Bush Losing Ground in Rural America

[Nicholas_J]

Voters in struggling outlying areas tend to identify with his values, but economic concerns are alienating some lifelong Republicans.




By John M. Glionna, Times Staff Writer


SHERMAN COUNTY, Ore. — Like much of rural America, this isolated community south of the Columbia River Gorge is a place where people — like their parents before them — vote Republican when they pick their presidents. They went with George W. Bush four years ago. And most are likely to support him again this year.

But cracks have surfaced in President Bush's once-solid rural constituency. From places like Sherman County to Montcalm County, Mich., and Mahoning County, Ohio, some Republicans are so concerned about crop prices and high unemployment that they're considering voting Democratic for the first time.

They're hardworking people like Sherman County farmer Tom Martin. As he plows the stubble of last autumn's wheat harvest on his 12,000-acre spread, the 60-year-old hears mostly grim economic news on his radio.

"I'm right there on the fence," Martin said. "Bush has lost my vote, but I'm just not excited about Kerry either. From where I sit, neither party has much regard for the little man. And that includes farmers."

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/2004/la-na-ruralvoters19apr19,1,356638.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. I'm suprised to read this.

[Nadienne]

2. I'm not.

I mean, c'mon: he talks about moral values, but he lies incessantly. I bet a lot of rural folks are feeling fairly betrayed.

[Mz Pip]

3. Why would

anyone want to reward this guy with a second term when he has screwed things up so badly? How can people believe he is capable of doing the right thing ever? He's mislead us on the reasons for war, misappropriated money to fund it, is delusional about its successes and cannot see that he has made any mistakes. A money pounding on a computer has a better chance of accidentally writing a good novel than Bush has of fumbling into success in Iraq.

I'd vote for my cat over Bush.

MzPip
:dem:

[damnraddem]

4. Kerry has more regard than Dubya has.

But Kerry has to say it and get it heard.

[rasputin1952]

5. Here in Nebraska...

the voices that so hailed the Great Leader, have gone silent of their own accord. You are hard pressed to hear anyone singing the praise of bush.

I am not so arrogant to say that NE will go blue...but these hard working people of the land, truly dislike bush and his policies...:)