Posted on 09/16/2004 10:52:48 AM PDT by churchillbuff
CAMDEN — The aftermath of the war in Iraq has become a problem for President Bush among South Carolina’s swing voters in Kershaw County.
It has turned what once was believed to be an asset for re-election into a vulnerability, according to interviews with those voters.
Especially chilling were government reports last week that 1,000 Americans had been killed in combat since the conflict began.
“Young guys are getting killed over there for nothing,” said Wanda Blakeney, a 49-year-old cook.
“It’s sickening,” said Peter Roland, a 52 year-old baker and owner of the Mulberry Market in Camden.
The war clearly has supplanted the economy as the top issue in Kershaw, one of 15 swing counties — those that neither Republicans nor Democrats can safely call “theirs” in the Nov. 2 election.
The persistent violence and climbing casualties seen nightly on the network news have caused some voters to rethink their vote.
“I could vote for John Kerry,” said Elaine Streett, 61, owner of a children’s clothing store. She had been leaning toward Bush, but like others, wants to see the war end soon.
“We need to go in and get it over with and bring some of the boys home,” she said.
Hardly anyone mentioned the economy as their chief worry. And the U.S. Senate contest between Democrat Inez Tenenbaum and Republican Jim DeMint seemed to be the furthest thing from their minds.
Those conclusions were drawn from interviews with more than a dozen Kershaw County residents, most of whom had only contempt for politicians who engage in partisan sniping. Many refused to watch either the Democratic or Republican national conventions for that reason.
“I’m having a hard time with the mudslinging going on,” said Suzzane Duval, a 45-year-old Avon representative. “I wish the politicians wouldn’t spend so much time trying to discredit their opponents. The negativity is bothering me.”
Those voters worried about the economy expressed concern about rising health care costs, a lack of jobs and high taxes.
Willie Cantey, a 74-year-old cobbler, said too many Americans lose their jobs to foreign competition. He sees it daily in the shoes he repairs — more and more are made in China.
But overall, most said business was good in Kershaw. The county’s July unemployment rate, the latest available, was 6.6 percent — just above the state’s 6 percent rate.
Politically, Kershaw has a bipartisan cast. Its legislative delegation is made up of two Democrats and three Republicans.
It also is a swing county in statewide races.
Kershaw has gone Republican in all presidential races dating back to 1980, but it has consistently voted for U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings and U.S. Rep. John Spratt — both Democrats.
For governor, it went for Democrat Dick Riley in 1978, for Republicans Carroll Campbell in 1986 and David Beasley in 1994, and for Democrat Jim Hodges in 1998.
Party appears to make little difference. Most agree with 71-year-old jeweler Frank Goodale: “I always vote a split ticket.”
Roland, the baker, said he voted for Republican Mark Sanford for governor in 2002 and has supported Democrats Hollings and Spratt in the past.
He will vote for Kerry for president in November, primarily because he detests Bush for taking the nation to war in Iraq.
“If Beelzebub came up out of the ground,” he said, “I’d vote for him over Bush.”
Tom Gentles, a 78-year-old retired chemical engineer, is another voter angry with Bush.
“He was a fool to get into the war the way he did,” he said. “As long as the inspectors were over there in Iraq, he should have left them alone.”
Gentles put a Kerry-Edwards bumper sticker on his car and ever since, he said, “all the young chicks honk at me. It’s never happened to me before.”
Those who spoke harshly of Bush, however, conceded he easily will win South Carolina and the presidency in November.
“Kerry is going to get his butt kicked,” Roland said.
Jeweler Goodale said the war has been a drag on the psyche of the American public.
“We ought to be focusing on the economy, health care and jobs,” he said, “something to stimulate the U.S. economy.”
Still, he said he would stick with Bush because he doesn’t trust Kerry.
“He tends to follow the European leaders rather than what’s in the best interest of this nation,” Goodale said.
Ronnie Faulk, a 47-year-old furniture dealer and a Republican, is undecided.
He supports Bush on the war and agrees the United States is better off fighting the terrorists abroad than on American soil.
Right now, he leans toward Bush, but that could change.
“I’m for Bush, then I get home and hear on television that five Marines have been killed, and I’m back in the undecided column.”
John Blackwell, a 53-year-old barber, has two nephews in Iraq. He’s just as anxious as any to see the conflict end — but he’s not willing to hand the reins over to Kerry.
“He keeps changing his position,” Blackwell said. “He can’t make up his mind what he wants.”
Knowing the media, these "swing voters" are probably mostly Democrats, so article is probably a distortion. But I - a Bush voter - share a concern voiced by one of them: Just what is our exit strategy in Iraq? I don't see one. We seem to be floundering, with huge segments of the country not in the control of US or the new government, but under "insugents'" control. We've toppled Saddam. How long do we have to stay, and what will the criteria be for being able to leave?
Ever read an article that says so much but says nothing?
well this doesnt sound good
I have a hard time disagreeing with her.
“Young guys are getting killed over there for nothing,” said Wanda Blakeney, a 49-year-old cook."
These clearly are dem statements. Killed for nothing? What a small minded person she must be!
Ths piece seems quite slanted if you ask me. Most of the people are Anti-Bush except for one. All the little Dan Rathers are still reporting to the world.
Yes, on re-reading it, you're right.
Where do these guys get these things..South Carolina isnt even in play...so why bother with a report over "swing voters" in South Carolina?
It is my firm opinion that anyone who can't see the necessity of the Iraq war is too stupid/ignorant/blind to take part in politics.
You, of course, are first on that list.
This Columbia, SC Rag of a paper, the State, is the NY Times and LA Times of South Carolina. They stink up the place with the biased BS they mostly print...only good for training a dog.
You're probably right. Still, a lot of people are uneasy about the war, and not just liberals. I hear it every day. I think it's a good thing the election's coming up in six weeks. If it were being held a year from now and nothing changed in Iraq, I think he would be in trouble. Hopefully some of the posters are right and he's just waiting until the election to make big changes, because something needs to be done.
What is our exit strategy? That's a different question from the "necessity" for getting in to begin with.
This "exit strategy" BS is likely just election year nonsense.
Yes, this could be a serious problem for W in SC. It could push his margin of victory all the way down to 23 points!!!!!
Puleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze!!!!!
Just out of curiosity, what sort of exit strategery do you think you should be seeing from your living room? Do you honestly believe that all aspects of our war planning should be crystal clear to even the most casual observer?
How is "homeland security" promoted by Bush's open-borders policy that lets in illegal aliens? Most if not all of the 9-11 terrorists were here illegally, according to some accounts.
Draft. Draft! DRAFT!!!
Fresh Agitprop Here!
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