Left In Missouri

During the primaries local political pundit Marvin Overby made a big deal out of Steve Gaw’s advantage over Judy Baker because he had “rural roots” and Baker was a “Columbia liberal” who wouldn’t sell outside Boone County. Overby was proven wrong when Baker (who, like Gaw and Luetkemeyer, also lives in a rural area) won more rural counties than her three primary opponents combined. Rather than alter his myth Overby blamed his failed prognostication on “low voter turnout everywhere.” See here: http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Aug/20080807News007.asp

This is an odd excuse since the low turnout occured in all types of counties and since it implies that voters who did not turnout in rural counties were more likely to support candidates other than Baker. Indeed, if only Baker’s rural voters were inspired to turnout, that is a direct contradiction of the myth that she lacks rural appeal.  

Now Overby is repeating the same mantra in the general election saying that Judy Baker plays well in Boone County but that a “Columbia liberal” won’t play well outside Boone County. Interestingly while the local pundit calls Baker a “Columbia liberal,” the AP story correctly identifies her as a rural resident surrounded by farmers:

“[Baker lives] in a rural part of Boone County surrounded by farmers. A mother of three and the wife of a Baptist minister, Baker met her husband at graduate seminary school, where she earned a divinity degree after attending the University of Missouri-Columbia as an undergraduate.”

What is the point of the AP going to a local pundit, if the pundit offers a stereotypical view of the candidats that is less geographically accurate than the template story put out by the national AP? And why do the media consistently go to Overby as the only local “expert” voice on this race when he has been so consistently wrong?

I look forward to Overby again blaming “low voter turnout” for the failure of his simplistic rural/urban opinions in November.

If you too would like to help Overby scratch his head again, please donate to Judy Baker at my ActBlue page on the ActBlue button on this website and also linked here: http://www.actblue.com/page/waynemo

TO MAKE YOUR DONATION GO FURTHER, I WILL MATCH ANY DONATIONS ON MY PAGE TO JUDY BAKER BY 5PM SEPTEMEBER 30TH UP TO $300. PLEASE DONATE AND HELP RURAL BOONE COUNTY MODERATE JUDY BAKER WIN IN NOVEMBER!