Dick Cheney will continue his use as a
surgical strike weapon in red counties today at the Cabela's sporting goods store in Grand Forks, MN. (Polk County went for Bush in 2000 54%-41%; see the incomparable
Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.)
According to the Grand Forks Herald:
A Cheney campaign spokeswoman said the vice president, a hunter and sportsman, plans to tout Cabela's as an example of a vibrant, growing company.
Maybe. But no doubt the real rationale is it fits nicely with the Bush-Cheney conception of capitalism of connections, nepotism, and quid pro quo instead of as a vibrant democracy of goods and services. Richard Cabela, it turns out, is not only an early $2000 donor to BC-04 (credit where credit is due: BC-04 website is a model for others to follow in transparency surrounding their
donors), he and his wife have together given close to $36,000 to Bush, the RNC, and assorted right-wing PACs over the past six years. (query the
FEC donor database). Bush himself has paid back such loyalty with at least
two other visits to Cabela's retail stores.
Bush-Cheney '04 is pursuing the narrowest of narrow base strategies: shoring up cronies. And big surprise: Bush himself is patronizing a political crony at an invitation only event today. (I mean, how do you reach swing voters if all your events are "invitation only?") At least the national press won't make the mistake of identifying Doug Scamman as a "local farmer" and not, say, the former New Hampshire House Speaker, as they did when Bush Sr. campaigned among the show cows in '88.
I know this has the air of "you mean there's gambling in the casino?" about it. However, it strikes me that it undermines whatever credibility the Bush-Cheney Campaign has if they make most of their dubious announcements about the economy "turning a corner" using the businesses of cronies as a backdrop. It ads to the whole infomercial. alternate reality vibe these guys project.