Poll of rural voters finds opportunity for Democrats

[draft_mario_cuomo]

Poll finds rural voters disenchanted with Bush, worried about war

PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT:Tim Marema, 865/494-7980, tim@ruralstrategies .org

Major findings:

* approval

52% disapprove of *, only 44% approve

Dems lead generic presidential ballot

Dems 46%
Reps 44%
(21 point swing in favor of Dems since 2004)

Candidate favorability ratings

HRC: 31% favorable, 52% unfavorable (net: minus 21%)
Obama: 34% favorable, 34% unfavorable (net: 0)
Edwards: 33% favorable, 36% unfavorable (net: minus 3%)

F. Thompson: 22% favorable, 18% unfavorable (net: plus 4%)
Ghouliani: 38% favorable, 33% unfavorable (net: plus 5%)
McCain: 35% favorable, 31% unfavorable (net: plus 4%)
Romney: 16% favorable, 27% unfavorable (net: minus 11%)

Iraq

50% favor reducing the number of troops in Iraq; 45% favor "staying the course."

It seems have a shot at winning the rural vote, unless HRC is the nominee with her net -21% favorability rating, which dwarfs everyone aside from Romney. If we can win the rural vote we will win in a landslide since we have the urban voted solidly behind us and we should win the suburban vote in 2008.

[Capn Sunshine]

1. This is huge and Howard Dean has been preaching this for two years

get out there and talk to the people. Howard has. He took away from those appearances in rural Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, places like that, a sense that at ground level the people are pretty darn smart. They want some honesty in their politicians, and they think Iraq is a big fucking mistake , and that BushCo is a bunch of incompetent ne'er-do-wells.

What they don't want is a bunch of pandering beltway types trying to triangulate them or run to the center like the last time. They are ready for a change, and by gum, the Dems had better put up someone who espouses DIFFERENT views from the republican, not the same but different ala 2004.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

2. Dean has proved to be a genius

I agree with your entire post. Dean in 2016! :bounce:

[Tunkamerica]

3. That would make him the second or third oldest president

after Reagan and maybe Harrison depending their birthdays.

[Raksha]

4. Sounds like they're in the market for a genuine populist,

not a pseudo-populist who panders to the Nascar crowd and the church people and the racists and xenophobes and then sells them out to the corpocracy...AGAIN! They have probably learned through sad experience to recognize the real thing when they see it.

They want some honesty in their politicians, and they think Iraq is a big fucking mistake , and that BushCo is a bunch of incompetent ne'er-do-wells.

What they don't want is a bunch of pandering beltway types trying to triangulate them or run to the center like the last time. They are ready for a change, and by gum, the Dems had better put up someone who espouses DIFFERENT views from the republican, not the same but different ala 2004.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

6. Agreed nt

[sandnsea]

5. Every Dem is running on Kerry's platform

I guess you listened to Republicans telling you what Kerry stood for instead of the man himself.