To most succinctly sum it up, at least in my experience, Appalachia is a high context culture, while most of America is a low context culture. There is so much in our area that is a matter of culture that has been insulated and unchanged for so many generations that it's incredibly difficult to communicate in an effective way unless you're part of the culture itself. Let me give you an example:

"We missed you in church today."

To most people that would be a friendly statement noting your absence and hoping to see you again soon. Anyone from Eastern Ky can tell you that the speaker has just condemned you as a horrible sinner and you better damn well have a good explanation for missing church today because it is assumed you were on a drunken bender, since you've missed church at least twice in the last month or so.

Everything from eye contact, to hand movements to inflection can influence the context of the statement, and unless you understand Appalachia fairly intimately, then you're George Bush the First flashing a "peace" sign in Australia.

Also, Appalachia is generally known to be a story telling culture. Studies were done a few years ago on how to make therapy more effective to rural Appalachians, and psychologists found that if they began with a personal story/stories, and allowed the patients to speak in stories rather than statements, then therapy was much more effective, and people were more communicative and stuck around longer.

I watched Hillary in W.Va. and she spoke in a more storytelling fashion, and Obama generally speaks in a "speech" fashion, no matter who is his audience. His body context is off, too. Hillary leaned forward at all the right moments--I know that sounds stupid, but it actually means something.

And just to get my 2 cents in--as far as Obama losing due to rampant racism, I doubt it strongly. Sexism and chauvinism are just as bad, if not more so, than racism. In terms of -isms, Appalachia is a level playing field between a black man and a white woman.

Calling rural voters hillbillies is unlikely to win our votes. Unfortunately manners are dead today or you would already know that.

To your points -

(1) I'm glad you wrote that. I was thinking the very same thing today.

(2)Agreed. The Dem party has a broad 'natural' base, and will only be a healthy party when it has most of those segments under the tent. Contentious as it may become, the diversity is key.

(3) I'm really glad to hear that. Among my peers, there are a lot of Obama supporters as well as Clinton supporters who have no problem voting for Obama in the fall. I'm pleased to hear your perspective, because mine has been quite different (outside my friend/peer group) and it alarms me ... .any sign that is isn't representative is welcome.

(4) I agree that people can be persuaded, though they're less likely to be persuaded by name-calling and contempt. I've been away from here a long time, and I'm astounded by the changes and progress. It isn't where I would want it to be, yet, but it's really no longer the case that the 'modal' story about race, gay rights, abortion, etc is really the dominant one, as far as I can see. Even people who harbor old ideas about these things have a weaker hold on them than they used to, as you can see when you talk to them. They'll even tell you that themselves.

So, the work continues ... here and everywhere else in the country, right?

Wow, that was great! Thanks.

As an early poster pointed out - when are we going to hear about how Republicans don't seek urban votes and don't understand urban sensibilities and what a liability that will prove for them? Oh, but then as per the MSM, we're aren't real Americans. So quit your whining, hillbillies. At least you're regarded as real Americans unlike all us libs in Chicago, New York, Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta, Cleveland, Washington, Seattle, St. Louis, Portland, Madison, Berkeley etc. etc. etc.

Thank you for indulging me.

If you were Obama, is there a person of color you could suggest he study, that has the right communicative abilities to penetrate the mountain culture?

you wrote:

Shit! Nicky Joe is muslim-terroist-foreigner!?!?! No wonder he endorsed Obama.

my reply:

So why did Robert C. Byrd also endorse Obama?

I'm not interested in reaching an Obama supporter. Earlier, I was making a relevant political observation. Since you felt the need to address me...

From reading your other posts, you are a "dyke" (in your words) and happily left WV at age 28. You seem to really hate Hillary Clinton and think she only got where she is by her "marriage choices." I don't know what happened to you or care. You don't present rational arguments; you're another loud reactionary convinced of your own superiority with nothing to contribute. For example:

"Most people aren't very well-educated, live fairly insular lives and favor the TV as a learning tool."

"Oprah was not admitted to Hermes in Paris during store hours, although it was an hour before closing."

You are *very* uncool Cynthia, and since most of what you say is either tediously vapid and culled from the media v. personal experience or just a bunch of profane gobbledygook, please don't speak to me ever again.

"It sucks. It's like an elephant herd. We can only go as fast as the slowest member. It's maddening sometimes."

But the clock is ticking on this country, lbd. If McCain wins this election, America is done, as simple as that. Just how long can the US wait for folks to catch up--especially when it seems like they have made up their minds and are so marinated in Fox/right-wing think they don't want to even meet liberals halfway? (In fact, if said people are still this oblivious and stubborn after eight years of disastrous GOP polices that are destroying their lives, will they _ever_ catch up?) A couple of other posters have said this already, but I'll repeat--respect goes both ways. Why should Obama make all the overtures and knock himself out campaigning if some rural voters can't look past Fox-generated stereotypes and give him the basic courtesy of just listening? It's ironic--some rural/winger voters who love to bash black folks for our so-called "grievance" mentality seem to be operating from an even worse (and less-factually-based) sense of persecution.