President Bush (news - web sites) flashes a 'W' to the crowd as he is introduced at a campaign stop Wednesday, July 14, 2004, in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Bush spent the day in Wisconsin on a campaign bus trip through the state. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Posted on 07/14/2004 8:57:10 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WAUKESHA, Wis. - President Bush (news - web sites) woke up in downtown Milwaukee Wednesday, but his campaign bus promptly headed for the suburbs and even farther out — Republican territory where aides believe his re-election hopes can flourish this year.
Members of the Bush team say the rapidly growing suburbs and far-flung "exurbs" ringing cities such as Milwaukee and Green Bay, with their white, affluent, church-going populations, can counter the heavy Democratic turnout in urban areas and tip the balance in his favor.
"If you're somebody who moved into Fond du Lac or West Bend in the last year or two, you're just not revved into local politics like you will be after a visit like this," Bush's chief political strategist, Karl Rove, told The Associated Press.
With surgical precision, Bush's bus tour stopped in eastern Wisconsin counties that Bush carried in 2000 and must win again by greater margins if he is to reverse his narrow loss of less than 6,000 votes in the state.
"This is going to be one of the knife-edge states," Rove said.
The targeted counties — particularly the exurbs — are growing quickly. "Waukesha is turning lots of old farmland into new subdivisions, so it's important (to) get those people energized to go door to door," Rove said.
The campaign's broader goal is to turn Bush's audiences into activists, making them volunteers for get-out-the-vote activities such as staffing phone banks, said communications director Nicolle Devenish.
"We're making sure that in the high-growth areas we claim any new residents and that we appeal to their mainstream values and views," Devenish said. "On the troops, on the tax cuts, on prescription drugs for seniors — on values that are widely agreed upon in this part of the country."
In his speeches, Bush branded Kerry a member of an "out-of-mainstream minority" that voted against his request for $87 billion in supplemental funding for Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) last year. He accused Kerry and running mate Sen. John Edwards (news - web sites) of delivering the "same old pessimism. And they're going to cheer us up with higher taxes."
The Bush campaign is employing the suburb-exurb strategy in vital electoral states.
On Friday, Bush's campaign bus trolled southern Pennsylvania, another state he lost in 2000. He hit York, Kutztown and Lancaster — all Republican-leaning cities within 80 miles of Philadelphia — but stayed clear of the metropolis itself.
In coming days, Bush will focus on suburbs and exurbs in Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota.
Mark Mellman, Kerry's pollster, dismissed the significance of Bush's outreach to suburbs and exurbs.
"The issue structure in those communities is an issue structure that favors us," said Mellman, who argued that voters in places such as the Milwaukee suburbs are deeply concerned about the costs of health care, especially Medicare, and "see Bush as doing a poor job there."
When Bush tries to raise questions about Kerry's leadership on national security, the four-term Massachusetts senator can point to his decorated service during the Vietnam War and his backing from two former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mellman said.
"All the data we've seen suggests we're doing much better in the exurbs and the suburbs" than Democrat Al Gore (news - web sites) did in 2000, he said.
There is little point in Bush campaigning in inner cities, which typically are strongly Democratic, said G. Terry Madonna (news - web sites), director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.
"The strategy that emerged over the last couple election cycles is very, very simple. You need to win the swing voters, the undecided voters, and the preponderance of them live in the suburbs. And you need to be sure that you get a strong turnout in your own base."
Bush found supportive crowds in the communities he passed through Wednesday. Residents lined the parking lots of strip malls and the sidewalks of picturesque main streets, flashing Bush-Cheney signs and thumbs-up at his convoy.
Bush pulled over every so often to shake hands. In West Bend, Wis., a city Rove identified as an exurb, the convoy came to a halt in the heart of Main Street, where the president and his daughter, Barbara, bounded into Mick's Candyman.
"I'm looking for a few calories!" Bush said before paying $5.28 for four caramel bear claws. Asked about his vow to quit sweets several months ago, Bush said, "Well, I'm confronted with excellent sweets."
Bush stopped again for sugar in Oshkosh, Wis., delighting another crowd.
"I'm carbo-loading for the weekend," Bush joked as he worked on a vanilla custard cone.
___
Bush campaign: http://www.georgewbush.com
President Bush (news - web sites) flashes a 'W' to the crowd as he is introduced at a campaign stop Wednesday, July 14, 2004, in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Bush spent the day in Wisconsin on a campaign bus trip through the state. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
I think he can get Wisconsin.
Barbara Bush, right, daughter of President Bush (news - web sites), and entertainer Wayne Newton, left, listen to President Bush's remarks at a rally at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon, Wisc., Wednesday, July 14, 2004. Bush began his second bus tour of Wisconsin in two months in staunchly Republican Milwaukee suburbs Wednesday. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Bush (news - web sites) greets the crowd at a rally at the Waukesha County Exposition Center Fairgrounds in Waukesha, Wisc., Wednesday, July 14, 2004. Bush is spending two days courting rural voters in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Title Translation: "President Bush ignored the homeless blacks in the Milwaukee ghettoes that his administration has created and went to speak with wealthy corporate white folks...."
President Bush (news - web sites) greets the crowd at a rally at the Waukesha County Exposition Center Fairgrounds in Waukesha, Wisc., Wednesday, July 14, 2004. Bush is spending two days courting rural voters in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
I really love that picture.
I caught part of the local news tonight showing the candy shop in West Bend. This biased station(CBS-big surprise) kept on about President Bush "lying" about not eating sweets. Then, spent twice as much time showing Kerry/Edwards. Argh! Now, I remember why I never watch the local news.
This is what a life of PowerPoint presentations and industry seminars does to the human mind.
We really need to put the squeeze on the CBS sponsors! Let's boycott products that are regulars during that time slot! We did it with slimfast we can do it with those sponsors as well!!
What station was this, I'll call them and let them have it. I've come to this conclusion, these liberal spin machines are all bark, no bite. They'll buckle like a wet noodle. Anyone who wants to get their goat, just tell them that your opinions will be shared on the web with at least 1 million like minded readers and you'll contact systematically their advertisers.
""This is going to be one of the knife-edge states," Rove said."
I'VE JUST GOT A FEELING THAT THE PREZ IS GOING TO CARRY WI THIS TIME.
I like that pic too,, Anyone who says W is not a genuine caring person is sadly mistaken.
Oh, it was channel 5 out of Milwaukee. Only reason I had it on was because I was watching the Country Music show. I saw the promo about West Bend and watched for that. It was ridiculous how they kept on. I really don't watch the local news(except Fox channel 6 when Saukville was flooded!). But, all of the locals are the same as far as being biased.
I hope you are right! I have 2 folks who will be voting this year that didn't before. And, they are conservative! I am working on another.
CBS local is bad in MSP also.
Bush-bashing.
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