- Guto Harri
- 27 Oct 06, 10:14 PM
Forget the economy, Iraq and other major issues in this campaign.
A 32-year-old blonde in Alabama is appealing to the baser instincts of voters.
Hand over $50 to Loretta Nall, and she'll apparently hand over a cartoon showing where her political heart lies - literally.
The Libertarian Party's candidate for governor doesn't have the money to launch a credible campaign at the moment, but she is drawing a lot of attention by focusing on her cleavage.
Her campaign is offering T-shirts and marijuana stash boxes displaying her plunging neckline with the words: "More of these boobs" over pictures of other candidates for governor (Republican Bob Riley and Democrat Lucy Baxley) with the words: "And less of these boobs."
"It started out as a joke, Ms Nall told the Associated Press, "but it blew up into something huge".
Guto Harri is the BBC's North America business correspondent.
- Claire Bolderson
- 27 Oct 06, 04:54 PM
I’m about to set off to cover my seventh US election campaign and right now I wouldn’t put any money on predicting the outcome. I made that mistake (along with the entire BBC Washington bureau I might add) at my first election - in 1994.
We held an office sweepstake but not one of us predicted the Republican Revolution, as it became known. The Democratic Party lost control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years. The new House speaker, Newt Gingrich, led his troops to Capitol Hill on a wave of protest votes against incumbents.
That was dubbed the year of the “Angry White Man”. I rather suspect that this time around as I travel through Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio I might come across him again.
Angry this time with a Republican-dominated Congress mired in scandal, but also worried about still being at war in Iraq, and anxious about the economic and physical security of his kids.
That’s not to say I’m expecting the Democrats to storm back in. One of the questions I intend to ask of them on my trip: “What are you offering the American people as an alternative?”
Of course, the answer will vary from race to race, and the polling evidence suggests the Democratic Party doing well in a number of places. But it’s a finely divided electorate at a time of tremendous national insecurity, and with less than two weeks to go, I for one am not placing any bets.
Claire Bolderson presents BBC radio's World Tonight and Newshour
- The Reporters
- 27 Oct 06, 03:09 PM
Washington Post: This year's negative campaign advertising is eccentric, filled with allegations of moral bankruptcy and sexual perversion. Link
Los Angeles Times: As it looks more likely that Democrats will take control of Congress, pro-business groups have found a sudden urge to donate to their campaigns. Link (Registration required)
USA Today: Officials are working to avoid a repeat of breakdowns in voting technology that were seen earlier this year. Link
