Fallout from dot bomb and 9/11 ensures one corner of Texas cares little fo

Bush v Kerry - the battle for the economy

Larry Elliott and David Teather in Austin
Wednesday October 27, 2004
The Guardian

George Bush will be back in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday as America's voters pass judgment on his presidency. He is unlikely to receive the warmest of welcomes.

Four years ago, Bush was holed up in the governor's mansion as the votes from Florida were checked and rechecked amid talk of hanging chads and political chicanery. At the time, Austin was humming. It was a symbol of America's industrial renaissance in the 1990s and a testament to the country's enduring dynamism. The city was one of the centres of the dotcom boom and jammed with internet millionaires (at least on paper).

It is a rich town, with almost 30% of households bringing in more than $75,000 (£41,000) a year, compared to the national average of just under 25%, but it has never cared much for Bush, and cares even less for him after the downturn in the hi-tech sector over the past four years.

Geographically and culturally, it is a world apart from Cleveland, Ohio, but it has still suffered over the past four years.

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