Kerry 'Hunting' for Conservative Votes

Kerry planned a morning hunt on a supporter's private property outside of Youngstown.

I hate to break it to the Senator, but he'll have better luck catching something on a snipe hunt than finding a conservative that will vote for him in Youngstown, Ohio. Youngstown falls in the Mahoning Valley, which votes very strongly Democrat. The reason Kerry isn't going to find any conservatives to vote for him in Youngstown is because snipe outnumber conservatives in Youngstown nearly 2 to 1.

I currently reside in the Mahoning Valley, and as I conservative who lives in the area, I believe it safe to say that Kerry won't "bag" any conservatives in or around Youngstown. Their scarcity would make his odds rather low to begin with; their good judgment would make the hunting expedition resemble an old fashioned Elmer Fudd cartoon. I can just see it now...

In any event, the Mayor of Youngstown, Mayor George McKelvey (D), has endorsed President Bush. A few days ago, Mayor McKelvey was a guest/caller to the Rush Limbaugh Radio Show. McKelvey pointed out that it is unprecedented that a Democratic presidential candidate would "take time off" to go hunting in a Democratic Stronghold like Youngstown, OH so close to the election. At a time when candidates ought to be trying to reach out to undecided voters in crucial swing states, Kerry chose to visit, perhaps, the most Democrat friendly county in Ohio. It seems an awful lot like Kerry is trying to shore up his base; not convert conservatives.

Mr. Limbaugh, I would share with you that on Thursday, Senator Kerry, I guess he's so worn out from the campaign, he's coming back to my community to duck hunt. Now, I have every confidence that --

RUSH: You mean the day after -- wait just a second -- the day after tomorrow, two days from now, Kerry is going to Youngstown? Youngstown is a Democrat stronghold, is it not?

MAYOR: Yes, sir. He's been here four times. The Mahoney Valley traditionally delivers between 60 and 75% of the vote to the Democratic candidate. There's something happening in their polling, Mr. Limbaugh, when the Democratic presidential candidate comes back to a community for the fourth time, but apparently this time it's for "recreation."

...

MAYOR:... So I guess polling, something is going on out there when Senator Kerry comes back to a Democratic stronghold four times. Something is happening, and maybe they realize that there are more Bush Democrats than they realized, and if they exist, Mr. Limbaugh, in Mahoney County, in Youngstown, Ohio, I do believe they are all throughout the state of Ohio and all throughout the country.

After the election, I think I will blog more about McKelvey. I think he made a brilliant decision by endorsing Bush. In the short term, he will get a lot of negative feedback and has no real future career in politics in the Mahoning Valley; however, his decision to support Bush has definitely put McKelvey in a better position to run in a statewide election, as Ohio leans more to the right than the left, on the whole.