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• Tuesday, May 20, 2008 01:28 PM

  'Interesting', in the Chinese curse sense

  Joan,

  I'm glad you think the debate is 'interesting'. I myself think it's depressing in the extreme, and infuriating. I can barely keep my hands from shaking as I type, when I read the kind of disgusting vitriol against people who live in Appalachia, as I do. The fact that I've been hearing it for thirty some-odd years doesn't make it any easier. The irony of it provides some relief, but irony only goes so far.

  Here's the odd thing: I'm voting for Obama. I like Obama. I talk to other 'redneck white-trash cousinhumpers' who also like Obama, are interested in him, and have an open mind. Some of them drive pickups with confederate flag license plates, live next to interracial couples, and work with people who live openly in same-sex relationships. Welcome to the New South.

  Know what, though? That will all go down the tubes once this kind of garbage makes the rounds down here. The Republicans and their ground machine, intact since 2004, will make sure that it does. Yes, people will want to vote their own interests, but given a choice about who to believe actually represents those, the ones associated with the insults and smears that we are so familiar with down here will not fare well. This is true whether or not they truly believe McCain gives a damn; at least he won't purposefully stick his finger in their eye.

  I'll be knocking on doors this fall for Obama. The ones I'll be focusing on are the hard cases, because I've found that I can be persuasive even with right wing Republicans by listening, showing respect and entering into a discussion with them in good faith. I have bona fides they will respect, even though I spent 15 years on the coast, in Seattle, Ground Zero of latte-sipping. Because none of that means a damn thing to most of them. Some won't be swayed ... the ones some of you seem committed to your one-to-many fallacy in believing represent all of us ... but you never actually know who's going to come over until you try to engage them.

  I'd appreciate it if the rest of you Obama supporters would either a) put aside your arrogance, reread Obama's race speech and start following his example, instead of trying to launch your own Cultural Revolution, or b) stay the hell home, and not make our jobs any harder. We'll do just fine without y'all. Really.

  qs

  —quickstrategy Read quickstrategy's other letters
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