Rural Voters Going Blue
Posted by Christy McConville on November 1, 2006 at 06:24 PM
The Des Moines Register writes of a shift in rural communities - a shift that favors Democrats:
Republicans' hopes in battleground areas of rural America are crumbling while Democratic prospects are improving, according to a new poll due to be released Friday.It seems the war in Iraq has been a key factor this election cycle:The survey, commissioned by the Center for Rural Strategies, a Whitesburg, Ky., think tank, found rural voters in key states and districts are moving away from Republicans and toward Democrats. Concerns about the war in Iraq, the economy and President Bush's unpopularity are driving the shift, experts say.
"In past elections, we've seen the numbers in rural areas break toward the Republicans at the end and now it's breaking toward the Democrats," said Dee Davis, the president of the group. He said a similar pattern was seen in the elections of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.
He said "the war has become a very big issue in rural communities," perhaps because rural Americans are bearing a disproportionate number of the casualties in Iraq."I believe we’re beginning to see some exasperation of people who are ready for this war to be over," Davis said. "They’re no longer making the same connection with the war and the war on terrorism that they were making before."
If you live in a rural community, volunteer to help get out the vote.
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