Last summer, as Democrats and our allies were hitting the streets in targeted states and counties, this is what a lot of the working class, who should be our base, were listening to several times a day on Country stations. Thirty-one year old Gretchen Wilson was one of the top newcomers on the music scene in 2004, and this song was on the radio constantly: (lyrics follow)
Red Neck Woman
By Gretchen Wilson
Well, I ain't never been the Barbie doll type
No, I can't swig that sweet Champagne, I'd rather drink beer all night
In a tavern or in a honky tonk or on a four-wheel drive tailgate
I've got posters on my wall of Skynyrd, Kid and Strait
Some people look down on me, but I don't give a rip
I'll stand barefooted in my own front yard with a baby on my hip
'cause I'm a redneck woman
I ain't no high class broad
I'm just a product of my raising
I say, 'hey ya'll' and 'yee-haw'
And I keep my Christmas lights on
On my front porch all year long
And I know all the words to every Charlie Daniels song
So here's to all my sisters out there keeping it country
Let me get a big 'hell yeah' from the redneck girls like me, hell yeah
Victoria's Secret, well their stuff's real nice
But I can buy the same damn thing on a Wal-Mart shelf half price
And still look sexy, just as sexy as those models on TV
I don't need no designer tag to make my man want me
Well, you might think I'm trashy, a little too hardcore
But in my neck of the woods I'm just the girl next door
I'm a redneck woman
I ain't no high class broad
I'm just a product of my raising
I say, 'hey y'all' and 'yee-haw'
And I keep my Christmas lights on
On my front porch all year long
And I know all the words to every Tanya Tucker song
So here's to all my sisters out there keeping it country
Let me get a big 'hell yeah' from the redneck girls like me, hell yeah
I'm a redneck woman
I ain't no high class broad
I'm just a product of my raising
I say, 'hey y'all' and 'yee-haw'
And I keep my Christmas lights on
On my front porch all year long
And I know all the words to every ol' Bocephus song
So here's to all my sisters out there keeping it country
Let me get a big 'hell yeah' from the redneck girls like me, hell yeah
Hell yeah, hell yeah
Hell yeah
I said hell yeah!
lyrics courtesy of
http://www.lyrics007.com/
The song has political content, and it wasn't on message with the Democrat ticket last year. But it is also a song about being proud of who you are, which is one of empowerment.
Liberals did not reach out to Gretchen Wilson fans last year, although Howard Dean made some waves by talking about reaching out in stereotypical terminology. Most of the airtime went to punditry about "Nascar Dads" instead, which is different than actually sharing a beer with a Nascar dad. Also some comments on dKos, some by pretty passionate feminists, have tended to write-off working class women from small towns and downscale suburbs altogether.
Is this a group we want to keep in the Party and cultivate to leadership? I think so, because most of them know someone close who has needed government support for drug or alcohol rehab, or child support, or has declared bankruptcy due to a medical problem. Many have friends in Iraq or are going there too. Since most work, and at low paying jobs, most need any support they can find for childcare and health insurance. They share a lot of interests with Democrats, but they do differ a little on some social issues, which is why the Dean pick of Tim Roemer is one good idea. I'd like to hear more.