Will Kerry Sizzle In The Sticks?

Rural America truly was "Bush country" in the 2000 presidential election, but Democrats say a still-lackluster economy and other issues will help them close the gap in 2004.

But the Bush campaign hasn't been sitting on its hands. Mr. Bush recently campaigned in two areas that rarely see presidential visits: Michigan's Upper Peninsula and northern Minnesota.

Michigan's Upper Peninsula is solidly Republican; Minnesota's Iron Range traditionally votes Democratic, but those voters also tend to be conservative on social issues.

Moreover, the Bush campaign, in response to a Kerry bus tour through key Midwestern states earlier this month, issued a memo entitled, "Top Ten Reasons John Kerry is Wrong for Rural America."

Among the reasons: Kerry's votes against full repeal of the estate tax, the senator's "F" on a recent National Rifle Association legislative report card and votes against ethanol.

Kerry used that bus tour to highlight a number of proposals he said would boost local economies, from increased use of corn-based ethanol and other bio-based products to funding projects designed to bring more broadband Internet access to rural areas.

The Democratic candidate also argues that the Bush administration is responsible for a slow recovery that's set to leave Mr. Bush as the first president since Herbert Hoover to see a net loss of jobs over the course of a presidential term. Republicans note that 1.5 million jobs have been created since August.

Rural Democrats, meanwhile, feel their prospects were enhanced by Kerry's selection of North Carolina Sen. John Edwards as his running mate.

"It does help, because Edwards speaks the language. He's got that rural twang," said Steve Markus, a delegate from Pevely, Mo.

Larson, the Minnesota delegate, added rural voters don't know Kerry yet.
"They know they need something different. John Edwards may be a better campaigner in rural areas. He sounds more homespun," she said.

By William L. Watts