Jerry Kilgore: Man of the (south)West!

The non-issue of Jerry?s southwestern Virginia drawl was, I believe, part of a Scott Howell-planned and designed thread in the Kilgore campaign for Governor.  Let's face it, nobody else was even talking about an accent at the time the Kilgore crowd made it into an "issue."  Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kilgore began drawling and whining about how Kaine was making fun of his accent.  He even managed to get the REAL Larry Sabato, UVA professor and ubiquitous commentator-about-town, to help him along.  At the time, Sabato noted that Kaine was ?possibly hinting at Kilgore?s country background," even though all Kaine was saying was that Jerry should speak for himself in his own radio ads.  At about that time, I personally heard Kilgore tell a humorous little story about how his son had asked him why he talked ?funny.?  No kidding.

It seems obvious to my ex-Republican brain that the designer purpose of the Accent Flap was to establish Kilgore?s credentials as a gen-u-wine good-ole-boy (south)Westerner, sorta like his great hee-ro George W. Bush, the noted Texas oilman (who never found any oil) and rancher (Pause for a good heehaw!).  What else could it have been?

With Jerry's southwestern "street cred" duly established, the second step would be to reinforce the simple Western goober boy persona -- so honest and self-effacing, so genuinely a son of the people that you just have to trust him, especially when compared to his "slick lawyer" opponent with HIS "limousine liberal" Hollywood connections, etc, etc.  Notice, by the way, how the ?limousine Hollywood liberal? phrase keeps showing up in both Kilgore?s fund raising letters as well as in his political mentor George Allen?s?  I guess they must have the same paid letter writers.

Part and parcel of this Man of the West, Lone Ranger, Marlboro Man persona is the snappy new phrase, ?Ah trust the people. Always have. Always will.?  Ridiculous, perhaps.  But, once this cliche is embedded in the subconscious mind of the right-wing Republican base (the angry
white evangelical Southern male and ?his woman?), the Howell/Kilgore campaign can then take the next step, in which the Marlboro Man finally, graciously, agrees to debate his opponent(s), of course insisting on very strict, self-serving rules. Just like Big Daddy George W. 

Then, don't be surprised when, during the debate(s) that Jerry unleashes yet another outrageous, scurrilous, negative attack on Kaine, one that is completely false but is extremely difficult to refute when blindsided.  This will, of course, force Kaine to defend himself rather than to promote and explain his positive vision for Virginia?s future.  Think Swift Boats.  Even better, all this will take place at a relatively late stage in the campaign, and will be intended to throw Kaine so off balance at the last minute that he can?t recover by the time voters enter the polling places.  Then, the courageous, pure, and self-righteous "country boy" Kilgore can ride his white horse into the Governor?s Mansion.  On second thought, better have a stuntman double do that for Jerry Boy.

Anyone care to place their bets on this scenario actually coming to pass?  Step right up, ladies and gentlemen!

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