It's lucky that Sheriff Andy isn't facing voters

The Charlotte Observer ^ | 09/08/2010 | Benjamin Niolet

[speciallybland]

How bad is it for Democrats in North Carolina? Even Sheriff Andy Taylor is taking a beating in the polls.

Andy Griffith - star of the Andy Griffith Show, a Manteo resident and noted endorser of Democratic causes and candidates - has seen his approval ratings plummet, according to a poll published Tuesday by Raleigh-based Public Policy Polling.

The Democratic pollster found that Griffith's approval rating has fallen 25 points since 2008. Griffith has been a closer for Democrats, an unimpeachable saintly figure who fills his rare political spots with folksy charm and obvious references to his role as a small-town North Carolina sheriff.

In July he cut an ad for the U.S. government promising "good things" to come from the Democratic-backed health care law. The ad prompted five Republican U.S. senators to accuse the Obama administration of using taxpayer money to bolster his policies.

And as the poll suggests, the ad may have tainted the Griffith brand.

"Clearly it's pushback from the president's health care plan," said Brad Crone, a Democratic consultant who is working with legislative candidates. "It's a good time to call up Barney Fife."

[Jemian]

It is clear to me that his prime passed a loooong time ago. He’s a senile old has-been now.

[equalitybeforethelaw]

Seems Andy has fallen in with that rascally Ernest T. Aunt Bea told him to keep his nose clean and watch the company who he hangs out with. Guess Andy knows what he is doing?

[Leg Olam]

His character of ‘Dusty Roads’ was more real than fiction.

[Captain Kirk]

I love (and love) his show. True classic television. Given his support for Obama, however, it is worth noting that his show was not exactly “path-breaking” on the race issue. When other shows during that period were starting to feature at least some black characters, such as the Twilight Zone, Star Trek, and I Spy, it remained lily white. Did Andy try to exert his influence to make it otherwise?

[fightinJAG]

I saw the ad and it was clear to me that someone took advantage of the fame and goodwill of an old man who had no clue of the political firestorm he’d been asked to step into.

A pox on those who made this ad.

I don’t hold it against Andy.

[RightGeek]

Golleee, Andy! If you lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas!

Shut up, Gomer.

[sodpoodle]

About to remark that his role in The 1957 movie *A Face in the Crowd* inspired the 1960 Andy Griffith Show. I believe it was intended to make spiteful fun of good country people - but fans liked the characters so much that the writers changed their approach.

In the first few shows Sheriff Andy was a bumbling fool with an exaggerated Southern accent.... but he quickly became wise and wonderful so they added Barney in the *dumb cracker* role. Griffith then cynically milked his beloved character for subliminal messages.

Same thing happened to Archie Bunker - the public loved him!!!!!

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

‘His character of ‘Dusty Roads’ was more real than fiction.’

True, but it was based on Arthur Godfrey, not Griffith himself.

[kjb366]

I knew Andy was nuts when he refused to bang Charlene Darling.

[Presbyterian Reporter]

“””I don’t hold it against Andy.”””

---

Come on. Andy is smart enough to know that pimping Obamacare was going to cost him big time.

Once a liberal-—always a liberal.

[Jemian]

I spent a portion of the summer in Brevard, NC. I do not recall seeing any blacks in that town. This year!

Could it be possible that Mayberry wasn't integrated? This was the late '50s and '60s. I bet the thought didn't even occur to them.

[Buckeye McFrog]

today’s Democrat Party can even trash Andy Griffith’s poll numbers in North Carolina. Go figure!

Good Cracker! Goooooood Cracker!

[VermiciousKnid]

GREAT movie, but the character’s name was Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes.

While I am aware of Mr. Griffith’s political bent, I’ve never heard that he resembled his “Face In the Crowd” character. Is this true? Does he have the reputation for being a loveable, folksy guy onscreen and an SOB offscreen?

Regards,

[fallujah-nuker]

His character of ‘Dusty Roads’ was more real than fiction.

First thing I thought of too, he seems to be at the part where his true nature was revealed. Youtube clip.

[Captain Kirk]

Good points....perhaps I am being too “reverse PC” about this.

[Leg Olam]

Thank you for the correction. He has always played to the liberal mindset by being the lovable, folksy guy. It is his sales model and it works. Whatever he is really like has been kept out of the spotlight but be sure that he really isn’t Sherrif Andy any more than Don Knotts was really Barney.

[BigBobber]

Andy Taylor Griffith endorsed Barry Fife for president. Now that it’s clear the bumbler-in-chief is far above his pay grade the sheriff has to smooth things over.

Andy, do the the right thing and take Barry’s bullet away before he hurts someone.

[rj45mis]

“Andy is smart enough to know that pimping Obamacare was going to cost him big time.”

I tend to agree simply because he is part and parcel of the “Hollywood Trash” bunch! Look what a liberal hack “Opie” has become!

[MBB1984]

I do. He ran ads against Jesse Helms when Jim Hunt ran for his Senate Seat in 1984.

Griffith is a long time democrat and liberal.

[MBB1984]

Western North Carolina has fewer blacks relative to other parts of North Carolina and several small towns there were all white in the 1960s.

[PATRIOT1876]

Barney or even Goober seems more competent than Andy at this point.

Many Americans hate the vile disgusting Health Care Bill with a fiery passion. No one wants their “representatives” to say, “Screw you, I'm not listening to what you have to say.”

It's a real bad idea to associate yourself with this unpopular fecal bill. No wonder Dems that are running for the Nov election try not to mention it while campaigning.

“Health Care, Health Care...hmmmm...To the best of my recollection, I don't believe I've ever heard of such a thing.
Please, please don't look up my voting record!”
~Any Democrat picked at random running for election in NO-vember

[VermiciousKnid]

Thank YOU for the info. When I was a kid, I thought he WAS Sheriff Andy, but being all grown up now, I know that it is not so...

Regards,

[almcbean]

There’s another Mayberry connection. Have you ever noticed that Eric Holder bears a striking resemblance to Howard Sprague?

[Hunton Peck]

Mayberry’s dirty little secret is that Aunt Bea baked cocaine into all those pies she made. It messed with all their minds somethin’ awful.

[Cowman]

Mayberry’s dirty little secret is that Aunt Bea baked cocaine into all those pies she made. It messed with all their minds somethin’ awful.

Is that why Opie was appointed as "Pastry Czar" after a period of fact finding in Colombia?

[Hunton Peck]

It’s not a coincidence he rode a C-130 on that trip.

[Cowman]

I have had suspicions about Floyd the barber as well.

[Hunton Peck]

Yeah. He was way too mellow.

[GailA]

Let me get this straight. We're going to be "gifted" with a health care plan we are forced to purchase and fined if we don't, written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke;

What the hell could possibly go wrong?

I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.
Bob Hope

[fightinJAG]

Okay. I stand corrected.

:)

[MitchellC]

NC *Ping*

Please FRmail MitchellC if you want to be added to or removed from this North Carolina ping list.

[iowamark]

"Hey, Barn, I'm endorsing Obama!"

[JWinNC]

"I knew Andy was nuts when he refused to bang Charlene Darling."

LOL^^^

Ditto that.

[xrmusn]

I’ve never heard that he resembled his “Face In the Crowd” character.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
W J Clinton always brought this movie and character to mind when I was ‘forced’ to observe him.