Posted on 05/10/2004 6:09:02 AM PDT by Land_of_Lincoln_John
DUBUQUE, Iowa -- There are no fewer than 11 Roman Catholic churches in this picturesque Mississippi River town of about 60,000 people, a place some locals call "little Rome" in reference to its religious leanings and hilltop construction.
So on the face of it, this heavily blue-collar city may have seemed a curious place for President Bush to target late last week in his first official campaign tour in the Midwest battleground states of Iowa and Wisconsin--states he narrowly lost in 2000.
The city's strong Catholic and Democratic traditions--which include a Kennedy Mall, John F. Kennedy Drive and Kennedy Elementary School -- would seem to favor Sen. John Kerry, another senator from Massachusetts who is Catholic and wants to be president.
But Dubuque County--one of the most Catholic in the nation--also is filled with social conservatives who might be persuaded to vote for a Republican who appeals to their values and sense of patriotism. It's the sort of place where Bush needs to convince at least some voters that he deserves a second term.
"It's not that Dubuque isn't within the reach of a Republican candidate, but you have to have that message that will appeal to those people who will cross over and vote for a Republican," said Mayor Terry Duggan. "There are a lot of Reagan Democrats."
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
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