Over the past few weeks, there has been much spirited and intelligent (and some not-so-intelligent) discussion regarding red states, and the voters who inhabit them. A very important point that many have made is that there were many Kerry voters in the red states, but I want to talk a bit about the Southern culture, and how it relates to our electoral future.
I am a native North Carolinian, my Tar Heel roots going back to the early 19th century, and my family was split pretty evenly during this past election. There was my country grandmother (her town, Bear Grass, has a population of around 200) who responded with a hearty 'Hell No!' when someone asked her if she was voting for Bush. There's my step-father, a man who loves both NASCAR
AND fine wines, who was the first person I knew to sport a Kerry bumper sticker. Then, of course, there's my uncle, a 'sports minister' at a huge Charlotte Baptist Church who helped with Bush's campaign. And there's my father, a Rush Limbaugh fan who loves few things more than railing against 'bleeding heart liberals' (political discussions with him are like walking blindfolded through a minefield with snow-shoes on). His father (my grandpop) is an old-school yellow dog democrat who can barely stomach the fact that his son is a registered Republican.
Even with all that political diversity, my family is very southern, and we have a deep and enduring love for our home state and for the South in general. People who are not from the South tend to be somewhat perplexed by the fierce regionalism of this part of the country, and too often tie it to racism, bigotry, and all the demons of the Old Confederacy. The truth is that it's just not that simple. There are unfortunately, many many racists here, and in some places, the old anachronisms still exist. In Bear Grass, my grandmother's country town, the Black folks still live in the same area they have ever since reconstruction. Interestingly enough, though, that area is more vibrant and, in some ways, affluent, then many of the white areas, but I digress. The point I am trying to make is that, while racism and bigotry certainly exists here, it is not what makes up the mysterious 'Southern-ness'
Part of it is a reaction to the condescension of the rest of the country. I once had a conversation with a Berkeley student who had never been to the south talking blithely about how southerners were all ignorant bigots, and I remember wanting nothing more than to politely ask him to step outside, where I could politely beat his Yankee ass (more on the 'Y' word in a moment). Southerners are treated, on a nearly daily basis, to ridicule and scorn by the popular culture, and even when the South is looked at positively, it's generally a ridiculous caricature (think that 'Sweet Home Alabama' movie). Southerners have a sort of innate defensiveness about our home, and it is often present even in the most enlightened, 'Yankee-fied' Southerner.
The biggest part of 'Southern-ness', however, comes from the unique culture that permeates much of life here. This culture is manifested in such things as sweet tea (no, it's not the same when you just add sweetener), saying 'sir' and 'ma'am', cheerfully greeting perfect strangers, and prefacing an elder's first name with Mr. or Miss (as in 'Good Morning Miss Janice'). Of course, the list goes on and on, and much smarter minds than mine have written volumes on the makeup of Southern culture, but it is important to know that it exists, and it is something that we are, in general, very proud of.
Southern culture places a high premium on speaking simply and directly (without sacrificing manners, of course), and Southerners are, as a rule, extremely distrustful of politicians who speak like, well, politicians. Southerners also are not particularly interested in the minutae of politics, and tend to make gut-level decisions when voting. This is why George W. Bush is able to gain so much traction here, because he is able to sell himself as a plain-spoken everyman. It is also why it is so difficult to dismantle that image, because Southerners aren't generally the type of people to wade into the murky depths of political bullshit to find the truth. Finally, it is the reason that a candidate like John Kerry was hard pressed to gain ground, because he could not shake the perception of him as a Yankee.
I want to be very clear about what the 'Y' word means in today's south, and it doesn't mean someone from New England. Yes, I know that is the technical definition, but the word today has come to mean the antithesis of Southern culture. In other words, a Yankee would be someone who had poor manners, who talked too fast or in too complicated a manner, or otherwise offended the Southern sensibility. John Kerry (who, by the way, I thought ran as good a campaign as he could have and would have made an excellent President) was often an aloof candidate, and this allowed the GOP to gain traction with attacks that essentially branded him as unacceptably Yankee in the eyes of many Southerners. John Edwards may have helped a little bit, but the fact that he hadn't even served a complete term in the Senate before beginning his Presidential run undermined any loyalty that Southerners may have had towards him. Plus, people vote for President, not Vice President.
All that being said, the big lie being perpetuated right now is that the vast majority of Southerners who voted for Bush did so because they are racist, ignorant confederates who want some sort of theocracy. Well, maybe in South Carolina, but not elsewhere (kidding, kidding..) The truth is that there are several things that a candidate must appeal to to win in the south, and this can happen whether they are Democratic or Republican.
Direct Connection - A candidate, especially for President, must be able to communicate with voters in such a way as to show them that he/she knows what they are going through, and what is important to them. Telling people that you have a plan, and then referring them to johnkerry.com was just not a good way to do this. The key here is to be able to break down complicated policy into common sense terminology that everyone can understand and relate to.
Patriotism - Ironically enough, the Old Confederacy is one of the most patriotic parts of the country these days, and I don't think that's a bad thing. Southerners believe in America, and respond very strongly to appeals to this sensibility. Southerners are most likely to support confident leaders who make them proud of the flag. That being said, Bush scored on the first part, but failed with many on the second part of that. The problem is that Senator Kerry failed to convince Southern voters that he would be able to improve on Bush in this area.
Morality - Religious or not, Southerners take morality pretty seriously, and appeals to this are often very successful. Democratic agendas such as raising the minimum wage, expanding health care, and protecting people from big corporations have huge potential in the South, but they have to be sold in moral terms, not just in policy.
Innate Distrust of Government - Southerners have a very healthy distrust for government, and are unlikely to be enthusiastic about a 'Federal Program' to fix problems. What you have to do is to find a way to explain the plan in common sense terms, and further explain why it will work, again in common sense terms.
There is a lot more to be said about this subject, but I'm going to draw this to a close before this diary becomes a dissertation. A better understanding of the south will help us on many levels. One, Southern culture is very closely related to rural culture all around the country, and so success here means success all over. Two, breaking the GOP's stranglehold on the south will go a long way towards taking this country back from the war profiteers who are currently running it. Three, I want my state to be blue next time... pleeeeaaaaase?
Update [2004-11-28 22:28:35 by Aethern]:I posted this diary early this morning before heading to work, fully expecting it to get no more than a few comments before heading off to 'bit heaven'. Imagine my surprise to come home to find it on the reccomend list, along with 300+ comments of extremely cogent and intelligent discussion. Many of you have raise counterpoints to my arguments that have really made me think (especially bruh1 and Armando), and others who have agreed with me have expanded on my thoughts in ways that I had not considered. I have quite a bit to say regarding the issues you all have brought up, but I want to do a little bit of research on some things and I will post a follow-up diary tomorrow morning where we can continue this extremely interesting discussion. Thank you all so much for your thoughts!
Update [2004-11-29 7:34:3 by Aethern]: The follow-up diary has been posted! This is proving to be a very in-depth, interesting subject on which to opine, so those who are interested can expect this to become somewhat of a series, because there's just too much to say to fit into one diary.