The view from Canton Ohio

[JohnnyRingo]

Sometimes I have to wonder about the very people I share our state with.
Hopefully, voters that got a hard kick in the ass from GW the last four years will see the light before Nov.2:

Excerpt:

Canton, Ohio -- Since Kevin Patesel lost his job in June, he and his wife, Lisa, a waitress, have been struggling to raise three kids on her salary of less than $400 a week, joining thousands of other families barely able to make ends meet in this crumbling city.

More than 3,700 people have found themselves out of work in the city of almost 80,000 since 2001 as the town's major factories have shut down, sent jobs abroad or trimmed their staff, according to city employment records. And available jobs continue to dwindle. The unemployment rate grew from 9.3 percent in July to 10.1 percent in August. The median family income is $28,700. One in 5 residents lives below the poverty line.

All of this suggests better chances for victory in this battleground region for Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate who says President Bush's economic policies have cost the country 1 million jobs.

But come Nov. 2, the Patesels, like many Canton residents, say they will vote their values, not their wallet. Here, that often means conservative family values such as religion and traditional marriage.

More:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/09/19/MNGK28REMK1.DTL

[saracat]

1. This is a repost!

But I still say ,the religious fanatic deserves to starve! But he doesn't have the right to force the rest of us to.

[JohnnyRingo]

2. You're right....I should have searched first.

This is the original post....Good replies, too:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=853020

Glad I put it in "Ohio Forum" anyway, in case some locals missed it.

[mama]

3. Canton is my hometown

And I read their newspaper online every day. There are many people expressing their opinions through letters to the editor, and they seem to favor Kerry/Edwards.

[newyawker99]

5. Hi mama!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[mama]

6. Thanks!

I've been around under this name (and a previous one whose password I forgot) for quite a while, but I'm quiet.

[cmd]

4. Just south of Canton

Phone banking response: "I could never go against my church and vote for Kerry."
After a few more questions, I determined that she was Catholic; against abortion, but for the right of women to choose; and a fool.

[Kolesar]

7. So, the voters will ignore the big issues and vote on wedge issues?

I don't think so. The war in Iraq and dismal economy are occupying peoples' thoughts. Only a republican would hope that people vote on trivial issues and wedge issues like god, guns, and gay marriage.

This is one reporter's very select choice of who to interview. This is hardly a scientific sample.

[NEOBuckeye]

8. Any Cantonian who votes Bush citing values over job needs a reality check

What steps has Bush taken in the past four years to suggest that he's actually interested in bringing living wage jobs back to Canton? He won't give a damn about Canton or Stark County on the morning of November 3, whether he steals or loses the Presidency.