RUAL AREAS - Political Forum

presluc · 05-14-2008, 01:27 PM

I'm looking beyond who gets the nomination, I'm hoping for Obama.

Anyway the Democratic nomineee must reach out more to the rual areas, the small towns farming communities ect to win in Nov. against McCain.

It is my beleif that this election won't be won in cities but in the rual comunity, in small towns,
The voter output will be much more from small towns and rual communities this election compared to 2004.

Taliesin · 05-14-2008, 01:31 PM

I agree that voter output will be much higher for rural America than in 2004. However, I think proportionally it will actually be lower. Obama has energized the youth vote and the black vote, both of which tend to be largely urban.

presluc · 05-14-2008, 01:52 PM

You are overlooking another detail.
Farmers do not live in cities.
I know something about farming, since some of my youth was spent on a farm.

One example to grow crops you have to plow this is done with a tractor gas prices are going up.

Every farmer is put in a bad position, cause he knows he has to raise the price of his product
The farmer also knows so will other farmers so if he's raising corn his price will go up, if his neighbor is raising wheat his price will go up.
So even if the farmer keeps enough corn for himself he still has to buy wheat.
These farmers vote, and most live near small towns.
This isn't about young or old or black or white these are votes to protect a lifestyle..

Taliesin · 05-14-2008, 02:14 PM

That's a fair point, but I think college students and blacks outnumber farmers by a very sizeable margin. I was just saying both groups, like farmers, tend to have lower voter turnout. They have enormous turnouts this year and I think that it will shift the overall percentage of votes cast more towards urban centers.

Also I'm not sure if farmers will actually be all that eager to vote. As far I can tell, neither candidate has a real plan to fix the farming industry. True Obama wants to offer subsidies for ethonol production, but I don't think that will make a big difference to the agriculture industry. As far as I can tell McCain has said nothing of importance about agriculture. If I'm wrong on either account, please tell me, I just can't remember anything in their speeches that seemed to address the problems that farmers are currently dealing with. If neither candidate shows a real interest in farming, I don't know why the farmers should show much interest in the campaign.

presluc · 05-14-2008, 03:12 PM

Well, although there isn't as much as I would like there has been at least some talk of puting more money into reserch for alternitive fuel from Democrats I havn't heard any from Republicans
A new alternitive fuel to oil may not help in the short terms but most farmers are thinking of fuure prospects for their children and the next generation farmer..
There is also small town business are leaving, the Democrats have spoken of a plan to get business's back into small towns which it is sorley needed.