.., but this thread calls for a visit to http://www.fuckthesouth.com/

This commentary offers nothing of value..yawn..

Instead of beginning with analysis, let's begin with some sad facts; When Kentucky Representative Ben Chandler endorsed Barack Obama, over 500 phone calls flooded his office, the vast majority of them using the word "nigger."

Chandler's aides (who were white) went home shaken, crying, in utter disbelief. They didn't think racism still existed.

Now. Sugarcoat it all you want. Call it "Appalachian culture" call it whatever you want, but make no mistake about it, it is racism.

I'm from Kentucky, and I'm black, and can tell you that perhaps it was "culture" when I went to a semi-nerdy mock-government camp in Frankfort, KY, assigned to a hotel room with 4 white girls, and it was assumed we'd all split beds. There were 2 queen size beds. ALL four of them chose to sleep in one bed, rather than to sleep in the bed in which I slept. Perhaps that was just their "culture?"

And instance was just something off the top of my head...

Why are we skirting around this issue? Why are we coming up with excuses? It seems as though people are more afraid of being called racist than they are afraid of actually being racist.

Obviously not every Appalachian white person who votes for Clinton is racist, but enough (21 percent) admitted that race mattered to them in their selection of a candidate to bode poorly for the non-white candidate--no matter the bona fides.

When that is the case, how can you tell Obama that it's his problem--as an earlier poster noted, no matter what he does, the goalposts change--he's smart and successful translates into "uppity;" he's the underdog translates into "he's incompetent." They will not be happy until he does the cakewalk for them and grins like Jolson.

Thus Hillary's use of code phrases--designed to be direct and easily understood by those with animosity towards blacks, resentful of blacks, distrustful of blacks--those who are...let's face it--racists.

Dee Davis says Obama should have visited rural voters more. Why? So that he can change the mind of the Marietta, GA man who portrayed Obama as Curious George? So he can expose his two daughters to possible death threats, so they can witness the panoply of black lawn jockeys? I wish I were merely some Hollywood elite,"deriding" these people; no, I'm just someone who grew up around them, and I knew years ago what those Chandler aides just found out this month: racism is alive and well in "the hills."

Another shallow analysis that just relies on stereotypes and denial. If you want to talk about Blue collar workers and their position in the economy and politics you might want to ask a few more questions. Those questions might provide more insight than what you learned in a poli sci class.

I am tired of asking this question, but there is a HUGE difference in terms of policy of how middle class is defined. Hilary, despite her propaganda, thinks it is above 100K. I am continually astounded that a "responsible" media outlet continues to ignore this problem. When half of all American families make less than the median income of 42k, how is that not a news story?

Is this all you can aspire to?

For someone who writes commentary you'd think the author would not use the term "hillbillie" towards Kentucky voters. After all the term hillbillie is defined as a "Michigan farmer".

In his Countdown interview:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/

[scroll to "Webb a possible V.P.?"]

Basically saying that these "hillbillies" (not that he used this term, which is offensive to many, even if people use it in jest amongst themselves)feel neglected, left out of the social justice movement.

But there's good reason, he says, for people in the demographic to work with other people with common interests...

I posted this before...someone I know who is elderly is from rural South Georgia (and white). She was surprised when she visited her family and all her sibs and friends were for Obama. These are not people who are liberals. But they are ready to vote for Obama (assuming of course, he does not get destroyed by the Clinton-cum-McCain machines). Not only ready, but excited to do so.

There is a sea-change. Maybe it wasn't apparent in a couple of states but look at what Obama needed to push against...

The sooner we git-to-work the better off we all are.

FYI latest Bureau of Labor statistics for state unemployment rates:

Kentucky 5.6%

Oregon 5.5%

And Oregon has serious employment issues in rural areas as well, not least because of the logging industry. So it presumably is something other than jobs that is driving this.

I wouldn't paint Oregon as being equivalent to an Appalachian state - the political dynamics there are weird, because as far as I can tell, there a lot of "progressives" and a lot of conservative libertarians, and not a whole lot in between. To what extent that affected the survey response rate that you mentioned, I wouldn't know.

Actually, without wanting to get too far off topic, you could make an argument that plenty of politicians and journalists don't really know that much about the west either - just that they are less openly derisive of it.

And who started the name-calling? 'Tweren't any Democrats! You look around at how much attention is being paid, in "rural" America and elsewhere, to Nascar burn-gasoline-faster events, to what Red Sox memorabilia got buried under Steinbrenner's new playhouse, etc. And it's easy to wonder if some folks just have too much time on their hands. They should be working. And since they might not be, then those unemployment stats are even more bogus than I thought! Study "rural" issues and economies, as I have/do, and you'll find a bit of desperation. Small-town people struggle to save, not define, their places. If every business is a monolithic, Walmart-esque, corporate juggernaut located 1,500 or more miles away, the word "dependence" makes mince meat of Jefferson's Declaration. As for "social" issues, well, there's graffiti in places like Guymon, OK, just like Peoria or Atlanta. If rurals think electing Republicans helps them, then they should go whole-hog and send the deed to the ranch in to the Pentagon. They'd probably be able to use the 160 acres to practice tank warfare, after all. Ueber alles, that's the ticket.