The daisy chain of "news" continues today as Sullivan, quotes New Republic (a liberal mag) which quoted a pollster by the name of Greenberg; Sullivan also side links to a story in the NRO. The story is then spun about how and why rural Republicans are defecting from Bush. What Sullivan and presumably the New Republic leave out is that relied upon pollster Greenberg, is an exclusively Democratic poll guy, and generally an extreme liberal poll guy. In other words DO NOT TRUST in the truth category.

The main source of this story is in the National Review on Line yesterday, which cites an ABC poll that Bush support among conservatives generally is slipping

Rather, I think President Bush is paying the price for having abandoned conservative principles on too many occasions over the last three and a half years, which has sapped his support among the Republican party's base.

Poll data support this analysis. According to the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, almost all of Bush's decline in support has come from his base.

The speculations about rural voters are just that, speculation. I am an American Rural Type, having grown up in one of the smallest of small towns (then, not now). Unlike the old days of getting news in bars, from the guys on the street, or a newspaper, the ARTs now get their news from TV, a few go on the web. TV is Left and there is no doubt that CBS/NBC/ABC shapes rural opinions. Farm prices shape even more, and farm prices, including cattle and hogs, are on the moon; it has been decades since farmers have had the incomes they enjoy today. I really suspect the "rural" defection. You have to be there and none of us are. BTW Sullivan leaves out the NRO conclusion which is that conservatives have nowhere to go because Kerry is worse in every category conservatives are concerned about. What is not mentioned is that a lot of conservatives may just stay home.

Anyway, there's the daisy chain as of 6:50AM EDT. See what you want to see.