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CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Comments from CNN readers on Linda McMahon's Senate bid shows McMahon has uphill battle against WWE stereotypes Sep 16, 2009 - 5:05:48 PM
Below CNN's basic five-paragraph summary of McMahon's announcement to challenge incumbent Senator Chris Dodd is a wild (and wide) variety of comments from CNN readers weighing in on McMahon's bid.
The majority of comments were either shots at McMahon for her association with WWE (from the Chris Jericho promo playbook) or her running on a Republican ticket.
The "general pulse" taken on how relatively average folks view McMahon running for Senate shows the uphill climb she will have to endure to be competitive in the race.
The stereotype of WWE's brand of entertainment is that they appeal to the lowest common denominator with xenophobia, potty humor, and homophobia to generate reactions from kids and simple-minded individuals.
Some of the comments reflected that, while other comments focused on the anti-Republican sentiment that is prevalent in American culture right now following the departure of George Bush as U.S. president and Democrats controlling Congress.
Here is a mere sample of the hundreds of comments posted, some of which are worth a good round of laughs if you're having a rough day.
"Professional Wrestling like the GOP takes advantage of weak minded gullible individuals who believe all the staged stunts are real...She'd fit right in."
"Since pro wrestling might be the second biggest embarrassment to America after Republicans, it seems like a perfect match."
"If Al Franken is qualified then so is Linda McMahon."
"Great, the CEO of WWE - a corporate model of honesty and integrity. But, since most republicans believe in death panels and other such fantasies, they probably also believe that wrestling is real."
"Throw this lying fraud of a coward out of the "ring," Linda, and bring some respectability and savvy back to the Senate. Dodd you lying, cheating sack of crap, are going down and you can invoke Ted Kennedy all you want, "ain't gonna help ya." You can go live in all your nice houses that you got with the sweetheart deals the rest of us can only imagine."
"Well, at least we know up front she's an entertainer who specializes in using lies to make a buck and presents fantasy as reality."
"McMahon's got my vote, if I lived in Connecticut! Go get him Linda! Piledriver from the top rope!"
"Republicans have jumped on the 'working for ordinary people' bandwagon. They aren't a bit more concerned about ordinary people than the man in the moon is. What does a CEO of a million perhaps billion dollar empire know about ordinary people? ... 'A different kind of candidate.' ... Please. It's a gimmick. Don't be fooled."
The last comment is what McMahon will probably have to combat the most once competitors in the Senate race starting digging into her background as WWE CEO.
WWE has near-monopoly control over the wrestling industry, but McMahon is trying to market herself as a "small business owner" who went through a previous credit crunch decades ago.
I just don't know how well that will fly once the race heats up and the facts behind the marketing begin to come out to Connecticut voters, but it's a good start right now to have a platform to stand on.
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