Posted
by Joel Mathis
September 19, 2005 at 10:21 a.m.
And now for something completely different
Emptying out my notebook after a weekend spent in Iowa, [watching Sam Brownback's nascent presidential campaign...][1]¢ There's lots of reasons that every presidential campaign is more expensive than last, but driving to Des Moines it occured to me to add one more reason to the list - the price of gasoline.Think about it. A successful candidate will hopscotch across the country, visiting several states in a day during the heat of the campaign, flying, driving, taking campaign buses. The next election is three years away, but Brownback has already flown to the state three or four times trying to raise and gauge support there.All of that travel takes fuel. And fuel is pretty expensive these days.¢ Having lived the last five years in Lawrence, I can't remember the last time I was surrounded by 800 Republicans - the turnout for the Polk County "GOPFest" in Des Moines Saturday night. ¢ If you caught last season's "West Wing" episode where Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda played presidential candidates wrestling with whether they could support ethanol to gain the support of Iowa voters, I can tell you the episode had little to do with the reality of presidential politics.There's very little such wrestling in real life, it seems.Brownback and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee both were quick to offer praise to the Great Corn Gods of Iowa during their stump speeches, both of them suggesting that ethanol might be the answer to the country's energy problems. It was almost ritualistic -- a pledge of fealty offered early in both talks before moving on to the meat of the messages.¢ You might not have heard of Huckabee, but he's a politician to pay attention to as 2008 approaches. He shares Brownback's "culture of life" agenda, but he's perhaps a little more polished as a speaker. A former Baptist preacher, he deftly wove political jokes and heartrending stories through his stump speech - and garnered the loudest applause of the night from Iowa Republicans when he was finished.¢ Finally, the most interesting person I met in Iowa was Crystal Dueker of North Dakota. She spends all her time driving from one Republican gathering to the next across the country, trying to convince other GOP politicos to draft Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice as the 2008 nominee.It's true that Rice has said she won't run. But that hasn't stopped Dueker from starting a Web site - [americansforrice.com][2] - producing a television commercial, and printing up a slew of T-shirts and bumper stickers that she stuffs into her Mini Cooper.I asked her if it wasn't a bit early to be thinking about the 2008 election. Apparently not."That's why we're called 'activists,'" she said. "We're active."No, I haven't forgottenAnd now, the winner of the [Hollywood Classic Remake Contest:][3] BobDarkAvenger for "Kill the Mockingbird." It was funny, appropriately bastardized the original and featured an all-star cast.I am, because I have faith in my posters, assuming Bob never saw Berke Breathed's early '90s "Outland" strip where Opus the penguin was on the set for a movie remake called "Kill Mo' Mockingbird: Boo Radley Loose in Da Hood." I looked for a link but couldn't find one.In any any case, Bob -- contact me and I'll hook you up with some sweet Lawrence.com swag. [1]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/sep... [2]: http://www.americansforrice.com/ [3]: http://www.lawrence.com/blogs/mathis/2005/sep/15/contest/
Comments
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leslie (Leslie vonHolten) says…
how were the nachos in Iowa?
beatle919 (Marcy McGuffie) says…
Yeah, I read your article in yesterday's paper and it sent me into a Brownback rant. Ugh, I despise discussing politics (and I'm not going to go deep). But, I admit I actually voted for the guy my first time at the polls because I was grossly uninformed. I've kicked myself ever since. And why I'm outting myself...the message is--become informed before you vote! Don't vote blindly. It's undemocratic...
Bob: Congrats on a job well done! Enjoy your swingin' swag.
Leslie: I'd hope $25 nachos would be decent. Did I just pull that number outta the air? I dunno...my memory sux.
Everyone: I'm going to do some MAJOR attention whoring and let you in on a 'secret.' The 919 in my handle...represents Sept. 19, my b-day. I'm getting OLD.
cfdxprt (anonymous) says…
beatle - a) happy b-day, hopefully you've got some good dinner plans...but, only those of us with grey hairs and scars have the right to claim that we "might" be getting old b) I'll take care of this before ElB comes on here and rips you a new one...shame, shame, shame - you actually made an uninformed vote! I swear there should be a test you have to take before you're allowed to vote, nothing too difficult, just something that makes sure you're making a semi-informed decision.
Of course I voted for GWB the first time around in FL, so who am I to shame others...
Does anyone have a link to Joel's article from yesterday?
beatle919 (Marcy McGuffie) says…
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/sep...
cfdxprt: Thanks for the b-day wishes. Yeah, I've got me some happenin' plans for tonight...involving margaritas and loved ones.
Hey, I admitted my wrongdoing. Lord, even I didn't vote for the Bushmeister. Floridians...*rolls eyes*
rednekbuddha (Kelly Powell) says…
I heart(with knofe in it) huckabee
cwrist (Chris Wristen) says…
Hey, if Brownback wants to spend all that time in Iowa, fine. They can have him. The longer he's there, hopefully that means less time he can do damage to our state.
cfdxprt (anonymous) says…
buddha - are you going to be out selling your wares at Free State tonight?
beatle - if it helps to redeem me any in your eyes, I voted by absentee ballot way before the election. At the time I figured it was a wasted vote since repubs always win in FL. Little did I know...
mitzibel (Misty Nuckolls) says…
Happy birthday, beatle!!
beatle919 (Marcy McGuffie) says…
Thanks Misty!
cwrist: Good assessment...EXCEPT, we wouldn't want him getting too much of a jumpstart on his campaign...ugh. It was the thought of him being commander in chief that sent chills down my spine. Yeah, I'm snob.
cfdxprt: I s'pose I can forgive you for your error in judgment, you grey haired "oldie." ;)
BobDarkAvenger (anonymous) says…
Woooo! I'm not familar with Breathed's Outland work, just Bloom County and his newer stuff. I'll have to check that out.
cvillehawk (anonymous) says…
Kill The Mockingbird was a good one.
Where can one view the potential swag? Or does Joel choose by executive fiat?
morganalefay (anonymous) says…
Happy birthday, Beatle...But hey! I'm a Floridian (born there, went to FSU, etc) and I didn't vote for Bush or brother Jeb! Not all Floridians are bad...
DavidRose (anonymous) says…
I was busy trying to climb the scene ladder this weekend and forgot about this contest. I was thinking "Pride Of The Eagles" with the beloved T. O. promising his agent. Drew Rosenhaus he'd score two touchdowns for him in one game and T. O. doing a "I'm the greatest ever" speech a la Ricky Henderson instead of "I'm the luckiest". Oh well.
Good job, BDA!!
beatle919 (Marcy McGuffie) says…
Thanks morgana! Ah, I KNOW better than to make blanket statements like that...I sincerely apologize!!! Please know, you're cool in my book...
morganalefay (anonymous) says…
No worries, Beatle. I just couldn't help defending "good" Floridians, given the chance.
Joel: When I read your article in the paper yesterday, I was actually surprised that the dinner they served was nachos! Couldn't they have come up with something better? Or were the nachos *that* good?
MyName (anonymous) says…
Happy Birthday Beatle!
And don't feel too bad about Brownback. I voted for him last time and I *was* informed. I was also really angry about the fact that there wasn't even a viable candidate running against the guy. The Dems didn't even bother with a low budget token resistance candidate. It was practically a write in campaign and it ticked me off. Might as well have been voting for the French in WWII.
jochan (Jocelyn Craft) says…
Huckabee would be a force to be reckoned with, of that I'm certain. Heard him speak when I was 16, and he can really work an audience. Years of the Baptist church, I'm sure. I mean, I listened to what he said, and I was already a liberal back then. If he wins the nomination for 2008 I'm going to be a bit worried, and hope that Dems have a seriously solid candidate.
Morgana: That GOPFest was a fundraiser too, right? Besides, I don't think the nachos really could have been worth $25, I mean.. they're *nachos*. (Don't worry, I know I'm being tiresome just belaboring a point... ;-)
beatle919: Happy Birthday, two days after mine. :) I don't claim to be getting old yet, but I'm definitely getting older...
beatle919 (Marcy McGuffie) says…
Myname: Thank you. *lol* Ok, I'm not the only one feelin' guilty for throwing a vote his way...
Jochan: Thanks for the b-day wishes...and a happy belated to you! Welcome to da blogs...
morganalefay (anonymous) says…
Jochan: Yes, yes...it was a fundraiser after all...But nachos? In Iowa? That just struck me as odd. OK...I'll stop.
morganalefay (anonymous) says…
BTW Joel: Was there something Monty Pythonesque about the GOPFest? I ask because of the title you chose for the blog.
Joel (Joel Mathis) says…
Hi Guys:
Took most of Monday off, away from the blogs....
To answer the most pressing question: I did not try the nachos. I think there were some enchiladas, too. But nachos were most prominent from where I was standing.
BobDarkAvenger (anonymous) says…
Joel, did you get that thing I sent ya?
El_Borak (Bill Hoyt) says…
"I'll take care of this before ElB comes on here and rips you a new one.."
Ha! Nope, I seldom criticize people for how they vote, even if they vote ignorantly (not "wrong" but "without knowledge"). I think the majority of people do, so if I started in, where would it end? Heck, even I do it on occasion (I'm sure I've voted against decent judges or worthwhile tax increases in my time). Maybe I'll wander off and rip myself a new one...
Happy Birthday, Beatle.
cee (anonymous) says…
Joel, you went all the way to Iowa and didn't try the nachos? I'm stunned.
I'm just going to throw this out. Any person who thinks (or hires lackies to think for them) that the word "nacho" should ever be connected with the concept of "dinner" does not need to be running this country. Nachos are not dinner (just like ketchup is not a vegetable). Yes, this is only a small drop in my bucket 'o reasons to dislike Sen. Brownback. But it may be the only "drop" I can talk about without my head spinning. No, wait, I spoke too fast. . . .
As for the ongoing theme on L.com as to phrases that would make great band names, I nominate "$25-a-head nacho dinner" from Joel's article. Sadly, the glory would be short-lived as the band would quickly disband because of the tension caused by the constant picketing of Brownback supporters, who, while initially drawn by the band's tasty name, would be offended soon thereafter by the sights and sounds of people having fun.