David "Mudcat" Saunders
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David "Mudcat" Saunders is a Democratic political consultant widely credited with playing an important role in the election of Mark Warner to the office of Governor of Virginia in 2001.
Saunders' encourages candidates to show respect for rural culture, such as NASCAR and bluegrass music, in order to break through some of the prejudices and social barriers currently keeping rural white males from voting for Democrats. He often says that once you can break through the culture, people will listen to what you have to say about the issues.
He is also a co-author, with political strategist Steve Jarding, of a book on the topic, Foxes in the Henhouse: How the Republicans Stole the South and the Heartland, and What the Democrats Must Do to Run 'em Out.
Saunders has a reputation for making statements that are as controversial as they are strategically considered. In a 2005 interview with the blog SouthNow, Saunders was asked, "Why did the Democrats lose in 2004?":
- They can't fucking count. That's the Democrats' problem. You don't get in the football game and punt on first down. You concede nothing. We condeded 20 states at first and then six more by Labor Day. That's 227 electoral votes. Bush only needed 18 percent of the remaining electoral votes to win.[1]
In regards to Virginia's anti-gay marriage amendment, Saunders was quoted as saying the following[2]:
- I think it's blasphemy to put this on the ballot and try to divide God's children for political gain. God loves them queers every bit that he loves the Republicans.
and:
- It is political trickery - it has nothing to do with queers and marriage. It is to help Republicans, in general, unite their base in the name of hate.
According to Richard Wolffe of Newsweek magazine[3], Saunders is an advisor in the '08 Presidential campaign of John Edwards and it is now reported that likely Democratic nominee Barack Obama is now seeking Saunders as a consultant as well. Saunders was also a senior advisor in the 2006 U.S. Senate campaign of Jim Webb in Virginia.
