It's been an unusually cool August in Southwest Missouri, but that cannot be the only explanation for the flurry of political activity that has occurred in the region home to John Ashcroft, Brad Pitt, and bastardized Chinese Cashew Chicken. You see, President Bush has visited the area three times in the past six months. Vice-President Cheney has been here twice, 
yet he visited both regional "hubs" (I use quotations for the term since Springfield's 160,000 and Joplin's 35,000 population may not qualify as a hub per se) With an electorate that generally votes 55 - 45 Republican in close races, why is the Bush re-election campaign giving so much lip service to this seemingly solidified portion of a key battleground state? The answer seems to be found in looking at Bush's last visit to Springfield on July 30th and Democratic Veep John Edward's two-day stop earlier 
this week. The events suggest an awakened and angry donkey 
in a thinning pachyderm herd.

When President Bush came to Springfield right after the Democratic National Convention ended, he was greeted by over 9,000 people at the newly constructed Hammons Field in Jordan Valley Park. A good turnout, until you factor Hammons Field's capacity of 11,000 seats. Add that 
then to over 200 protestors outside the facility who could audibly be heard over the President's speech and one paints a picture rarely seen in these here parts. The Republican President of the United States not only failed to fill a venue in a stronghold territory but was faced with nasty yet peaceful 
and law-abiding opposition. Now, compare this to Senator John Edward's visit. On Sunday night, I drove over the Southwest Missouri State University for a chance to see the guy I hoped would be the next Vice-President. I assumed the Quad-rangle portion of campus -where the speech was to take place - would be mildly filled and buzzing with anticipation. This was hardly the case. The area was completely filled and hesitant evaluations of the crowd estimated 8,500 people. More liberal - ho ho- estimates hovered over 10,000. And these people stirred and hollered like teenaged girls waiting for an Usher concert to start. I had never really seen anything like this, either. 

 And I had never really seen anything like Edwards. Arms stretched out with two thumbs jutting in the air, he played the crowd like a pro. His speech is the same one you've heard everywhere- "We live in two America", "Hope is on the way", "This country deserves better" - but his style and attitude were the attributes to watch. He had a command and presence that did not suggest the condescension of Kerry or the blatant pandering of Bush. When he talked about people joining the National Guard in order to get through college, you know he knew these people at North Carolina State. When he talks about a neighbor needing to mortgage her house again to get by, you know he's probably lived by this woman at some point. He was good. He was very good. I had to see this guy up close. I rushed the area where he shook hands nearly getting crushed by women twice my age. Senator Edwards looked at me, I jutted out my hands, and as he shook my sweaty palms all I could muster to say was, "Rock and roll, Senator!" Rock and roll, Senator. That's it. Faced with the guy who could be a heartbeat away from the Presidency in a matter of months, I totally choked and could only muster a response worthy of a Ted Nugent concert. He smiled and shook his head as to say, "Who is this crazy, inbred bastard? But hey, you're kinda funny so vote for me anyway." Worse than 
Shimes' call for General Wesley Clark to "give 'em hell", I may be the biggest jack-ass (figuratively and literally) in SW Missouri. I did get to shake hands with him properly later thanks to some political wrangling, but that's rather 
un-important to my point. My point is this: Edwards is a political rock star, only close is competing with the Elvis aura of Bill Clinton.

And there were protestors. About a dozen of them. I was a little underwhelmed by their presence. They began a chant for "Four More Years" but Edwards quickly deflected them by giving them a chance to yell since "they'll be awful quiet after November." With the media being the media in Springfield, this Baker's twelve got the bulk of the coverage. But who 
can blame them when the ringleader of the political opponents 
was dressed like a big waffle. I mean this guy was wearing a waffle suit. I don't know where you can rent a waffle suit so I have to assume he designed this himself. I was honestly impressed. But I was more amused by the fact the guy didn't stitch out a place for his face. So, as he explained that he was protesting a Catholic Kerry's pro-choice stance, all the listener could hear was this voice coming out of a waffle suit. But the waffle suit was the most visible and forceful aspect of the Republican's response to the Democratic VP candidate's presence in Springfield. What was going on here?

Well, it's not good news for the reining Administration. Both sides of 
the political fray shows that Bush-Cheney only has a fifty-fifty approval rating in Springfield. Their Golden Boy from the area - Congressional Majority Whip Roy Blunt - has made some missteps in the past two years and now faces the most formidable oppositio n he's ever seen in local lawyer Jim Newberry. Talk to moderates or even staunch Republicans in the area and they voice concern about Iraq, investments in the stock market, and "crookedness" perceived in dealings with oil companies and defense contractors. All of the political capital Bush-Cheney gained from 9-11 has ceased and now looks to be damaging the core of their base. The Republicans know they must win Missouri to win the Presidency. And they can't win St. Louis or Kansas City where most of the voters reside. So they have to gamble BIG on the Springfield-Branson region. And they've got the 
numbers to show that the bet may not pay off the way they need it to. And people are certainly dissatisfied with Bush. But a Republican district won't sway unless voters have a real, legitimate choice. And I don't think moderates and conservatives flock to Kerry's legislative career and East coast roots as the alternative. But there's something comforting to these 
voters about Edwards that resonates. The charisma, the stature, the well-versed oratory. But more importantly, the sincerity. This guy knows and this guy cares. When Democrats are at their best, this sincerity is on display and people respond with votes. At their worst, they look like snake-oil salesman and people generally stay home. Sincerity is a lost virtue in 
politics. The guy in the waffle suit has sincerity to a point and I grudgingly yet whole-heartedly respect him. But so does Edwards. Unlike the waffle guy, Edwards is willing to show his sincere face somewhere that's not perceived as friendly to his message. And that's the difference. In a race between  the pro-Bush waffle suit guy and VP candidate John Edwards, 
I know how my vote will be cast.

---Jimmy O