Knight Ridder: Nov. election offers clearest choice in at least 25 years

[Newsjock]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/7728428.htm

A long and very interesting read. Four paragraphs really don't do it justice.

BY STEVEN THOMMA
Knight Ridder Newspapers

DES MOINES, Iowa - When Iowa Democrats caucus Monday, they'll kick off the first presidential election since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the war in Iraq, one that presents Americans with a historic choice: What kind of country do we want to be?

... In red America - states on TV's election-night maps that vote Republican - people tend to be white, married, Protestant, church-going and politically conservative. Red America believes in moral absolutes, embraced many of its cultural ideals in the 1950s and is eager to create an enduring Republican majority.

In the Democrats' Blue America, people tend to be single, secular, more ethnically and racially diverse, and politically liberal. Blue America wants individuals to decide their own morality on issues such as faith and family, and is skeptical if not hostile to Bush and the Republicans on virtually everything.

Demographic and economic changes should swing the country toward blue, analysts Ruy Teixeira and John Judis argue in their book, "The Emerging Democratic Majority." For example, the country is growing more diverse, with a tide of immigration from Latin America. Hispanics, particularly those from Mexico and Puerto Rico, traditionally vote for Democrats by margins of as much as 2-1.

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[nyrnyr1994]

1. I believe this is the most imporant election in a long time

"What kind of country do we want to be?"

This one line of this article is the definition of this election year.

In my opinion, and most likely the opinion of most of us here on DU, I think this is the most important presidental election since another George was running...not G.H.W. Bush but Washingtion...

I only hope my fellow peers and age group see the importance of this, I've never been involved in campaigns before but I feel more compelled to be this year.

[Leilani]

2. Very good article

Shows how important this election really is; unless the Dems win & turn the tide, we will be in big trouble for a long time.