Today we have been treated to one of those cyclical treats of DailyKos, the war over the South. Specifically, the battle always focuses on the following points:
- Are Southerners ill-informed hicks that vote god, guns, and gays and care only about racist, misogynistic, fascist things?
- If they're not stupid, why do they vote against their own self-interest?
- Why do they hate us, and why should we waste our time with stupid people who don't like us when we're supposed to be the one looking out for them?
Well, I'm going to make try and make this sweet and simple.
1. Why Do Southerners Vote Against Their Own Self Interest? Perhaps a better question: Why do rich Northern Liberals consistently vote against their own self interest? Well, the answer to that is easy, because they vote their values. They vote what they believe, and the fact that it is against their own self-interest only increases the altruistic nature of those beliefs. Always remember that self-interest is really the most cynical of motivations to believe anything. Do you always vote your own self-interest? No. Of course not. So don't act incredulous when other people vote against theirs even if it means they're voting against your beliefs. Do I believe that people should vote Democratic, especially the poor, because it is in their self-interest as well as the greater communities self-interest? Yes. But I will never hold it against an individual for voting against their own personal gain. I do it every cycle and every time I approve a school bond. It's called a bleeding heart.
2. About the God, Guns, and Gays: I posit that for many Southerners (or who the hell are we kidding, country-folk is as good a terminology as ever. The South gets your wrath, but you have no more in common with central Pennsylvania or rural Washington state than you do with Kentucky or Louisiana) voting Republican is not especially voting against their interests. It just depends on what you vote on. The voters targeted by Clinton in 1992 with the term 'Bubba' (which, by the bye, is often considered pretty offensive when used by 'outsiders', just so you know, which is why I rarely use it), were blue-collar folk who yes, were socially conservative. They agreed with Republicans on that. But they used to vote Democratic back when it was about labor unions and good wages. They miss Roosevelt Democrats. They lost the faith in Democrats because, increasingly, Democrats focused on social issues that seemed irrelevant to their interests and in contrary to their values. So, if one party gives you 50% and the other party 0%, the 50% is better. And it didn't help that Civil Rights happened right about then. The good news? They aren't physically unable to think beyond god, guns, and gays. They just have been given very little reason to. Democrats seemed to flitter away at, frankly, bullshit, while their lives went to hell and their communities dried up.
Let's get this straight, "Bubbas" are NOT racist assholes who think that on the 8th day God created the Remington .45 so that Man could kill the dinosaurs and th homosexuals. Those are your lost causes. But the fact that people can't tell the two apart says a lot about the work that is left to do.
3. But why do they hate us? We're working for THEM! Because a lot of you are stubborn pricks who honestly do think you are better than them. A lot of have either never lived in the country or think getting out of it was the best thing you ever did. Or both. A lot of you understand the romantic notions of open air and love of the land, of the freedom of the mountains and the beauty of a pristine sky. Of the accomplishment of working the land....when it is written about in a book that makes the NYTimes bestseller list. But somehow, it gets lost in translation that in the rural regions, people are living it. You call it 'outsider art' we call it home. I really like four wheeling. It's like jet-skiing through MUD! And if you can't understand how completely altering this is to one's worldview, then you're never going to get it. They aren't in Podunk because they can't make it to New York City. They're in Podunk because they WANT to be in Podunk. At least the vast majority are.
4. But why do these people who have terrible education and no public infrastructure consistently vote against tax hikes that would benefit them? Well, there is that spirit of individualism that doesn't like to think of themselves as poor to be taken into consideration, but let's put that aside for now. Let's instead say that many of these communities don't SEE the benefits. They see money go into education, and suburban schools upstate get the royal treatment while theirs suffer. They see state of the art hospitals with wings devoted to heart surgery while they have to drive hours to reach any sort of doctor whatsoever. And yes, it is harder see the need for health insurance when you live prohibitively far away from a hospital. And they see people in their communties living off the government, and know that they could do the same but for their pride and individualism. And THAT is what the GOP exploits. But I'll tell you what, they also know a thing or two about budgeting. And they're not unaware of table-top issues. You just need to let them know that you 'get' it. That if you raise taxes, it's not for Welfare Queens and wealthy suburbanites, but because the management of the state requires it. They'd prefer to be asked to 'make-do' before tax hikes are even considered. Cut the fat first. Then, if you still need more help, they will consider your tax hike.
In general, try not to think of people in generals. They need to be spoken to like individuals, with respect. Southerners aren't stupid. They know when they're being talked down to. They're over-sensitive to city folk coming in and telling them how to do what they've been doing for years because they feel the cities are taking away so much of what they cherish. Stealing their children, who can't get work at home so have to move away. And that is difficult to overcome. But it's not nearly impossible. Just treat them with respect. It goes a hella long way towards eliminating their perceptions of what Democrats are like.
And if you can't do that, then spare us the cheap jabs at their expense, because all you are doing is making MY life harder.