Bullish For George Bush

Support For President Is Strong With One Florida Couple

(CBS)  In its ongoing series, "American Voices," CBS Evening News – Weekend Edition speaks to voters from all over the country. Here is a visit with one independent couple in the Tampa - St. Petersburg area who say they believe the country is headed in the right direction.

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"I'm a registered independent, but basically have been leaning toward the Republican party for the last few years," says Terry Tweedie, who lives in St. Petersburg, Fla. She moved there seven years ago from Maine with her husband, Duane, who retired, at age 55, from a management job with a grocery chain.

Says Duane, "I vote what I think is going to be right for me, and obviously very conservative."

Duane and Terry Tweedie are in constant motion. Whether it's spending time at the local golf course, where Duane works three days a week (mainly so he can socialize and play a round for free) or entertaining friends they've met on their frequent travels. They thought they had planned well for retirement -- until the economy and the stock market went into a tailspin. Still, they are optimistic about the future.

Says Terry, "We had a great big bubble going and it burst, which I think we all knew it was going to. I don't think we thought it was going to be as bad as it was, but it's coming back and I think it's coming back the way it should -- slowly."

Duane agrees: "I hope that it doesn't grow by leaps and bounds and then the bottom end up falling out of it. Let's have good steady growth."

The Tweedies say it's not just the economy that's on the right track. They also favor the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq.

Says Duane, "I think it was a good move, and I say keep at it and keep after 'em. I firmly believe when that when one is taken care of, another one is going to come to the surface, and we're going to be fighting terrorism for a very long time."

Terry: "As far as I'm concerned, while we were there, we should have gone to Syria. Go get 'em!"

The Tweedies are equally passionate about what they believe is one of the nation's most pressing problems: health care.

Notes Terry, "We have seniors that don't have prescriptions because they can't afford it. This country is so rich and we help the whole world. We really should see that these people are taken care of."

The Tweedies are conservatives with a strong independent streak. They believe there are certain areas where the government should not tread.

"The government getting in somebody's personal decision, whether it be gay marriage, or abortion, or whatever. That is a personal decision." Duane explains.

Even though they disagree with the president on some things, they still give him high marks overall.

Duane: "My mind is made up to support Bush. I believe he's done as good a job as anybody could do under the circumstances."

Terry: "I would give him an A, probably an A minus. I'm not going to give him an A plus."