Dang. Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s campaigning on the East Coast is certainly not drawing accolades from the press, which reacted skeptically to his endorsement of failed Virginia gubernatorial Democratic primary candidate Terry McAuliffe, and now is panning his speech in New Jersey in support of Gov. Jon Corzine. I’m not exactly sure why Schweitzer’s appearances have been greeted with such skepticism by the media – the success of his campaigning effort will ultimately be determined by whether Corzine is reelected.
From a column by Bob Ingle, New Jersey bureau chief for Gannett newspapers, via Ben Smith’s blog on POLITICO:
Corzine’s recent shark-jumping moments include bringing Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer to a fundraiser. His hayseed routine was an embarrassment at best. Consider his message:
“Here’s what I want you to do. Say you’re standing in line at the grocery store and you turn to the person behind you and you say to ’em, “Are you with Jon Corzine?’ And they say, “No, I’m gonna vote for that other joker.’ Here’s what I want you to do. I want you to drag ’em out into the parking lot and teach ’em a lesson. That’s fightin.’ ”
Schweitzer also told the crowd “If you will get off your hind end and you’ll fight, I promise you, you’ll have a cowboy from Montana fightin’ right here in New Jersey until Election Day.”
Corzine could get more votes if he promised to keep Schweitzer in Big Sky Country. Didn’t we have enough phony swaggering cowboy bravado from George Bush and Dick Cheney?
OUCH.