone had to stick up for the candidate I choose, and just as you back Claire.

My information comes from one of four blogs I watch and 12 papers I read daily. I have always loved politics and urge my family to vote...Gosh is it so hard to believe that someone wants to be an educated voter.

I don't have to make Claire look bad in rural America, she takes care of that herself.

[craig]

southerngirl,
Doesn't it feel like the liberals think that if you are from a rural area and vote Republican that you must be some backwoods, uneducated hillbilly? When in reality you probably have a better education (better school districts) are harder working, and have a much higher set of values and morals. And I agree with your assesment of the McCaskill campaign, it was much more organized before, and they kept her mouth shut most of the time.

[jenniferm]

I'm really surprised some that the Talent apologists haven't taken up the fact that it was the San Fran paper that is talking about this campaign. You know, those San Francisco Democrats, wink, wink, San Francisco Democrats.

[craig]

jenniferm
Why do you think that the San Fran paper came all the way out here to cover this little race? Because left coast liberals don't think us poor Missouri folks really know what we are doing so they think they can tell us how we should act and vote. Most conservatives don't need to bring up a non issue (like what paper) to make our points.

[jenniferm]

You know Craig, that comment is just BS.

I see people challenging southerngirl's opinion and what she writes as I see it done between you and others. (Except Ed, I just ignore). So to blast away at, in your words, "if you are from a rural area and vote Republican that you must be some backwoods, uneducated hillbilly" Why don't you post some examples where someone implies that?????

People on this blog write all kinds of things that are not supported by fact (including on occasion, yours truly). I resent your assessment that people in a rural community have a "higher set of values and morals". That statement is absurd. Better education??? Harder working??? C'mon--who's shoveling stereotypes now, craig.

[craig]

And Jenniferm,
Why do you call Talent supporters "Apoligists". But not Claire supporters?

craig, I don't know, why not because this is an important NATIONAL race that might change the majority in the Senate.

"Because left coast liberals don't think us poor Missouri folks really know what we are doing so they think they can tell us how we should act and vote." Sounds like pity to me--or a GOP talking point. Good job, craig.

[jenniferm]

Fine, I'll start calling McCaskill supporters apologists too. Does that make you feel better.

[craig]

jenniferm,
I grew up in a rural community and the stereotypes are there. I work in the inner city, but refuse to live there due to the taxes, crime, and school districts. The world is full of stereotypes, and just because you have not seen them due to them not being aimed at you, does not mean they don't exist.

"But CRD, the Talent campaign told Southerngirl (or whatever his or her name really is) to try to make Claire look weak in rural Missouri." That is a post from Larrythescrabbleguy, obviously he doesn't think southergirl can think for herself so the Talent campaign must be putting the words in her mouth.

[craig]

anan @8:24 (was that you jenniferm)
No pity needed for me. I wouldn't live on either coast if you paid me to (with the possible exception of Seattle or Virginia Beach but the cost of living would kill you). I live in the midwest for a reason. It was a slight talking point, I will admit that, but an accurate one.

[Jenniferm]

As far as your stereotypes complex goes:
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."--Eleanor Roosevelt.

Larrythescrabbleguy's comment is your example? Please. LOL. That's a mulligan. Try again.

[jenniferm]

Seattle, too much rain. Virginia is actually pretty nice--I lived there when I was younger (my dad was in the marines for over 20 years). And I do live in a rural community, as if that matters.

[craig]

jennniferm,
I am pretty sure that southerngirl is not made to feel inferior by Larrythescrabbleguy, and I am very secure in my abilities and opinions. But, seriously, thanks for the quote I will use it at work. And you bring up a good point, I shouldn't take Larry that seriously. But him and CRD were going after her and it would seem that her being from a rural community would know more about the feel for Claire in a rural community. BTW, both of us have said that Claire ran a better campaign last time, against a weaker opponent, and still lost. Hate to tell you but she is going down in flames.

[LarrytheScrabbleGuy]

No, Craig. I think Southerngirl can think for herself, but I don't think she is. If she was, she would probably question the authority of statements from the Farm Bureau which is a front group for the GOP and corporate agriculture. And Craig, every poll shows this race tied or McCaskill ahead. The GOP and Talent are both running nasty negative ads already. You may be think Claire's "going down in flames," but it doesn't look like Talent's campaign shares your confidence.

Southergirl, if you're not a shill for the Talent campaign, my apologies. But you often sound like one, so pardon my mistake. I grew up in a smaller community, and I know "outstate" pretty well. I deeply care about our state's small towns and family farmers. I think they're being sold out to corporate interests by guys like Jim Talent, and I hope that voters like you wake up to this before it's too late.

[CRD]

craig:
"When in reality you probably have a better education (better school districts) are harder working, and have a much higher set of values and morals."

"much higher set of values and morals"? How does that follow?

I'm not from "rural America," per se, having grown up in a reasonably large town in Arkansas (which ain't exactly StL or KC, much less NYC or DC), but I can't see how the above statement is a remotely permissible inference from "she grew up in rural America" as opposed to urban areas.

Seems to me it'd be just as invalid an inference to state that "because she grew up in rural America, she's likely a member of the Klan."

Small town America is hardly the sole arbiter of values and morals.

"But him and CRD were going after her"

I beg to differ. I simply pointed out that Southerngirl's implication that McCaskill was concentrating on urban areas to the exclusion of rural areas -- in effect, abandoning her rural constituents -- wasn't supported by the source that she herself quoted.

[Tommy]

LarrytheScrabbleGuy--I need an explanation as to how Farm Bureau is a front group for the GOP and corporate agriculture.
They have endorsed Democrats in the past, and in fact, have endorsed Ike Skelton again this year...I think that takes the GOP front factor out. As for corporate agriculture, I've been to their convention before and never have seen representatives of corporate agriculture there...

[CRD]

"Because left coast liberals don't think us poor Missouri folks really know what we are doing so they think they can tell us how we should act and vote."

More likely it's because Missouri is a bellwether state, having "voted for the winner in every U.S. Presidential election since 1904 except in 1956." As Missouri goes, so goes the rest of the nation.

See Wikipedia article I quoted:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_bellwether

Found another one, on the election that's currently unfolding:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_United_States_Senate_election,_2006

[BeProudAmerica]

I am originally from a small town (population 365) and most of my family still live there.

The farming community is very anti-Democrat (I didn't say all, but majority). The blue collar people that go to town to work typically as part of a union lean towards the Democrats because of unions.

There is also the image problem for the Democratic party. There are the obvious ties with the ACLU which rural people hate. Democrats are thought of as big city liberals who want to reduce morality in their lifes.

The county that I grew up in, voted 70-30 Republican in 2004, to give you an idea.

Tommy: Here's a link for you.

http://www.familyfarmer.org/sections/meet.html

Enjoy.

[southerngirl]

Ok Ok First of all, I am a member of the farm bureau and have been for years. My family has cotton farmed and farmed in souotehast Missouri. I also went to school "moved to the big city" and still hold to my roots. I am in touch with my family, and believe me, they follow issues. I am not and will not ever be ashamed of voting for Jim Talent or any gop person I choose if I feel they best represent me.

The Talent campaign does not put words in my mouth, I do not even know their campaign. I have, however, attended events that both Claire and Talent have been at, heard them both first hand, and try to make an informed decision.

I do not let the bloggers here make me as the same insults are slung over and over. What makes a Talent backer more likely to work for a campaign then any one of the Claire backers here?

I know some of you may find this difficult. But I intend to retire back at home in Southeast Missouri in the bootheel, so I am talking real southeast. I will watch my grandkids have a good life there, and most likely I will continue to vote republican in what used to be a democratic stronghold.

The Farm Bureau represents us well, and by the way, Claire did not even bother to respond, talk about a slap in the face. That was an uh oh on her part and jsut one more sign of a poorly run campaign.

[Tommy]

Anonymous at 1:02pm--
Come on...give me someone who doesn't have a bend against farm bureau...Defenders of Wildlife? I wouldn't send you a link from Farm Bureau with a white paper about what good they've done...this is tainted.

[CRD]

"this is tainted."

Is it factually incorrect?

[Tommy]

documented, yes...but tainted against farm bureau and the policy resolutions adopted by their membership (over 100,000 in Missouri).
I'll bet we don't see an overlap (or even a near overlap) of farm bureau members vs. Defenders of Wildlife.
***
I was in college with a guy who was involved with Defenders of Wildlife...he painted the stereotype of the membership to me well. He'd fly to the state of Oregon to lay down in the middle of the road to protest loggers, was pro-choice, believed in the legalization of wacky weed and thought the death penalty should be abolished. I guess that's why I'm "tainted" against DoW.

[craig]

CRD, if what I posted sounded insensitive or prejiduced to you I apoligise. What I was infering is that there are stereotypes out there and one of them is that the country folk need the city folk to tell them how to think and vote (now Buckner is trying their best to prove that stereotype right). Another stereotype is that city folk are all crooked and thugs. Both are wrong. But I was trying to show that it seems like when a rural republican states their opinion due to their belief systems and values they are told that they must just be a shill for the Talent campaign. Larry called me that a couple of weeks ago.

[CRD]

It was not clear that you were referencing stereotypes, craig, but no harm, no foul.

Re-reading it, I see the ambiguity there -- you might be saying "when in reality you probably have a better education (better school districts) are harder working, and have a much higher set of values and morals" than a backwoods uneducated hillbilly, as opposed to having a better education, etc., than an urban dweller. I read it as the latter, when you seem to have meant the former.

[LarrytheScrabbleGuy]

Sorry, Tommy, you may not like the source, but the facts are facts. Just like the Chamber of Commerce is more concerned with corporations than mom and pop stores, the Farm Bureau is more concerned with corporate farms than family farmers.

I've repeatedly asked on here for a one of our dear reporters to challenge Talent to name a single family farm affected by the "death tax," hopefully they'll bother to do that. It would be very telling. You'll note that every single "ag" group that endorsed Talent cited the "death tax" as a reason for supporting him.

I'll bet dollars to donuts that none of them can identify a single family farm in Missouri that has been lost because of the estate tax. Who is affected? Why of course it's the CEO's of the corporate farms that fund these "ag" groups.

[Tommy]

Let's see...private property rights, eminent domain legislation, Missouri River issues, producer tax credits, renewable fuels...these are all issues Farm Bureau has worked on for family farmers....if they were in favor of mandatory animal ID or Country of Origin Labeling, I'd be concerned that they didn't get it...placing the financial burden of these systems on the producer without any signs of return on the dollar. (My opinion: if the marketplace ends up demanding it (i.e. higher prices/premiums), then producers will take the necessary steps to make sure they're compensated at the highest level.

Would you like to pay the inheritance tax on a million dollar farming operation? It doesn't take long for that estate to add up to a big price tag. Personally speaking, if the estate tax isn't turned around, I'll have to sell part of the farm when my parents die to pay the estate tax...not the whole far,, but a good portion of it (and I'll pay earnings gains on that, of course, also). Does it really make sense to you that death is a taxable event and that those who inherit the property should pay taxes on something that has already been taxed?