Taking the pulse of Bush's America

[Neil D]

[:"blue"] From USA TODAY, one person's view in one section of the country. How has Bushes policies affect you in your home state? [/]

By Judy Keen,

LEXINGTON, Ky. — President Bush has visited this city just once, but his imprint is everywhere.

His impact is evident in Bill Langley's living room, where there's a shrine to the son who died in Iraq.

It's in the sagging public-housing projects whose redevelopment was recently delayed by the rejection of a $20 million federal grant request.

Money from his budget will soon be used to help clean up a stagnant pond at Gainesway Park so kids in a low-income neighborhood can get fishing lessons from senior citizens.

Police cruisers have new computers thanks to homeland security funds, but community development director Paula King has seen four years of "decreases in federal funding for social service programs ... and really stiff competition" for everything else.

Sometimes a president's legacy is not apparent until after he leaves the White House. However, Bush's presidency has been marked by dramatic events such as the Sept. 11 attacks and the 2001 recession and his aggressive responses: war with Iraq, deep tax cuts, new emphasis on homeland security. Here and across the nation, he has altered budget priorities, the way public schools are run and how people think about politics and religion.

Lexington is surrounded by vast horse farms with barns that are almost as lavish as the mansions overlooking acres of bluegrass and miles of white fences. It is home to the University of Kentucky (UK), famous for its basketball champions. Still, by most measures, it's very much like the rest of America. The changes that have occurred here mirror the effects of Bush's tenure in communities everywhere.

People here chose Bush over Democrat Al Gore in 2000. Last year they picked Bush over John Kerry. They shop at giant discount stores. Many of them go to church every Sunday — and Wednesday evenings, too. After work, they clog Broadway and Man O' War Boulevard as they head to their kids' soccer games or a Lexington Legends minor-league baseball game.

Interviews with more than three dozen residents and government officials over five days found that people admire Bush's values, but they're nervous about the economy and about how education policies affect their kids. They have strong feelings about him and his impact on their lives.

Sharon Purcell was drawn to Bush because of his blend of faith and politics.

"I look at his faith background and his values, and I feel he puts people's feelings first in any situation," says the bank supervisor, 47.

Because of him, she says, her future votes will always be based on candidates' morality and values.

David Baseheart, 61, owner of a small shop that sells horse gear, worries about criticizing a president whose openness about his faith has made him popular here. "They think it's un-American to say anything bad about Bush," he says. "Religion and politics have become too mixed, and that's not healthy."

College student Amanda McMullin, 28, has her own story about Bush's impact on her life. A senior who's majoring in political science at UK, she got a $1,000 federal Pell Grant last spring but was denied when she applied again. She had been counting on the money to pay for books. Budget-driven changes in the formula used to factor state and local taxes into students' need led to an increase in her household income that made her ineligible.

Asked if she blamed Bush when her application was denied, she says, "I'm sure that came out of my mouth." She's been working more overtime as a hospital admissions clerk to make up the difference.

Money is always tight these days; she and her fiancé, fellow student Eddie Raymond, 28, paid $1 each for bleacher seats at a Legends game one recent evening.

Part of Bush's legacy here is less tangible than dollars, buildings or grant formulas. His boldest decisions — to go to war and take an uncompromising stance on terrorism — have touched off a passionate national debate that's reflected here.

People here are proud of U.S. troops, and many of them adorn the rear bumpers of their cars with stickers shaped like yellow ribbons that say so. Still, when they're asked how they feel about Bush, the first thing many people bring up is the war with Iraq. Those who support it are adamant, and so are opponents. Every Thursday, a small group of anti-war protesters gathers on a downtown corner.

Jack Keck, 58, a clerk at Dan's Discount Jewelry & Pawn, a pawn shop on Versailles Road, thinks his neighbors' feelings about Bush are complicated. A lanky Vietnam veteran who has a son in the Navy and another in the Army, he says people here "agree with Bush on social issues, perhaps — this is a pretty conservative place."

As Keck talks, a steady stream of people come into the shop with stereos and jewelry to pawn.

"Things certainly haven't improved in the last four years," he says. "Inflation keeps moving but wages haven't. Times are tough.