My take on Obama's "problem" in Appalachia specifically and with some white voters generally is twofold.

First: the electorate in Appalachia is overwhelmingly old and a majority of its young people with aptitude, education, and ambition leave their homes. Perhaps a 100 years ago young educated people would have returned home to WV full of ideas and ready to build their careers and communities. Today young and educated go-getters feel the need to flee. It is encouraged by the broader culture; a unique problem to our mobile way of life. The best and brightest of, say, Kentucky or West Virginia do not, generally speaking, return home. This is called Brain Drain, and it is a serious problem in many areas of Appalachia. My area of Harrisburg PA has been confronting and (mildly) dealing with this problem for years. The ideas that people hold in rural WV or KY about the economy and culture ARE ALWAYS lagging about 20 to 30 years because the electorate skews older, less educated, and less progressive. These areas have become, if I may be a bit provocative, culturally and socially inbred. There is no new blood to push forward progress. Progress? The older voters in West Virginia will point to abandoned industries and "the MTV" as exemplars of progress. So, ehem, they retreat to god, guns, and the values of yesteryear. For some, this means a social strata that used to make sense. By contrast, look at the voting records of states in this region who have established cultural centers, who have welcomed technology, health services, and embraced youth and difference, who, out of necessity, learn to get along. For fun compare West Virginia and Kentucky with North Carolina and Virginia.

Secondly: I think, and this is tricky, the racial makeup of a certain state seems to make a difference. With a few exceptions, Democrats in states with little or no African Americans seem to be more welcoming to the idea of a bi-racial President. Racial issues have not defined the cultures of these states. Take VT, WI, IA, MN, the Dakotas, OR, etc. On the other hand, states with a significant number of African Americans seem to cancel out the white racial vote. Take GA, SC, ALA, LA, NC, MS. It seems to be in states where African Americans make up, say over 5 and under 12 percent of the electorate (I'm guessing here)that Obama runs into trouble. The African American vote would be unable to counteract the racial vote. Take PA, NJ, CA, OH, TX, etc.

I think (again this is a guess) all this talk of racism has less to do with racists and more to do with the overall age of the electorate coupled with the economic and social health of that area. It does no one any good to talk about racism as if it were an either or thing. EVERYONE holds racial/cultural biases one way or another. It may be more useful to view racism as on a continuum rather than a uh, well, a black or white thing. This way we can stop pointing fingers and maybe start to reflect on our own shortcomings and biases.

LOL! Yes, I suppose that that is what these "political" threads have devolved into; ad hominem attacks and "MY SIDE IS BETTER THAN YOUR SIDE!" poo flinging. I guess I had that one coming!

I just realized that the subject headline for this letter succinctly describes my attitude toward the tone and nature of the political debates here, as well as my overall feeling about the election. By Sept, I'm sure you could throw in a dash of ennui as well.

Mourn Defeat? How about taking a moment to celebrate Obama's historic victory? Today we are "mourning defeat" apparently a continuation of yesterday's "sitting Shiva." Can't Salon at least devote ONE article in celebration of what Sen Obama has accomplished and what his presumptive nomination symbolizes? For men AND women? For ALL people of color?

I get that Joe Conason and Joan Walsh were Clinton supporters. In fact, I have enjoyed reading their opinions on the Primary, if only to bring a more nuanced and balanced view to my own thinking. I have only jumped in when I thought I had a valid point to make, and generally stayed away from poo flinging. But in the face of Sen Obama's historic win, the articles of the past two days have sounded a strange (the shiva piece) and vindictive (Ms Walsh's 18 million voters piece) tone. And now we have an article that essentially urges us to "carry on", even though for many of us it is not a time for mourning or carrying on in the face of defeat, but a time to celebrate and shout, out loud unto the heavens: We Shall Overcome!

Yes, the road ahead is long. Yes there is much left to do. But is it too much to ask for progressives to take five minutes to celebrate and take some measure of collective pride in the presumptive nomination of the first African American with a serious shot at winning the Presidency?