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Ohio verdict and the world

12 November 2004, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Shihab Ansari Azhar Delaware, Ohio
12 November 2004, 18:00 PM
Being a resident of Ohio, I was, like most others, closely watching the election coverage, and was no doubt amused when it all came down to Ohio. I live in the small town of Delaware, Ohio, a small college town that lies about 30 minutes north of Columbus. Delaware is the chief city of Delaware County, and is mostly populated by college students who, like me, attend Ohio Wesleyan University. Over the past few months, I personally noticed that most college students here in Delaware were hoping for a Kerry victory. A lot of students also mobilised themselves as canvassers for John Kerry, and I personally had high hopes of Kerry winning in Delaware County, if not elsewhere.

Come Election Day, however, I was bitterly disappointed. George Bush won in our county, 66% to 34%. I was shocked, but a closer look at the figures showed that over 56,000 people had voted for Kerry in this county alone, whereas only about 25,000 had voted for Kerry. With a student population of about 1,900, Ohio Wesleyan University obviously did not have much of an impact on the election in this county.

I think that it is important to understand why Ohio voted the way it did. As Mr. Ali pointed out, the Republicans prioritise religion. Ohio is part of the Bible Belt, which means that a lot of Ohio voters are more influenced by what is preached in their churches than any presidential debate or any presidential flaws. Further proof of this influence of religion upon voting preferences can be seen in the fact that a ban on homosexual marriages was passed overwhelmingly in this state.

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Another important factor in Ohio voting practices is the fact that minorities like African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians are an endangered species outside the big cities. As a result, while Franklin County, which is dominated by the city of Columbus, and other counties housing big cities went Kerry, the remaining counties, dominated by small towns and large tracts of rural land, went Bush's way. It is no surprise, therefore, that the minority vote was important in this election. Minorities prefer Democrats, and areas that were low on minorities voted for Bush.

Finally, another important factor in the election, contrary to Mr. Ali's opinion, was job losses. The entire Northeast Ohio was hardest hit by job losses, and so they voted for Kerry. Most north-eastern Ohio counties voted for Kerry, which is why Kerry got as much as 49% of Ohio votes. The remaining areas of Ohio were mostly rural, and George Bush's support of farms proved important in their decisions. Delaware County, where I live, is one of America's fastest growing counties, and has been growing steadily, with barely any effect of the recession seen. As a result, voters in Delaware County saw nothing wrong with Bush's economic policies, and thus voted for him.

I think the answer to Mr. Ali's question, "What is wrong with America", lies in one single word: apathy.