THE GAY WAR ROLLS ON

Still, it's unclear how well that message will draw voters to the polls. At a coffee shop on Main, Rob Rasmussen, a bearded 50-year-old, shrugged his shoulders. "I'm much more concerned about things like health insurance," said Rasmussen, who owns a bicycle shop in town. "I worry about our troops, the economy. Gay marriage--that's way down the list."

These are relatively prosperous times on both sides of the Missouri River, where the seed caps give way to cowboy hats. The value of grain has been on the upswing, and yields have been high. The price for cattle has soared. About 25 percent of South Dakotans have jobs connected to agriculture. The hottest topic in this state is ethanol, the corn-based fuel, and efforts to boost its use around the country.

In the shops and saloons of South Dakota, people are more likely to be talking about ethanol than gay marriage, at least for now. But it's still early in the political season. Come harvest time, for crops and for votes, it will become clearer what took root in the heartland.

© 2004