Before this year, no one would have imagined that St. Clairsville, Ohio, would play a role in the Presidential election. But as this article from the Columbus Dispatch shows, with a recent visit from Vice Presidential candidate Senator Joe Biden, they found themselves thrown into the spotlight for not the first time this campaign season. And it's a good thing too, because locals like Matt, featured in a recent article in the Wheeling News-Register, want change:
Martins Ferry resident Matt Myers wants to be able to pay for his son Zack's college education, but he's not sure he will be able to now that he has lost his job as a truck driver.Tuesday, the father and son joined other local voters for a campaign rally featuring Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden on the campus of Ohio University Eastern, near St. Clairsville.Matt Myers believes Obama will help grow the economy to provide more jobs for families like his."This Bush economy has really put us down, and we need someone like Barack Obama to help get the economy moving in the right direction again," Myers said.Zack Myers, a senior at Martins Ferry High School, is also worried about the way the national debt continues to escalate."I will be paying of Bush's (Iraq) war debts when I get older, and that is just not fair," Myers said.Another opponent of the war in Iraq is Wheeling resident Matt Bennett."With all the money Bush is wasting in Iraq, the government could use that money to help feed the hungry and help the homeless people right here in this country," Bennett said.
Martins Ferry resident Matt Myers wants to be able to pay for his son Zack's college education, but he's not sure he will be able to now that he has lost his job as a truck driver.
Tuesday, the father and son joined other local voters for a campaign rally featuring Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden on the campus of Ohio University Eastern, near St. Clairsville.
Matt Myers believes Obama will help grow the economy to provide more jobs for families like his.
"This Bush economy has really put us down, and we need someone like Barack Obama to help get the economy moving in the right direction again," Myers said.
Zack Myers, a senior at Martins Ferry High School, is also worried about the way the national debt continues to escalate.
"I will be paying of Bush's (Iraq) war debts when I get older, and that is just not fair," Myers said.
Another opponent of the war in Iraq is Wheeling resident Matt Bennett.
"With all the money Bush is wasting in Iraq, the government could use that money to help feed the hungry and help the homeless people right here in this country," Bennett said.
Through extensive outreach efforts and a perfectly suited platform on rural issues, it's not uncommon to find outspoken Obama supporters in some of the more remote places in Ohio. Whether they're expressing themselves at their small businesses, or decorating a new Barn for Obama, like in the picture below from Knox County, Ohioans in rural areas are making their voices heard.
Also in Knox County, Carol is one of the ones making her voice heard. She describes how her local crew staked out an Obama presence at the Tomato Festival:
The little town of Fredericktown, Ohio (where I grew up)... population about 1,500, just had it's 32nd Annual Tomato Show Festival and Parade. It's a VERY CONSERVATIVE town, so we didn't know what response we'd get with our Obama presence there... And we DID HAVE A PRESENCE!!! Over 80 people marched in the parade on behalf of Democratic candidates! Close to 50 of them were for Senator Obama! It was the largest Democratic entry in a parade this county has ever seen. And, our Obama block-of-marchers were FIRED UP! Two women flanked our group at the front and back and kept the chants going... throughout the entire parade so that apart from the marching bands, we were also the loudest entry in the parade!
The little town of Fredericktown, Ohio (where I grew up)... population about 1,500, just had it's 32nd Annual Tomato Show Festival and Parade. It's a VERY CONSERVATIVE town, so we didn't know what response we'd get with our Obama presence there...
And we DID HAVE A PRESENCE!!! Over 80 people marched in the parade on behalf of Democratic candidates! Close to 50 of them were for Senator Obama! It was the largest Democratic entry in a parade this county has ever seen.
And, our Obama block-of-marchers were FIRED UP! Two women flanked our group at the front and back and kept the chants going... throughout the entire parade so that apart from the marching bands, we were also the loudest entry in the parade!
The best part was the response we got from people on the sidelines... thousands from all over the county and neighboring counties come to the parade and much to our surprise we received a constant display of "thumbs-up," and CHEERS FOR US! ...as we went marching by! For each positive response from a parade watcher, we had walkers ready with Obama handouts that gave contact information for the local campaign, so hopefully we gathered more volunteers for the work ahead. Also that day, 30-40 marchers stayed around after the parade to canvass this little community. I spoke with one resident while canvassing--a retired high school teacher I had way-back-when--who said she thought this was the first time this sleepy little (former?) Republican stronghold had EVER been canvassed! Word has it our rural county of 55,000 is "looking good," for the Obama Camapign, given the numbers we're gathering from the canvassing and phone-banking. Our Obama Field Organizer--Jon--told us the first week he was here, "We CAN win Knox County," and by golly, he's kept us fired up and I think we're going to do it!
With a positive attitude like that, how could a rural county like Knox not go for Obama?
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