TONIGHT'S INBOX CONTAINED THIS GEM from Cap, a column by John Tierney on Laura Bush's sense of humor, and why it confuses the press corps, before dovetailing into a 'plain english' explanation of the current condition.
The following paragraph describes perfectly how all of my state and especially my local Democrats are playing the post-election, without the reference to "hicks" of course.
...red staters are hicks who have been blinded by righteousness, as Thomas Frank argues in "What's the Matter With Kansas?" He laments that middle-class Kansans are so bamboozled by moral issues like abortion and school prayer that they vote for Republicans even though the Republican tax-cutting policies are against their self-interest.
The irony, and one that gives me great personal satisfaction, is that the coastal liberals, the hard-core blue-staters, think everyone here is a hick.
Tierney notes that despite their nuanced politics, a quiet exodus is under way from blue to red, which is not of a religious nature...
People are moving there precisely because of economic reasons - more jobs, affordable houses and the lower taxes offered by Republican politicians. They're not moving for the churches, and they don't vote for Mr. Bush simply because he reads the Bible every day.
...and delivers the fait accompli to any argument that the sneers are working.
One of the main reasons they like him is that he gets bashed so often. When Jon Stewart sneers at him, they empathize because they're used to being sneered at themselves.
The column is engaging, short and worth the time. As Cap put it, it's "how well the writer explains to lefty Times readers that Republicans are not of another species," that makes it a good read.
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