Posted on 07/07/2004 5:34:30 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan
Bush Sees Fertile Soil in 'Exurbia'
GOP strategists believe they can win many new voters in outlying towns rich with conservatives.
By Peter Wallsten, Times Staff Writer
LEBANON, Ohio — Tom Grossman parks his blue convertible at a home expo center and walks through the maze of booths hawking the necessities of upscale living: home security systems, Jacuzzi tubs, fancy kitchen fixtures and wooden blinds. Then he settles into a booth of his own.
But Grossman has not come to Chestnut Hill, one of southwestern Ohio's newest subdivisions, to peddle home furnishings. He has come to hunt new Republican voters.
"Hey there, have you registered to vote?" he asks passersby. "I can do it for you. Won't take but a minute."
The Republican chairman for Warren County is seated behind a table stacked with Bush-Cheney bumper stickers — an incongruous sight at the expo. But he is here at the direct behest of President Bush's most senior political strategists, who believe victory in November depends on scouring the nation's battleground states not only for the much-publicized swing voter, but also for an equally important prize: the "exurbanite."
Fleeing built-out areas near cities for the newest ring of developments beyond the suburbs, exurbanites are searching for more house for less money, better schools, less traffic and all-around easier living. Exurban areas are booming and, according to demographers and GOP strategists, rapidly drawing a concentration of culturally conservative but unregistered, unaffiliated voters.
And that is why Karl Rove, Bush's senior political advisor, is so sure the president can make major gains in exurban areas. Along with Lebanon, places such as Fridley, Minn., Carlisle, Pa., New Richmond, Wis., and Livingston County, Mich., are the new obsession for high-level GOP operatives in Washington
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
We've been on this here in Livingston County (Mike Rogers country)for over a year now. The local paper (owned by an Ann Arbor dem) hates us and anytime a dem sneezes, it's news. We're fighting through that with hard work, a quality county party, and quality candidates. This is a conservative area too which helps. Tons of flags, flag bumper stickers, and NRA stickers.
I'm proud to say I'm moving to very conservative exurban area next week.
One of my many lib neighbors in inner-city Minneapolis pretty much sneered at me when I told her where I was moving. "Ughhh! That's in exurbia. Who in their right mind could leave the city?," she asked.
I replied that I am pretty much 'right' minded as she and her cohorts already know . They made sure to point out the error of my ways when we moved here in 2000 and put up Bush/Cheney, Coleman and Pawlenty signs in our yard. I've felt the cold shoulder from most of them since then. It's been a long almost four years.
One of the first things I'm going to do after I move in is visit City Hall and register to vote at my new precinct. Whoo-hoo! Rock on exurbia!
BTW, I think Al Franken just got freeped. I was taking the bus back home, past the theater where he was having his show, and some guy in fornt of it was pretending to be blind, holding up a cup full of pencils and a "Save Air America!" billboard.
Now listen... When you get down to your new city hall, don't go in there acting like you own the whole thing and spout-off like most exurban refugees do... Learn a little local history and get to know some of the founders of that community and don't start right off treatin 'em like they're nothin but ignurant "good ol boys," and stuff like that!!!
I waited more than 15 years before running for County office when I moved here to "God's Country" from "The People's Republic of Davis, CA!" Some of the recent movins just drive everybody nuts till they finally find out there are legitimate reasons why things are/were being done that way!!! (grin)
I'll meet you in the MSP exburbs in a few years.
ROTFL!
Are you sure it wasn't Al Frankenfurter himself?
If you can't steal it from the taxpayers a la NPR, hit downtown or one of the freeway entrances for handouts.
Enjoy the eats in Dinkytown for me. About the only thing I'm going to miss in the urban core is the restaurants, especially the Jamaican Patties at West Indies Soul in St. Paul. With Scotch Bonnet sauce they're to die for, well, if they don't kill you first.
Hang in there FRiend!
Have no fear SW. (grin back)
I'm still sort of a good old girl after leaving my roots in South Dakota 20 years ago for the 'big city.'
I won't put on my city acquired 'high-fallutin' ways at City Hall. Heck, they're in the trash along with all my black garb (except for my favorite little black dress, of course).
After I register, I'm going to sit back and watch the farmer's corn grow and plan next year's garden. Get my son signed up for riding lessons at the nearest stable (loved horseback riding as a kid), roll out some sod and put out my Bush/Cheney '04 sign. And of course, FReep, when I get my new ISP hooked up. Darn, I'm going to miss this place for awhile.
Just curious, what kind of County office did you run for? I'm more on the 'support side' for candidates I believe in. I'd be close to 59 if I waited 15 years. LOL (or not)!
I went to high school out in Hutchinson (class of 60) an done water skied on a buncha them 10,000 lakes the glaciers done scooped outa yer barn yards. Now my Broker-Dealer is in St. Paul.
Now we got Jesse "the brain" Ventura's business partner and Predator co-star tryin to govern our land of fruits and nuts. Them two are quite a pair to draw to!!!
P.S. Don'tchew wurry 'bout my spellin an grammer... I just don't give a dang! Oh! And I pinged a couple of friends just for the heck of it, cause I wanted 'em to meet'cha cause ya sound like good people.
Well... I'm proud and honored to fall in that 'SW FRiend' category! Nice to meet ya' mplsconservative. I hope you have a painless move and get settled nicely in your new home! Hurry back to FR! (but get that Bush/Cheney sign up first, lol).
Howdy to ya, mplsconservative! Thanks for the Ping, SierraWasp.
One of my Grandma side grew up on a farm in Eastern SoDak. All my family is still in West Central Minnesota.
As a native Minnesotan, long since planted in the Bay Area,, I feeel yur pain as far as liberal neighbors go. ;-)
I used to live in the suburbs of the Twin Cities, Plymouth and Bloomington mainly, before I made the jump to the West Coast in '80.
Glad to hear you're not a politician!
Thanks for pinging some good folks. It certainly is a pleasure to meet y'all!
BTW, yer grammer doesn't faze me a whit. Some might think it uglier than seven miles of mud fence, but to me, it's like a meadowlark singing in the morning!
Thanks for the kind words calcowgirl.
This darn packing is interfering with my time on FR. A week from today I'm cut off for awhile, the horrors of FR withdrawal!
Getting back online might have to come before I put up my Bush/Cheney sign. LOL
Howdy back at ya, NormsRevenge!
I'm very familiar with all the places you mentioned. I get back to South Dakota quite often to visit my folks and assorted relatives and my husband works in Plymouth.
He's looking forward to his new commute in from the countryside. Even though it's a longer drive, he won't have to deal with much of our lovely (not) freeway system.
And to think, Jessie Ventura's new little choo-choo was going to solve all of our traffic problems....
Wull... Lemme tell ya pilgrim... (my best John Wayne impersonation) my lips are agittin stretchmarks frum smilin at yer kind remark!!! Conservatives in many apples, many sodas are certainly a "cut above!"
I just do it to make all the grammar/spelling cops pist!(grin)
I pinged "Ernest at the Beach," another FRiend I wantchew ta meet. Ernesto... Meet Many Apples Conservative!!!
SierraWasp, you owe me a keyboard! In return I'll send you a jar of Udder Cream for them thar stretchmarks.
I have to tell you, as my tagline says, I've been considering a new screen name. 'WatertownConservative,' in honor of my new hometown, has no pizazz. It lacks the oxymoronish (shhh! don't tell the grammer cops) quality of my current screener.
Now, Many Apples Conservative, does have a certain ring to it. I'm sure I'll be stepping in a few in the very near future. (Scrape shoe, scratch head. Hmmmm....)
It's called "Bag Balm!" It says so right on the label! (grin)
God invented them road apples to keep maggots from being homeless!!! (so don't be squashin 'em er I'll tell a Liberal on ya so's they can nag ya!)
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