Perfect picture of 'RED STATE' America, and explains the Bush election

[oc2002]

To understand the reason Bush is elected, you have to understand the people who voted for him.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/01/18/shallow.jury.pool.ap/index.html

[southernleftylady]

1. OK i live in Memphis..

this is so embarrassing..
now you understand why i get so frustrated living here don't ya ;) lol

[Boosterman]

11. heh. I used to live in Memphis. Walls now.

After the beheading and the shooting in the same week I had enough.

[MemphisTiger]

2. It's a red state but it's a blue county

We're so proud here in Memphis

[Boosterman]

15. Shhh

You will mess up the whole thread with that info.

[OKNancy]

3. I seriously doubt the three

people listed in this story bothered to vote.
It's an interesting short article, but I don't see how it relates to voting patterns.
I think there are probably more straightforward ways to bash red states if that is the intent of the post.

[NoStinkinBadges]

9. I agree Nancy.

Nothing in this article to indicate how these people voted.

[finecraft]

4. I was called for jury duty last year

After everyone in the prospective jury pool was assembled in the courtroom (approximately 100 people), we were asked for everyone who had been convicted of a crime and served time in jail (local, state or federal detention) please rise. About half of the room stood up. They were dismissed. Then they asked for everyone that had a case pending in court to please stand. About 15 more people stood. They were dismissed. We then had three people stand and ask to address the judge. They explained to him that they were under surveillance by our local police for suspected drug dealing, and they thought that they really wouldn't be unbiased as far as any police testimony was concerned. They were dismissed. I couldn't believe it. By the time the attorneys got down to actual juror selection, there were only about 35 of us left out of the original 100.

[el_gato]

6. that is indicative of a larger problem

we have a higher incarceration rate than aparthied south africa.
somebody has to fill those beds for the prison industry.

[mdhunter]

5. Question. Why the hell is this a front page story on CNN?

:shakeshead:

[oc2002]

7. CorporateNewsNetwork....what news?

I still think its a funy article. Not intended to be taken seriously.

[K-W]

8. Because odd/humerous stories are huge internet draws.

They get posted on message boards and sent to email lists. Everyone has a good laugh and CNN gets extra traffic.

[noamnety]

12. Good question

It's a cheap laugh taking advantage of stereotypes. Good journalism would discuss what the full jury pool was - 10 people? 50? And it would discuss whether this was a normal number of jury rejects, or whether it was a unique situation.

If their intent was to show the decline of serious journalism at CNN, they did a great job.

[LizW]

14. It's an underhanded way of flogging tort reform

Message: juries are stupid and incompetent, and shouldn't be trusted.

You get lots of anecdotal stories like this when tort reform is in the air.

[Window]

10. ROTFLMAO!

Damn! I say the lawyer called it right, "Jury Pool from Hell." Yup, sounds exactly like those 'family values' folk.

[DancingBear]

13. In last Sunday's Washington Post magazine

was an article entitled "Red America" - this will paint a much truer (and sadder) picture of why people voted for the moron.

While I do not agree with the author's slant (he actually believes the election was legit) the views of the people he talked with are to be expected. Fox News, Limbaugh brainwashing, churches hammering home Bush is moral, etc. - what do you expect?

I'd enclose a link, but I have the flu and can barely finish these thoughts.