As a Southerner, I'm trained to look for subtle nuances in social protocol. While it's certainly true that the South's emphasis on etiquette and manners evolved as a way to reinforce the existing order, it's also true that Southerners of all classes, races and backgrounds rely on the observation of manners as a way to sum up people quickly.
In other words, to any Southerner -- rich or poor, black or white -- your use or neglect of basic manners and proper respect indicates how seriously we should take you. It's a quick and almost infallible indicator of your relative heft, gravitas, and trustworthiness as a person -- not in a socio-economic sense, but in the big picture overall.
I noticed something last night that I found very interesting: At one point Barack Obama held the chair out for Hillary Clinton.
Now, I'm not snarking on this. To a Southerner these things are important. Obama's gesture was not just a politician faking niceness: There are a thousand other, transparent ways to do that.
Contrary to opinion in some other regions, this kind of display is not patronizing or condescending, or it certainly isn't perceived as such by Southerners, anyway. This was a sincere gesture of respect, trust me. I know about these things.
By doing this simple act of old-fashioned chivalry, one all-too-often overlooked today, Obama showed me two important things:
- He was raised by fairly traditional parents who think respect for others is important and that the small things do matter. Not that this is a surprise to me, but having that reinforced was nice to see.
- He has genuine respect for Hillary Clinton -- not just as a woman, not just as his elder (though those are excellent reasons to show respect), but as a person.
What am I saying? Come on, you know what I'm saying:
Clinton/Obama '08. That's the ticket. It's gonna happen, people. I can feel it.
Hey, even Obama/Clinton '08. I got no problem with that.