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Biden "Out-Bumpkins" Palin
During a recent campaign stop in Pigs Knuckle, Arkansas, Sen. Joe Biden called the latest attack ads on Barack Obama's immigration status "complete and utter malarkey." This wasn't the first time Sen. Biden has infused one of his speeches with colorful colloquialisms reminiscent of President Bush and now Governor, Sarah Palin.
When asked last week about Obama's ties to contaminated pancake batter from China, a fiery Biden shot back at reporters calling the accusations, "balderdash, hog wash, and just plain bull-hockey."
Biden seems to be reaching out to undecided voters, said one undecided voter. "He's obviously recalling a simpler time when Americans didn't question authority; when our national leaders didn't come from privileged and gentrified backgrounds; and when African-Americans weren't running for the nation's highest office."
The new tactic seems to be paying off. An MTV / Reuter's poll shows Biden slightly ahead of Sarah Palin with "likely voters having little or no interest in world affairs." This is in stark contrast to a similar poll following their earlier debate that found Biden trailing Palin with "registered voters who have little or no command of the English language."
"We're not trying to dumb down our message," said a political consultant close to the Biden camp, "but it's clear that this thing will be won or lost in the margins. And history tells us that the margins are filled with slack-jawed, corn-chewers dolled up as shiny-shoed carpetbaggers. Appealing to the middle class never wins you an election, but alienating intolerant, moose hunters this year won't help either."
When asked about this new messaging, Karl Rove, retired political strategist for President Bush, said he'd already done the electoral math and didn't hold out much hope for a McCain / Palin victory. Some analysts see this as a shrewd tactic to invigorate the Republican base, but key Democratic insiders don't believe voters are so easily fooled.
Biden was quick to respond to Rove's characterization of him as pandering to the great unwashed masses by explaining that he was "ebullient if not downright exuberant to bring our message of change to everyday Americans. And no corn swallowing, cracker croaker was gonna ride roughshod over this critter corker." Biden took a moment to explain to the press corps what he meant before boarding a bus for Hope, Arkansas, for another round of pig jowls and horse-shoes among the unwashed and uncommitted.
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