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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

The downhill side open line

Posted by Max Brantley on Wed, Aug 1, 2012 at 3:48 PM

CLUCKING WITH THE HUCK: Mike Huckabees Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, for its leaders endorsement of anti-gay causes, was a larrupin success, with huge crowds turning out to demonstrate their sympathy all over. Arkansas outlets were mobbed, though greeted by pro-brotherhood demonstrators in Little Rock. Chick-fil-A won the day. Will it win the war? It will be longer to measure the impact of political branding of the chain.

Facebook/Mike Huckabee
CLUCKING WITH THE HUCK: Mike Huckabee's Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, for the chain leaders' endorsement of anti-gay causes, was a larrupin' success, with enormous crowds turning out throughout Arkansas to demonstrate their solidarity with the restaurant owners' views on gay people. Arkansas outlets were mobbed, though greeted by pro-brotherhood demonstrators at one Little Rock store. Chick-fil-A won the day resoundingly at the cash register. But will the chain — or the religiously rooted resistance to equal treatment of gay people in general — win the war? It will take time, of course, to measure the impact of political/religious branding of the chain by the events. But even many of the restaurant's defenders took pains in interviews today to say that they didn't dislike gay people; some even said they supported civil unions, if not marriages, for gay couples. The chain itself didn't want to talk about it.

The week's better than half done. The line is open. Finishing up:

* HEAT NOTES: This from Greg Dee at Channel 4:

In terms of highs at 105 or higher in LR,Summer 2012 is the second hottest with 9 days above 105. 1980 is in first with 10!

It only just hit 100 today in Little Rock. Awwww.

* BURGER DAY: Facebook report on a great day of burger sales for Back Yard Burger franchises in Northwest Arkansas, held by grateful customers for its support of a gay couple denied a marriage announcement in the local newspaper. And this one might surprise local folks: A Chick-fil-A in New Hampshire is sponsoring a gay pride event, mindful of all the bad press. This kind of reporting isn't good for a business, no matter how fervently some customers admire the owners' outspokenness against gay rights. The chain itself seems to demonstrate that by distancing itself from the day and not releasing sales figures, according to US News.

* TIM TEBOW RULE: David Goins of Fox 16 reports that the Arkansas Activities Association has approved a rule that will allow home-schooled students to join sports teams of local schools and participate in other interscholastic activities. The legislature had resisted passing a law to allow this. Goins has also posted the new rules. They provide for a one-year waiting period to prevent a student from dropping out of a member school to home school as a means of instantly transferring to another team.

* BULL PINS MAN AGAINST PATROL CAR, TRIES TO MATE WITH HIM: That's what it says here. If you can't believe Channel 7, who can you believe?

* BREAKING: MILLIONAIRES BREAK OUT THE CHAMPAGNE: As expected the Republican-controlled House voted to continue the huge Bush era tax break for millionaires. Tim Griffin, Steve Womack and Rick Crawford — joined by corporate lobbyist Mike Ross who allegedly caucuses with Democrats — all went for the millionaires. That bonanza, worth $160,000 per millionaire, has really created a bunch of jobs the last 10 years, hasn't it?

Tags: Little Rock heat, Chick-fil-A, Back Yard Burger

        
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