GOP’s rural stronghold remains intact

This is widely seen as a year when Republicans are struggling. The GOP’s “brand” has been damaged by scandals, by President Bush’s low approval ratings, and by the unpopular war in Iraq. But surveys suggest that the GOP’s rural stronghold remains largely intact. According to a recent Zogby poll, small town voters nationwide favor Republican John McCain over Democrat Barack Obama by a sixteen-point margin. Those conservative rural voters could make the difference in key battleground states, from Colorado and New Mexico in the West to Ohio in the Midwest and New Hampshire in the East. Martha Foley talks with Brian Mann who covers rural politics for NCPR.