ol' Mizzou

[fflo]

Okay, I watched the Michael J. Fox political ad (for the candidate favoring stem cell research in the Missouri U.S. Senate race), which's gotten attention because Rush Limbaugh accused Fox of playing up his symptoms to exploit his illness for political reasons.

What strikes me, watching the ad, isn't his ticking: it's that he pronounces the name of the state with a schwa sound at the end, instead of a long e. I don't think I know anybody not from the central U.S. who does that. Anybody else? Could that be a subtle political calculation? I guess I don't know whether the Show-Me folk say it that way themselves, even in certain parts of the state. aabassplayer, can you help me on that question? (BTW, I know I'm currently losing our bet... but I'm far from giving up hope.)

Comments

[aabassplayer.livejournal.com]

and...um, yeah....regarding the subtle political calculation, you've got it right on....mainly, the commercial is to sway the right-wing vote in MO...to capture the Good Ol' Boys' attention, you say Muhzuruh....Everyone pretty much knows we've got mainly Democratic votes coming out of the three major cities in the state...When you get into the hills (where 80% of the voting MO population lives), you find a greater number of folks using the schwa.

Missouri and Illinois are kind of similar in partisan political layout...80% democrat in major cities, 20% republican. Difference is that Illinois has 80% of the voting public living in the major cities, and Missouri only has 20% in the major cities.

Blue dots in 80% rural red states really suck.

Did I ever post about my response letter from sending a note to my congressperson regarding the FMA vote....Talk about scary....and whats worse is I won't be around to vote, nor did I get an absentee ballot in time. :-(