“Most Tennesseans and consequently Memphians feel that Bush’s values are parallel with their own,” he said.  “As a result, they tend to support his actions and side with the Republicans on issues such as the War in Iraq.”

A small minority of Tennessee residents strongly opposes Bush’s actions.

“Bush is so full of shit it’s scary,” said junior Neil Henley, a political science major at the University of Memphis.  “What he’s doing in Iraq is for some queer fetish he has with Saddam and his Dad, and to feed into his family’s own oil wells.”

Karen Stokes, an immigration attorney and U.S. veteran, disagrees with Henley.

“During these times when our country is attacked, we can’t criticize our President,” she said.  “He has information that don’t have access to so it’s not our place to judge.  All we can do is pray for God to bless America.”

But many minorities of TN do not share Stokes’ outlook.

“That’s so typical for white people to follow their government blindly and not question their motives,” said Stanley Jackson, member of the Memphis NAACP.  “It’s so easy for them to just wrap themselves in their American flag blankie and hope everything will go away, but black folks know that the US government doesn’t care about the people, especially if you’re not white.”

Opinion polls reveal that as many as 83% of TN residents supported the war in Iraq and are satisfied with Bush’s presidency. 

“When you are led by a person who you can relate to and you feel shares your beliefs and values, you are going to be more likely to trust and accept his actions,” said Harpinger.  “A lot of factors come into play when supporting or opposing Bush such as race, proximity and religious belief.”