Kerry CAN'T WIN TENNESSEE. But can BUSH lose it?

[LittleApple81]

Tennessee
Kerry can't win it. But can Bush lose it?
By David Plotz
(Slate magazine)

"There are three things I know about John Kerry," says Randal Vinson. "First, that he speaks three or four languages, and one of them is French. Second, that he's married to an ex-senator's wife who's worth a billion dollars. And third, he is supposedly a Vietnam vet."

Vinson, a 56-year-old retired computer programmer, is whiling away the afternoon at Troy's Barbershop in Huntingdon, the county seat of Carroll County in northwest Tennessee. Carroll is the bellwether county in a bellwether state: Tennessee has voted for the winner in the last 10 presidential elections, and Carroll has picked right every time. Carroll is rural, white, and struggling.

Huntingdon barber Troy Oatsvall
Vinson's scorn shouldn't trouble the Kerry campaign too much: He's a lifelong Republican. But Kerry does need to worry about Tennesseans like Troy Oatsvall—the Troy of Troy's Barbershop. Oatsvall, who's cut hair in Huntingdon for 40 years, never voted for a Republican presidential candidate before George W. Bush. He regrets his Bush vote, just not enough to check the box for Kerry. "I don't like what Bush has done in Iraq. I don't think one American boy is worth that whole country. But I don't like Kerry. Did you ever meet someone and just not like the way he looks? That's the way I feel about Kerry. I just don't like the way he looks."

For three days in Tennessee, that is practically the nicest thing I hear about Kerry from a Democrat. Tennessee Democrats say Kerry wants to take their guns, that he's more liberal than Al Gore, that they don't know anything about him and don't really care to, that the only reason to vote for him is that he isn't Bush.

Tennessee, in short, does not feel like a state that John Kerry can win. The question is: Is it a state that President Bush can lose?


more at link:
http://fray.slate.msn.com/id/2103314/

[Claire Beth]

1. I'm in Tennessee....

and I have seen quite a few Kerry bumper stickers and signs. I DO hear a lot of regrets from the 2000 election from people who voted for Bush the first time. The ones I spoke with plan to vote for Kerry now and they are very pleased about Edwards. This state is in play for sure. :kick:

[opihimoimoi]

3. Tenn will go Kerry in Nov... Bush will implode before then

[Claire Beth]

7. I sure hope so....

I'm doing everything I can to ensure a Kerry win in Tennessee. :kick:

[spinbaby]

2. Spot on

When I was down there over Memorial Day, I kept track of bumper stickers. Never saw a Kerry bumper sticker, but I saw an awful lot slamming Bush. They're learning to hate him in Tennessee.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

4. I'm just across the border in Alabama, and I'm seeing a lot of Kerry....

...bumper stickers down here, too.

I personally could care less what a non-vet GOPer thinks about John Kerry. His mind is not going to be changed anyway, so let the ignorant SOB vote for FratBoy.

On the other hand, I DO care that a Tennessee Democrat is going to vote for Kerry, no matter WHAT his stated reasons. I don't CARE whether ANY of the Tennessee Democrats like Kerry or not, as long as they vote for him.

IMHO, the number one goal is to get FratBoy and his buddies out of the centers of power that they have illegally occupied since January 2001.

[booksenkatz]

5. "I just don't like the way he looks"

Five dollars says that ole boy who made that statement has a face like a mud fence.

I personally think Kerry is quite handsome, with a very kind face; I guess some folks prefer rat-faced gits like Shrub, or evil snarling faces like Crashcart's.
:shrug:

[LiberalManiacfromOC]

6. I get it!Kerry's hair will kill 12,000+Iraqis and almost 1,000 US soldier

after all "Did you ever meet someone and just not like the way he looks? That's the way I feel about Kerry. I just don't like the way he looks."
What an idiot!

[SEpatriot]

8. Kerry can win even if he loses

Bush will be forced to go around with that slime Bill Frist and spend way more time than he planned in TN. Worse yet, they could send Cheney. Bottom line is that it will keep Bush out of places like Ohio and Michigan and Florida where he has to win. I'd love to see Tennessee go blue again, but I'll accept a Bush loss by attrition.

[redstateblues]

9. TN. Dem Gov. Phil Bredesen is similar to Kerry

Tennesseans have a great Dem governor(from MASS) who got moderate Repubs to vote for him and reject the slimy campaign tactics they used here.