[imgcontainer] [img:houlgrave.jpeg] [source]Republican Mitt Romney was in Orange City, Iowa, yesterday. See more photos and a story from the Des Moines Register here.[/source] Caption text here [/imgcontainer]
The parties really are different, and part of that difference is rural v. urban.
The “composition of the two major political party coalitions that are more distinct from one another than at any other time in the past 50 years–perhaps even since the Great Depression,” according to a new survey.
The National Journal reports on a survey by a Frank N. Magid Associates that shows “sharp differences” in the people who make up the backers of the two parties, the National Journal reports.
You can read all the differences in this article, but there is a particular distinction in the parties by rural and urban.
Some 40 percent of the Republican coalition live in small towns and rural areas.
As for Democrats, “a disproportionately large number—70 percent—live in big cities or suburbs.”
Disappearing News Bureaus — The Roanoke Times is selling its New River Valley bureau in Christiansburg, Virginia.
The paper’s leadership offered up the usual blather about how they intend to provide coverage just as good as before, only without the building. But the newspaper has had the bureau since the 1970s, and you have to see this as another example of a regional newspaper pulling in its coverage area to the central city.
Spectrum Auction — The Federal Communications Commission is proposing to auction off television airwaves to wireless carriers.
Money raised from the sale could go to fund a public safety communications network. The spectrum would go to wireless carriers who are finding their airwaves increasingly crowded.
“In freeing up spectrum for wireless broadband, incentive auctions will drive faster speeds, greater capacity, and ubiquitous mobile coverage,” FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said. “These are essential ingredients for innovation and leadership in the 21st century economy where smartphones and tablets powered by 4G LTE and Wi-Fi networks are proliferating, and the mobile Internet becomes more important every day. Over the last few years, the U.S. has regained global leadership in mobile innovation — and we must not let up now.”
Vilsack in Charlotte — You can get the full text of Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack’s speech at the Democratic convention here.
Mistakes Made, Others Will Be Blamed — U.S. government attorneys say BP executives wanted to blame the oil spill at the Deepwater Horizon rig on “blue collar rig workers,” Reuters reports.
We Want In — Those outside the levees in Louisiana want in, the Times reports.
Presidential Forum, But No Presidents — There will be a “Presidential Forum on Agriculture” September 12 in Des Moines, but there won’t be any presidential candidates in attendance.
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and the Farm Foundation are sponsoring the event. Nebraska Senator and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns will represent the Romney campaign and former Iowa Lt. Governor and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge will represent the Obama campaign.
The forum is open to invited guests only. The forum will be streamed live online on Iowa Public Television (IPTV), www.iptv.org. Viewers watching online can submit questions via Twitter using the hashtag #AgForum.
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