Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Nebraska: majority in each still backs Bush

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

The Nation Fri Apr 21, 11:36 AM ET

The Nation -- The numbers from the new Survey USA polling on President Bush are stunning. As EJ Dionne notes in his Washington Post column today, a majority of voters approve of Bush in just four states--Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Nebraska. Ouch.

It's no secret W's numbers are bad. But this bad? Fifty-nine percent of respondents disapprove of Bush in Kentucky! Similar stats prevail in once reliably red states such as Indiana, South Carolina and South Dakota (where abortion is practically illegal). A majority of Texans now frown on their old Governor.

In swing states like Ohio Bush has a net approval rating of -29 percent. No wonder Republican candidates tell Bush to stay away from their states, won't appear publicly with him or get "stuck in traffic" and arrive fifteen minutes after his Vice President has already left.

My favorite anecdote: Illinois Gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka would only let Bush raise money for her "late at night, in an undisclosed location."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20060421/cm_thenation/1579064_1



Protestors are arrested by police after blocking the street outside the Stanford University's Hoover Institution during President Bush's visit on Friday, April 21, 2006, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/ Tony Avelar)

[RoyGBiv]

1. I'd just like to note ...

None of these are Southern states.

[BillZBubb]

4. That's a great point--and VERY surprising.

I guess gas prices and Katrina finally did what no other crimes and incompetence could--got Southerners to start waking up.

[Warpy]

5. I pointed out a year ago that Dixie was no longer red

but a faintly reddish purple, with blue gaining every day.

I pointed out a year ago that the real moron corridor ran from Texas up through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas and extended west into Mormon country in Utah and Idaho.

Dixie, it seems may be ready to turn back to its nominally Democratic roots after a few years of being courted by and cheated on by the GOP.

[AspenRose]

17. "Moron corridor"....I like that

eom

[Indykatie]

2. Despite my Constant Business Travel

I've never set foot in either of those 4 states. I'm sure there are good Democrats in those states and I feel their pain. Even Indiana appears to be seeing the light so there is always hope.

[kurth]

3. Anything we really need from these four states?

Books of Mormon for hotel rooms?

[napi21]

6. Oh, I dunno, do ya like baked potatoes?

Idaho grows some really great ones! Nebraska beef is great too! The other tow are just SOL.

[smtpgirl]

7. My thoughts exactly, aren't these the LDS "breeding grounds"

with the "wholesome swimwear" and such??

http://www.wholesomewear.com

SHEESH, I'd rather have a brick on my ankle than wear that "wholesome swimwear"

[Democrats_win]

12. wholesome? using an entire plantation of fabric for swimming?

In these rural states, I bet there's a lot of kids who go skinny dipping. During the summer, 99% of Americans wear less than that when they go to the mall.

[blondeatlast]

9. Don't sell Utah short--SLC's mayor is a VOCAL Democrat, and many Mormons

feel threatened by the impending fundie theocracy.

I know many intelligent, critically thinking Mormons and they are none too enchanted with Bunnypants.

[Erika]

15. Boise's mayor is also a democrat

And the Mormons here are also sick of theocratic fundies.

They joined the inter faith alliance and refused to join the state prayer breakfast where an ex-Muslim was the guest speaker on converting to Christianity. The Mormons also joined with the non-fundies to provide a shelter for the homeless without the requirements of a sermon.

You are very right. The tolerant religions are getting down right sick of the theocratic fundies.

[blondeatlast]

8. I'm betting AZ picks up a couple of Dem seats this year.

SERIOUSLY.

All we really have to do is tie our cRitters to Bunnypants in any way, shape, or form and we can win a couple.

Even Kyl is looking vulnerable, albeit to just this side of a DINO Pederson.

When you got slim pickings, as we do, you choose the least offensive option (sigh).

[thatsrightimirish]

21. Is Pederson a Dino?

What does he stand on the issues?

[blondeatlast]

23. JUst to the left of one--and I can't say for certian he's even there.

But he's running as one, and quite frankly, in Arizona, he must.

He was our state Dem chairman and is a real estate developer, but hasn't help public office that I know of, so I can't say how he behaves in that regard.

As is common with any Dem candidate in a red state, he can't be pinned down on any issue.

http://www.pederson2006.com/issues.asp

[Botany]

10. Nebraska

I don't get. That state has been hammered. Loup County is the poorest in the US.

[Erika]

11. I give the South a bad time but I admit I am an Idaho native

However, Idaho voted over 70% for W in 2004, we're now at 53% and sliding fast.

Senator Craig, Idaho-R, is for amnesty of illegals while many Idaho conservatives are totally against amnesty and the guest worker program. Because of this schism, state democrats should make good gains.

Idaho has its shares of Mormons, but this last winter, the Mormons, the Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, Hari Krishners, protestants, etc. opened a shelter for the homeless where the homeless didn't have to attend a service worship to get help. Until then, the right wing fundies ran the only shelter in Boise.

The inter-faith alliance is in direct opposition to the fundamentalists pushing Christ on those who need help.

We're gaining.

[blondeatlast]

13. Tie 'em to Bush and watch 'em squirm!

The cRitters are even publicly telling Bunny to stay away? :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Debate tactics, Dems: just research every photo-op, fundraising event, and Bunny vote. Then point it out at every opportunity.

PLEASE.

[niallmac]

14. I live in Idaho and the only explanation

I can find for the blind republican loyalty here is a whiter than white population,
a lot of military families and fear of social change.
None of these things by themselves are inherently bad
per se but when they exist in a society schooled in
conformity, trained to eschew serious questioning of authority
then what you get is stuck in the mud politics.

[Erika]

16. But we've gone from 70% W approval to 53%

Idaho's mot popular governor was Cecil Andrus, a democrat. He also was elected by 70% of the voters.

It hasn't helped that many Southern Californian conservatives have moved here and have influence. Like our current governor, soon to be W's interior head.

[niallmac]

19. ...and once we had Frank Church too.

and remember when the Idaho Statesman was more than it was today?
Idaho has more independents than dems or republicans as I recall but
is it once again to be the fault of those Californians? Are the new comers
really mostly conservative? I .think that's too depressing a thought to
contemplate.:cry:

[agincourt]

18. Unfortunately I live in Nebraska,

But I am very happy to see the rest of the country is getting a few synapses firing up about the asshole, now if only it will stay that way for the GOPig they run in 2008, whom I think will be Allen. Nice to know that the plague infestation here still in force here, is dying out in the rest of the country.

[William Seger]

20. Total population: about 6.5 million

... but as Paul Krugman points out in his lastest column, they control 8 Senators.

[LoKnLoD]

22. I live in Utah

and they are pissed at him over immigration here. But they will still vote Republican because the Mormon church tells them to, except for areas like SLC, the only place to find a fair number of progressives.

[blondeatlast]

24. Does Utah have a Senate race this year?

And considering the demographics of UT, is there a chance that SLC could sway the state Dem?

I would think--and feel free to correct me--that SLC has enough votes to at least even out the rest of the state?

[NJ Democrats]

31. There is a Senate Race

But It's Orin Hatch who is running for re-election. He's as safe as you can be.

[blondeatlast]

33. I should say so. Ah, well. nt

[seabeyond]

25. utah has the mormons, idaho the militia, wymoning not enough people

but what is nebraskas excuse?

[IDemo]

27. Idaho's response to 'militias'

Human rights center opens in Idaho five years after Center lawsuit

December 13, 2005 -- Five years after a Center lawsuit brought an end to the Aryan Nations' presence in northern Idaho, dozens of community members gathered to open a new facility dedicated to supporting human rights.

The Human Rights Education Institute is located in downtown Coeur D'Alene, in the same region of the state that former Aryan Nations leader Richard Butler picked for his group's headquarters. Butler died last year at the age of 86.

The Institute is both a response to the Aryan Nations, which was forced to abandon its headquarters as the result of the Center's suit, and a place for the community to continue the human rights work it began when Butler first came to Idaho in the late 1970s.

"This was their world compound up here," said interim institute director K.K. Torgerson. "But they lost their base and they lost their money, and now we can basically prevent that kind of thing from happening again."

In July 1998, Aryan Nations security guards shot at Victoria Keenan and her son after their car backfired as it passed the compound entrance. Bullets struck their car several times before the vehicle careened into a ditch.

Following the incident, the Center filed Keenan v. Aryan Nations, seeking monetary damages for the pair. In September 2000, a jury ruled that Butler and his organization were grossly negligent in selecting and supervising the guards and awarded a $6 million judgment against him and the Aryan Nations.

Butler was forced to turn over the 20-acre compound to the Keenans, who sold the property to philanthropist Greg Carr.

Carr later donated the land to a local college where it now serves as a "peace park." He also provided funding to start the Human Rights Education Institute.

“To this day I get goose bumps when I think about what we did,” said Coeur D’Alene attorney Norm Gissel, who worked with the Center on the Aryan Nations case. “And the response in the years since the lawsuit has been overwhelming. We expected people to think, ‘Well, we’re done.’ But that hasn’t happened. As a community, we want to make sure these gains are here to stay.”

Tony Stewart, a political science professor at nearby North Idaho College and member of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, said the jury verdict was a landmark event for the town.

http://www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=148

[seabeyond]

28. brilliant, just brilliant. that is so awesome. thank you

for sharing this with me. i ..... feel so much better about all of mankind reading this story, lol.

thanks, appreciate

[justice1]

29. Neglect, by the Democratic party

One example, from the time Clinton declared his candidacy for President, until he left office was 10 years. It took him that long to visit.

[Joey Liberal]

26. Oklahoma is in the "Moron Corridor" too n.t

[ncteechur]

30. Aren't these the same states in which you find all the "militia" groups??

Ironic, isn't it?

[justice1]

32. After your post, I did a little research and Nebraska doesn't.