Posted on 11/04/2004 2:37:04 AM PST by ResistorSister
WINESBURG (OHIO) — Arriving by pickup truck, car, buggy and on foot, Ohio’s Amish turned out at polling stations in Holmes, Wayne and Stark counties in what some described as record numbers.
Drawn to support Issue 1, the constitutional amendment forbidding gay marriage, civil unions and legal standing for other relationships, the Amish also voted for George W. Bush for president, saying his moral values parallel theirs. Some, however, were troubled about his leading the country to war in Iraq.
At the Paint Township Fire Department in Winesburg in Holmes County, Amish stood with “English” voters for 45 minutes, nearly three times longer than normal, according to Troyer, a 41-year-old Amish voter who would only give his last name.
Troyer and other Amish said they got no direction from their bishops, the leaders of congregations of 25 to 30 families, except to pray about Issue 1 and vote accordingly.
Typically, Amish vote on issues, state and local, but not candidates, according to Paul L. Gaus, a professor at The College of Wooster who uses Amish culture as the backdrop for his mystery novels.
This year is different, he said. Never has he seen so many political signs, all for Bush-Cheney, in the Amish yards along the gravel roads and dirt paths he travels to research his books.
“It’s pretty startling,” he said. “Usually, they hold themselves apart from national politics.”
The Amish who would talk about the election — and not all are comfortable doing so with those outside their culture — said they got their information about the amendment and presidential race from reading newspapers. They said they weren’t subjected to campaigning by candidates and advocates.
News reports before the election suggested that Republicans were pushing for a high turnout among the Amish to vote for Issue 1, hoping they would then vote for Bush.
“I love to vote,” said Joe Yoder of Fredericksburg. “I voted for Bush, but I’m not 100 percent satisfied with him. You never find someone who’s perfect.”
Yoder said Amish should vote because “you need to do something besides pray.”
Carol Stroh, the presiding judge in Wayne County’s Mount Eaton, said there was “a pretty good group of Amish voting,” many young and voting for first time.
“We’ll get who the good Lord wants us to have,” said Eli L. Miller from Mount Eaton. “I’m happy with Bush, but we get who we deserve.”
You can reach Copley Columbus Bureau Chief Paul E. Kostyu at (614) 222-8901 or e-mail:
Good Point!
I thank the Amish for their support. Every vote counts.
Whereas we had a sizeable margin, it was that margin that kept Kerry from trying to wrongly pursue a drawn out series of legal battles to postpone the verdict of the 2004 election.
How does one go about calling them to thank them for their support? ;-)
they are partying like it's 1699. Hooahhhhhh
Who's thou daddy??!?!
lol, too true
You KNOW that when your candidate earns the AMISH vote, he's got to demonstrate conservative values!
ping
Party reps will visit the elders I suppose.
Phone polls missed this Ohio block of voters.
Then again, I live here in Texas (and have lived in Massachusetts) and have NEVER been polled.
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