The god damn Republicans can win in 2008

Joe,

I recently read your Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War. This book ought to be mandatory reading for the Democratic National Committee. You definitely know your rednecks -- and the big difference between rednecks and white trash, and the wheres and hows of how the Democrats have driven too many working people to vote for the Republicans. (West Virginia for Bush by 13 points, what the fuck?) It is truly unnatural for working people to vote for the party of the bosses and yet they do it by the millions and the Hollywood, Ivy League, North East axis doesn't know why.

Late in the 2004 campaign, to my amazement, I saw Kerry losing an almost unloseable election, so I "donated" $10,000 to the DNC to be allowed to make the following pitch to one of the deputy campaign directors of the Kerry campaign, the night before the final debate:

You're going to lose, I told him, unless you take the gun issue off the table. Here are some words Mr. Kerry can use in answer to the inevitable gun question:

"While I do support some additional federal gun control, I realize many Americans who would otherwise support me, vehemently disagree. I have also come to the view that compared to other issues of great importance to Americans such as: fixing the health care mess, making the minimum wage a real living wage, and protecting the rights of workers to organize; gun control is not of the same level of importance. Therefore, I pledge tonight that during my term in office, I will not seek nor approve any new Federal gun control legislation unless it has majority support from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress. I ask tonight for the support of ALL those voters who support me on these issues critical to working Americans. Let us set aside arguments about gun control until we have dealt with these larger concerns"

(The actual wording I crafted was better, the above a quick paraphrase from memory.)

Apparently the message did get delivered to the "political team", but the decision was that Kerry would never go for it, so they rejected it without showing it to him. The deputy who relayed this result back the morning of the debate (who was a managerial/operational type, not a "political type" sighed, and said it was unfortunately typical of the decisions made by the politicals. He agreed with me that it was a winning play.

Anyway, I'm a "redneck" originally from Prince George's County, Maryland (pretty severe 'necks there back in the day). I "made good" to a fairly obscene degree (American is great for the smart and the lucky). I spend a lot of time at my farm in Highland County, Virginia, and often drive right by your town of Winchester. If you'd like to get together for a beer some time maybe we can scheme a little on how to get the dimmicrats to wise up. My candidate, Bill RIchardson, (I spend about half the year in New Mexico) knows all this stuff, but unfortunately, he doesn't appear to be happening. As implausible as it seems, it's still possible for the god damn Republicans to win in 2008, especially if the Dems nominate Hillary as it appears likely.

Jim