Hey, George! You're losing 'Middle America'!

[Padraig18]

Our local weekly paper is, as its name indicates, a reliable mouthpiece for the GOP in this, the 'most Republican of all counties in Illinois'; to read the following editorial in this morning's edition is all the more remarkable, for that reason. I wish it was online, but rural America isn't quite that advanced, for the most part. Here it is, and any typos, etc. are my own:

Douglas County Republican
Saturday, October 18, 2003


"The Truth Will Serve You Better"

To be sure, the recent spate of bad news emanating from Washington and points far removed from there is disturbing, but far more disturbing to us has been President Bush's evident failure to adequately address those problems in a forthright manner.

Contrary to the 'put a smile on your face' posture adopted by the White House as regards Iraq, any realistic examination of the upswing in attacks on US and UN personnel there, the continuing terrorist destruction of pipelines and other infrastructure assets and numerous other occurrences can only lead to the conclusion that the situation is not, in fact, improving. Ambassador Bremer's trumpeting about the restoration of basic services and the like aside, the months-long delay in announcing these expected events are merely examples of the demonstrably inept planning for the post-war management of a highly successful invasion. The situation in Iraq is not stablizing, and it is high time that the Bush administration publicly acknowledged that fact. The time to mend fences with 'Old Europe' has arrived, because their assistance in stabilizing post-war Iraq is badly needed, and President Bush needs to do whatever is neccessary to procure it.

The White House's second major failure has been its anemic response to the leak involving outed CIA agent Valerie Plame. So long as President Bush allows this problem to fester, fester it will. The time has come for Bush to actively pressure those both inside the White House and inside Attorney General Ashcroft's Justice Department to get to the bottom of the story, and let the chips fall where they may. This matter is not going to go away, and the longer the White House continues its hands-off approach to the leak, the more likely it is that electorate will begin to question the President's sincerity as regards finding and punishing whoever jeopardized our national security by exposing Mrs. Plame. The truth will serve you and your chances for re-election better than your current posture, Mr. President.

[MuseRider]

1. Amazing, huh?

Our paper is also very conservative but increasingly I am reading some thought provoking Op Eds, people from tiny towns sounding like they have been living in DU! My husband posts on a football board. His team was listed as an enemy of the NRA, we don't know why but there it is. He posted that info on the board without any political bent and it was very interesting what the responses were like. ONE, only one freeper type responded. Everyone else eventually got to the point of talking about the facisists in our government etc. No body likes Bush* and I find this very interesting since this is a Bush* state and many of the responders are from this state. Small sample probably but very surprising.

[DemBones DemBones]

2. Lots of anti-Bush* talk on Washington Journal this morning.

They're re-playing the show now if anyone wants to listen to it.

Pedro also read an article from the NYTimes about Prescott Bush's bank supporting the Nazis.

[madrchsod]

3. well isn`t that interesting...

here in ronnie land our paper hasn`t written anything so bold but they now carry centerist writers. that`s a giant leap for the family who founded the paper over a hundred years ago...you may be in a republican county but hastrett is my congressman! i`ve been invited to a big gathering of his follwers at northern il.uni.,ain`t i special?

[Padraig18]

4. I sense a deep 'unease' with the GOP electorate here

Most GOP-ers here where I live aren't wealthy, privileged 'country club'-type Republicans, but ordinary working stiffs, small-business owners, farmers, small-town professionals (doctors, lawyers, etc.), and the like. I'm a 'sociable' sort and run a small business, so I know *lots* of them and am friends with many.

In the course of my everyday dealings with these folks, whether it be them coming in to buy a paper or some cigs from me, or me going in to eat lunch at the Amish Pantry restaurant, etc., I hear things that would not comfort me, were I pResident *. Just like us, these folks have laid-off friends and family members whose unemployment has run out and who still haven't found a job; they also have no health insurance or they have it, but find it ruinously expensive. They believe in fiscal prudence and practice it themselves, but they see deficits spiraling out of control under pResident *, and they see a war they once believed 'justified' rapidly deteriorating into a quagmire, and they shake their heads sadly with each new revelation about flawed pre-war intelligence and outright lies. Above all else, though, spread like frosting over whatever they say, is a deep unease and a sense of bewilderment regarding whether or not their trust in * has been betrayed.

These folks may well be an untapped source of electoral strength for our candidate in 2004, just as they were for our party on the State level in 2002, when we brought them over to support us by vowing transparency in government, honesty and responsible fiscal management of the public treasury, things they had seen disappear under years of GOP rule. I don't think we should become Republicans in order to get these folks to support us; no, in fact that would be the worst thing we could do, because right now the Republicans are doing a fine job of alienating their own true conservative base. What they liked about our party in November 2002 should work just fine with these folks, thanks, so how about we try talking about these same things nationally in 2004? We might be pleasantly surprised.

[lovedems]

5. I am also in Illinois

and our news channel reports everyday how the economy is growing. My husband and I laugh. Our newspaper (I think) still carries the Coulter column. Don't quote me on that because I cancelled our subscription. My point is, that criticism hasn't spread throughout Illinois yet and that is very surprising to me. Bush is doing to this country what Ryan did to this state and it should be obvious to everyone who lives here! We in Illinois haven't had 3 years of Bushco., we have 7 years of corrupted rethuglican leaders. When will all the media get with it?

[jiacinto]

6. More Republican than DuPage?

Where in IL is that county?

[Padraig18]

7. Yes, that's how they refer to themselves.

I don't know if it's true any longer, but for so many decades they had the highest percentage of R votes in the state here. Douglas County is in central IL, just south of Champaign County.

[Padraig18]

8. Kick