Ole Virginia Had a Farm (Emphasis on Had)

A new bipartisan poll conducted for the Center for Rural Strategies shows the formerly solid Republican rural voter growing decidedly "pekkid."

Five hundred likely rural voters were surveyed in 41 heavily contested congressional districts and six states with close Senate races. Most of the House districts surveyed have Republican incumbents. Fifty-two per cent of the respondents indicate they'll vote for Democratic congressional candidates; 39 percent say they'll support Republicans.

No wonder Madam Foxx is feeling some constricture in the throat.

The Foxx campaign is polling rural Republicans in Watauga County (at least) with the following set of questions:

1. Are you planning to vote for V. Foxx?
2. Do you approve or disapprove of George Bush's presidency?
3. Do you feel the country is moving in the right or wrong direction?
4. Do you plan to vote in this election? Plan not to vote? Or are you unsure?

That polling, to be sure, isn't so much designed to get honest opinion as it is designed to identify the remaining 39 percent of rural Republicans who would still vote for Foxx. Those people will likely be dragged to the polls whether they want to go or not.