Taking the pulse of US 'hometown'

The BBC's Matt Frei introduces six residents of a town in Virginia, who will be regularly sharing their views on the issues and the candidates in the US presidential election.

About 80 miles south-west of Washington DC, where the Shenandoah mountains crawl along the horizon and where the rich soil of Virginia is soaked with the blood and tears of America's turbulent history, is a town called Culpeper.

Named after a former English colonial governor, it is 250 years old ­ which is about as old as it gets in these parts.

It was the first place south of the Mason-Dixon line to get electric street lights.

And its architecture dates back to an era of tobacco and cotton that was affluent without being flashy.

The city of Culpeper, in the county of Culpeper, in the Commonwealth of Virginia - all very evocative names that probably conjure up the conservative values of faith, family and flag.

And yes, this place could very well tell us something about who will get elected to the White House in November 2008.

But what we are going to show you over the next 10 months is that you would be completely wrong to make assumptions about this place.

Anxious mood

Many of the familiar icons - the Stars and Stripes on the porch, the yellow ribbons honouring the troops - can be seen in Culpeper, but much has changed.

The Amtrak train, the Cardinal, now stops here to pick up commuters bound for Washington.

There are a handful of decent restaurants on Main Street, including an Italian and a Thai. You can even buy a decaf latte and a panini.

The population has grown by 50% just in the past seven years.

Culpeper is booming but, if you could sum up the mood of our random sample of citizens, it would be anxiety.

LEE HART, SHERIFF

Before he was elected sheriff eight years ago, Lee Hart was a police officer in Culpeper for two decades.

He sees himself as part of a proud tradition.

"The first sheriff was about 1750, 1751, I believe," he says. "I'm the 12th or 13th sheriff since the Civil War and I'm very proud to have served here in Culpeper."

But, when he's not thinking about his imminent retirement, the sheriff's mind goes back to the day that changed his view of the world.

"The toughest day was when the airplane went down in the Pentagon on 9/11, when it truly hit that we were so close to the reality of what's going on in the world and that we could be here in little Culpeper and yet so close.

"It got even more personal when we realised we had two victims who lived here in my county. It was personal."

Crime is down and there has been only one murder in the town in the past year, despite its expansion - good reason for the sheriff to be proud.

Whoever is going to be the next president of this country is going to walk into some issues and crises that will be lasting a long time Sheriff Lee Hart

And yet, he believes that the frontline of the global war on terror is everywhere - even here.

"[The events of 9/11] really taught me that we need to be more cautious in our surroundings. Who do you trust? No-one."

The sheriff is retiring in the New Year, and is due to move to Hickory, North Carolina, with his wife Laura.

"It was an economic decision," he explains. Rapid growth and increases in the cost of living mean Culpeper no longer seems a financially attractive place to retire.

He also has concerns for the wider economic situation, particularly in the light of the sub-prime mortgage crisis and rising numbers of foreclosures.

"This may be looked at as a small community, but it is a diverse community and close to the nation's capital - but I don't think it looks too good.

"Whoever is going to be the next president of this country is going to walk into some issues and crises that will be lasting a long time."

CATHI BUCHANAN, HOMEMAKER

Cathi's third husband, Patrick, is a truck driver, who only comes home at weekends.

"It frequently does get lonely. He and I speak on the cell phone every night, usually after the baby goes to bed.

"We miss him a lot during the week but it's great to have him home as often as he is. I know a lot of the drivers are away for two weeks or 20 days at a time."

The couple moved to Culpeper County a year and a half ago, part of the new influx of residents.

They live 30 minutes from town - too far for Cathi, who spends most of her time alone with her only child, Robert. Her mother-in-law lives next door.

She worries about education and healthcare for her son... but that's not where it ends.

"I think that we definitely as a country have lost a lot of respect across the board, whether you're talking European countries, or talking Middle East countries.

"I don't think that we have stood up to our ideals, I don't think that we have necessarily talked a straight line."

The negative campaigning turns me off and I think it turns off the majority of the American people Cathi Buchanan

Cathi is the classic independent female swing voter, a crucial demographic that could decide this election, especially in a state like Virginia that could be won by either party.

She views a lot of the campaigning so far as so much "posturing" by candidates as they seek to win the nomination.

"I personally haven't made up my mind about which candidate is saying the right things to get me to vote for them," she says.

"The negative campaigning turns me off and I think it turns off the majority of the American people. Let's stop attacking each other and start talking about where we need to go as a country, what we need to focus on."

Unlike many of her compatriots, she does not see the candidates' religious faith as significant.

"Their personal belief should not be in my mind as important as what they stand for in terms of economics, foreign relations, in terms of education, in terms of taking care of the American people."

STEVE JENKINS, TOWN COUNCILMAN & FOOTBALL COACH

Steve is old Culpeper. One of his ancestors was among the first to volunteer for the Confederate side in the Civil War.

He himself takes enormous pride in the local football team, which he has been coaching for 20 years. Two of his players are currently being chased by Division One teams.

And yet, he would not say he is altogether happy.

"I guess the song by Toby Keith - I'm a country music fan - The Angry American, kind of fits me to a certain degree. I think there's a large amount of American people who are angry."

There's one issue that will keep Steve up at night more than anything else: it is the Latin American migrants, many of them illegal aliens, who have flocked to the area in recent years to do the jobs that the locals won't touch.

The Hispanic population in the county has doubled since 2000. Mr Jenkins would like to see those who are not here legally return to their countries of origin.

"We do not want those who are illegally in this country in Culpeper. It's not meant to be mean-spirited, it's not against any nationality, any race, it's not against any socio-economic factors.

"It's about what is legal and what is illegal - and to me, it's very black and white."

RITA JOHNSON, HIGH SCHOOL SPANISH TEACHER

If Mrs Johnson speaks fluent Spanish, it is because she was born in Nicaragua, as Rita Caldera.

A lawyer by training, she met her American geologist husband in 1972, became a US citizen and now teaches at the local high school.

A mother-of-four, she embodies the American immigrant dream, and understands why others pursue it.

"I feel that if you are going to go to another country, you should try to do it legally.

"But on the other hand, many of these immigrants that come are looking for a better way of life - and you can't blame people for wanting a better way of life. I don't know if they are here legally or not."

One of the reasons Rita left Nicaragua was to escape the civil war there.

Now she finds herself living in a country fighting another war she does not agree with. She sees the next election as a chance to bring the troops home from Iraq.

"I think it's very, very important because the war is a big issue and people want it stopped."

BETSY SMITH, CHILDREN'S MINISTER AT CULPEPER BAPTIST CHURCH

A former businesswoman, Betsy has given up looking after the profit margin to start serving the next generation.

She also worries about the war. Her brother-in-law is heading back to Iraq for the third time.

But what she worries about most is that the troops will come home too soon, before the job is done. She echoes the words of the commander-in-chief, President George W Bush.

"I think Bush is doing a great job. I don't think he's perfect, I think he's made mistakes as any of us would.

"I think he asks God for guidance and direction, probably not every day because I cannot imagine the decisions he has to make.

"But I think he's done a good job and I think the criticisms of him are really frustrating."

Betsy is beginning to pay attention to the campaign and what she is looking for, above all else, are solid Christian values.

"I would rather someone who was honest with their beliefs and lives with their beliefs, and they are moral people, than someone who says they have a belief and doesn't believe it."

She still hasn't found the candidate that fits the bill, but she is sure of one thing: she doesn't want a Clinton in the White House again.

LOUISE ROBERTS, BEAUTY SALON OWNER

Born and raised in Culpeper, Louise has been cutting the hair of the town's residents for four decades.

Her salon is several blocks from the main strip, in a less affluent area of town.

"I love it," she says. "It was a debate between being a nurse and being a beautician, so I followed my heart and I became a beautician."

She is concerned about Culpeper's economy - particularly the rising prices for goods that are not matched by growth in wages.

Many of her customers are struggling, so she has done her bit to help. "I don't charge a big amount of money and I make a good living. I've done people's hair free because they don't have the money."

She knows what she wants in a president: someone who is "going to do the job the right way" - that is, using the position to help those people in need.

Louise has already made up her mind that she will vote Democrat and she doesn't care who the next president is, so long as it is either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

"If she gets to be the president, well he can be the vice. If he gets to be the president, she can be the vice. That would be good - and they would be good for us."

LOOKING FORWARD

Who knows what will determine how our cast of six will vote on election day: will it be the war and immigration, or other issues, such as healthcare and education?

A lot will depend on how they respond to the candidates. They say all politics is local - it is also very personal.

We will continue to take the pulse of Culpeper and keep you posted along the way.