Missouri Senate Race Gets a Little Bit Country

State Auditor Claire McCaskill is making a lot of noise about her latest endorsement, that of the Red Headed Stranger himself, Willie Nelson. Yes, Willie Nelson. The McCaskill campaign is trying to use Willie Nelson's Farm Aid street cred to combat Talent's substantive endorsements of the Missouri Farm Bureau, the Missouri Corn Grower's Association and the Missouri Soybean Association. However, none of those groups recorded "Always On My Mind," so...yeah.

Now, I like Willie Nelson as much as the next guy, but I can't help but wonder if this has anything to do with Talent whalloping McCaskill 61-39 in the straw poll at the State Fair. It must sting a little bit, considering that at least 4 or 5 of Claire's hometowns are in rural areas and that Jim Talent doesn't exactly conjure up images of small town Missouri life with the average out-state voter. In all seriousness, the endorsement of Willie Nelson, and no, I can't believe I just typed those words, nor the results of the Missouri Farm Bureau straw poll are likely to have much effect on the outcome of the general election in November. Rural voters are cognizant of the fact that, despite the fact that both candidates come from urban areas, Jim Talent represents Missouri values and Claire McCaskill does not. The McCaskill campaign can wheel out as many country music legends as they want in a vain attempt to relate to rural voters, but unless she makes some substantive policy changes, it won't work. That's not to say Talent is a lock to win, the race is sure to be competitive. But if McCaskill wins, it will not be because of her rural appeal. Check out the county by county results of the 2004 governor's race if you need proof of that.

As an aside, maybe the powers that be in the McCaskill campaign that think Willie Nelson is the way to get in good with rural Missouri should listen to "Cowboys Are Secretly Frequently Fond of Each Other," Willie's Brokeback Mountain inspired gay cowboy ballad.