Tuesday, March 01, 2005

southern-fried politics

Digby nails it:
Let's just get this one thing straight. The theory that non-southerners are
intolerant of "his kind" is undisputably wrong. We have happily voted for
southern white males many times. It's southerners who refuse to vote for anyone
who comes from anywhere else.

But, just being happy to vote for southern white males isn't good enough,
is it? We don't properly get into macho, good ole boy culture. Ok. Let's try
that. I have absolutely no problem with a born again, cowboy hat wearing
president from a southern state who hunts and drives fast cars and even, dare I
say it, engages in the most macho sport of all --- clearing brush. He can tie on
a six gun and practice quick drawing in the rose garden for all I care. I am not
offended by any of those things.

But again, that's the problem, isn't it? It is not enough to be tolerant.
We must adopt both their style and their policies before they are happy.
Everyone must be a NASCAR fan. If you are not, they will take it to mean that
you disrespect their love of NASCAR. Everyone must hunt. If you don't, then you
are being intolerant of their love of hunting. If you don't talk about religion
the way they talk about it, you are not properly religious. Rappers must wear
cowboy boots, hispanics must speak English, we all have to drive American trucks
with confederate flags on the back and drink Jack and be exactly like these
macho, southern white men before they will feel secure enough to vote with
us.