Battlegrounders
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IOWA: THE UNDECIDEDS [Brian Kennedy 10/19 11:28 AM]

How will the indecisive Iowan decide? When the swing voter in Iowa can't make up his or her mind, my experience is that they fall back on a sense of cultural affinity. Here the clear advantage goes to President Bush. Or maybe it's more apt to suggest the clear disadvantage goes to Kerry. As Des Moines Register political columnist David Yepsen offered this morning:

"Kerry has particular trouble connecting with rural voters. A survey conducted last month for the Center for Rural Strategies showed Bush leading with rural voters by 13 points. Religion, patriotism, gun issues and family values are all part of the disconnect. Bush's plain-speaking country image is more familiar to these voters than Kerry's reserved, Eastern one."

In a close election in Iowa, cultural affinity is the Bush-Cheney trump card.