[Doctor Stochastic]

"Heard of" doesn't mean I know these guys. Bush hasn't played well here (in a generally GOP leaning county) in NM. Perhaps other places are different.

I don't see how Kerry can correct the shortcomings that people see in Bush though. I think there's just a bunch of "punish Bush" voters around.

[over3Owithabrain]

I think there's just a bunch of "punish Bush" voters around.

Yeah, but hopefully not enough to elect Kerry. Bush is not perfect but he deserves credit for "righting the ship" in the aftermath of 9/11. Some people want to blame him for everything and the Dems have played into that sentiment.

[tortoise]

Bush hasn't played well here (in a generally GOP leaning county) in NM. Perhaps other places are different.

This is generally true in the West. Bush is essentially an Eastern Republican (as in east of the Rockies), and unfortunately doesn't represent many of the values that Eastern Republicans typically share with the Western Republicans. There is substantial evidence that Western Republicans favor much more libertarian Republicans than seems to be favored east of the Rockies. Bush is a long way from a libertarian-ish Republican candidate.

Bush's only saving grace is that Kerry is no substitute -- arguably one of the worst possible candidates for the Democrats. Bush may not represent the small-government libertarian values of the conservative mountain West, but that New England elitist snob assclown routine of Kerry's is intolerable in its own right, never mind his policies.