NationStates Jolt Archive

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1963&e=18&u=/ap/20040918/ap_on_el_pr/rally_ruckus

I just finished reading this and I was wondering what everybody's take on this incident might be. Apparently a family from West Virginia smuggled in some Bush-Cheney signs to an Edwards rally and the Kerry folk went nuts and ripped them to shreds... the Associated Press got a photo of it too... not good press if you ask me for the Kerry campaign, even though they had nothing to do with it. I personally am not sure what image this might project in a key battleground state like WV, but who knows? Looking for some imput on the subject...

Poor little girl...quik lets kill Kerry and all Liberals...

Old news. There were two massive threads about it yesterday, but I didn't read them because I really don't care. Me, I would have laughed my ass off, not because I'm a democrat or a republican, but because I'm an asshole.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1963&e=18&u=/ap/20040918/ap_on_el_pr/rally_ruckus

I just finished reading this and I was wondering what everybody's take on this incident might be. Apparently a family from West Virginia smuggled in some Bush-Cheney signs to an Edwards rally and the Kerry folk went nuts and ripped them to shreds... the Associated Press got a photo of it too... not good press if you ask me for the Kerry campaign, even though they had nothing to do with it. I personally am not sure what image this might project in a key battleground state like WV, but who knows? Looking for some imput on the subject...




West Virginia a "Battleground State"? C'mon, like they're going to vote Democrat...

There were threads about this yesterday. In all possiblity, the guy faked it by having his son steal the flag. It's happened to him every election year.

Ah, see I wasn't around yesterday for the forums and I just noticed the bit now, unfortunately my busy life keeps me from watching these forums constantly... imagine that... lol

Regardless, I still find it an interesting thing to talk about even if it was talked about yesterday, because it shows just how crazy people in this country get about stuff. In reality anybody should be able to have a sign supporting whoever they want at any rally... that's what free speech is about in this country after all. Ah whatever, thanks for letting me know about the threads yesterday though...

West Virginia a "Battleground State"? C'mon, like they're going to vote Democrat...

Well West Virginia would vote Democrat if the Dems could actually get their voters out and considering the controversy with Iraq this election I've seen more people who didn't care two cents about voting suddenly decide that they want to vote this time because of what's happened over the past four years... so anything's possible...

.... In reality anybody should be able to have a sign supporting whoever they want at any rally....But should people be able to use their children to stage a fake incident?

I think the only ones that can be blamed in this situatin are the people who brought the Bush-Cheney posters. I think they knew what they were getting into and although I am a Kerry supporter if the situation were reversed the same thing would have happened.

you mean the uber huge thread about this is off the front page? it couldnt have been off that long, you must be new here to have bothered posting this after what, 2 8 page+ threads on it?

what we have concluded

1) parlock is an ATTENTION WHORE
2) parlock is TRYING to make kerry look bad
3) parlock is a HORRIBLE father
4) parlock is brainwashing his children
5) republican dumbfucks are villifying KERRY for this happening yet play down and explain away some one being pulled to the floor and beat at a republican convention

Old news. There were two massive threads about it yesterday, but I didn't read them because I really don't care. Me, I would have laughed my ass off, but not because I'm a democrat or a republican, but because I'm an asshole.

I agree lol. I don't care for the people that protest at the kerry or bush speeches getting their asses kicked either. I think they should get their asses beat down if they start trying to talk over whoever it is everyone else came to see. Could you imagine some dipshit in the middle of a movie at a theatre start standing up and yelling lol... people would beat him to a bloody pulp and throw him down the stairs lmao

Other messages pointed out that Parlock was involved in similar incidents twice before.


In 2000, Parlock and one of his sons smuggled in 12 Bush-Cheney signs to a campaign rally for Al Gore (news - web sites) at the state Capitol. Police ejected them after Gore supporters tried to tear the signs away from them.


During a 1996 campaign stop in Huntington by then-President Clinton (news - web sites), Parlock held up a sign outside the rally with the words "Vince Foster," referring to Clinton's former deputy counsel who was found dead in a Virginia park on July 20, 1993. The sign was taken by steel workers attending the rally.

It's happened too many times to be coincidence. It's hard to believe he'd go to another democrat rally after the first or second time.

West Virginia a "Battleground State"? C'mon, like they're going to vote Democrat...

Love it when people talk about my state without knowing a damned thing about us. West Virginia is over 70% registered Democrats. Until just recently, there was never more than 3 people in the state legislature that were not Democrats.

West Virginia is definitely a battleground state because Bush people come here and lie their asses off and try to scare people.

70%? That's allot of Democrats...How come you guys act so Republican though?

70%? That's allot of Democrats...How come you guys act so Republican though?

"Act"? Perhaps you mean Southern.

I think before the 2000 election west virginia went to the democrats primarly?

70%? That's allot of Democrats...How come you guys act so Republican though?

That's easy. West Virginia shares a lot of traits with the more southern states. While the northern portion of the state is industrial, the southern portion of the state is dominated by the coal mining industry. You can't go more than two steps without running into a church.

West Virginia shares a lot of traits that are traditionally strong Republican issues: gun ownership, high military enlistment, high churchgoing rate, low tolerance for abortion. In addition, the state has the oldest population in the nation and retirees typically vote more Republican than Democratic.

For most of our history the power center of the state has been the coal mining counties in the south: Logan, Mingo, McDowell, Raleigh, and Boone. While the mining industry has declined considerably and the population has shifted more to Kanawha, Putnam, Jefferson, and Hampshire counties, the old power brokers in the southern part of the state still run most everything.

With little exception, the state is a Democratic stronghold. It takes unusual acts to get a Republican elected outside of Putnam or Kanawha counties. Our Congressional delegation for years was:

Alan Mollohan (D)
Bob Wise (D)
Nick Rahall (D)
Jay Rockefeller (D)
Robert Byrd (D)

Wise won the governor's seat and Shelly Moore Capito took his place in the Congressional delegation for two reasons. One is because her Democratic challenger was a complete sleaze. Two is because of the name Moore, which any West Virginian would recognize. But she's facing serious competition from a relative unknown Democrat this time and may lose.

But you can look at the elections of our delegation and see that none of the Democratic incumbents have faced a serious challenge in years, and in some cases decades. Byrd won his last time with over 75% of the vote without campaigning. The Democratic candidate for the governor's race this year enjoys an enormous lead.

Typically, West Virginia votes for the winning candidate in the presidential race. You'll notice that the last time the state went for a Republican before Bush was for Reagan. But West Virginia was a strong Clinton state and went for Carter in 76 as well. It is widely believed that Bush won here in 2000 because of the ad he ran here that stated that if Gore were elected he would ban all gun ownership. Gore didn't respond to this ad and the voters swung to Bush in a matter of weeks. Bush also ran some ads that were very derogatory to Catholics, which played well with the southern county voters, who are almost completely members of the Church of God and fervently anti-Catholic.

This year Kerry has made significant inroads into the southern counties, largely by playing to the United Mine Workers, who have endorsed him despite him being Catholic. While Kerry stands little chance of carrying any of the southern counties in West Virginia, he will do very well in the northern and central portion of the state. He should also be able to swing Cabell County. He's a percentage point ahead of Bush in Kanawha County and will win the state if he gets the majority of votes from Kanawha County, which easily boasts the largest population in the state.

Making an elephant of a mosquito we say in our country. Man those guys use the tiniest thing to compromise one another. Its pathetic.