I'm tired of Southerners being patronized by blue state jerks

[quaoar]

I'd like to know what exactly it is that makes some people who live in New York or Minnesota or some other state north of Nashville think that he/she lives in a state of enlightenment while those of us who live in the South must all live in double-wides and can barely read or write?

Frankly, I am tired of the patronizing attitude of some (not most) of the people in this forum who believe that Democrats in Alabama or Mississippi or South Carolina are really Republicans and that any effort spent in the South by Kerry would be a colossal waste of time and money. I'm from Alabama and there have been times here when I have felt like I might as well be from Honduras.

The South was the crucible in which the civil rights movement was fought and won. The South was the bulwark of the Democratic Party for more than a generation while northeasterners were sending Republicans to Congress year after year.

There are many, many progressive, enlightened Democrats in states that people look down their noses at -- states like Mississippi and Utah and Arkansas and Wyoming. Yes, we're outnumbered by the Republicans. Yes, Bush will win our electoral votes. But that doesn't make us worthless or a waste of time.

And let's not forget that the last three Democratic presidents have come from the Deep South (Clinton, Carter, LBJ). Of the last six unsuccessful Democratic presidential candidates, four (Humphrey, McGovern, Mondale and Dukakis) have come from northern states. And of the two from the South (Gore and Carter), one (Gore) actually won.

OK, I'm ranting. I was listening to Air America today and heard someone refer to "glorious" Alabama with sarcasm dripping from his lips and it pissed me off.

So, go ahead, take your best shot.

[ParisFrance]

1. You're a republican trying to create division on this message board

[quaoar]

3. That's exactly what I mean.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

7. Pretty weak response, IMHO....

Do you have anything constructive to say, or is it past your bedtime?

I also live in Alabama...and I'm a registered Democrat.

[devilgrrl]

2. Uh... don't even go there!

Quit painting everyone with one brush stroke, a lot of us Yankees know perfectly well that not all Southerners are simple-minded hillbillies.

Guess what? Not all Northerners are enlightened - look at Rick Santorum.

:argh: punk.

[Radical Activist]

4. Damn right!

I'm in Arkansas, the most Democratic state in the South. Bush and Kerry have been within the margin of error of each other in the polls, but Arkansas is always classified as leaning Republican. Why? Because it is in the South. False preconceived notions get in the way of reality when DC and Northern pundits make their decisions. The Cook Report is out of touch when it comes to Arkansas.

We need populists in the south who can appeal on economic issues. Not some out of touch northern millionaire that wouldn't know a boll weevil from a hole in the ground.
Excuse me for posting drunk but that's how I feel.

[quaoar]

8. Amen

And a great big "Roll Tide" to that. LOL

[K-W]

5. Straw man anyone?

I dont think I have ever read anyone on this forum or anywhere claim that southern democrats werent true democrats.

The fact that the south, provides a consistant, unwavering support for the criminals in the white house and in congress certainly draws some ire from democrats in the north and the south, but nobody thinks what you are accusing them of.

[LearnedHand]

6. I feel your pain

However, you've got to understand how monolithic Southern republicanism looks from the outside. People who don't live there CANNOT understand that there are pockets of liberal thinkers in the South.

But even though the south had some glory days in the past, the rabid republicanism has WAY overshadowed any glory days now. In fact, I lived in TN for WAY too many years, and before I moved away, I despaired of ever finding like-minded thinkers again. I thought the whole world looked like the political leanings of where I lived. In other words, it FELT monolithic when I was there, too.

With all that, how could anyone convince the "rest of America" that the south isn't all that bad?

[Moderator]

9. we've been around this flamebait corner many times

locking

[DrWeird]

10. Stop voting for this guy.

I used to live in Tacoma. A lot of people made fun of the smell. I didn't bother me, Tacoma stinks. If your from the south, as long as it's filled to the rim with dumb racist rednecks who vote for jokers like this it's going to get made fun of.