proud moments West Virginia

[AaronC]

West Virginia Democrats just never switched over to the Republican party when the rest of the country's rural Democrats did-- they're this weird pocket of throwback Dixiecrats.  I wouldn't read too much into their opinions.

I'm a native West Virginian.  This statement is true for the most part.  West Virginia democrats are mainly the pro-union/labor (United Mine Workers) type.  Socially, they have more in common with the Republican party.  As for racism and ignorance, sadly, it's prevalent throughout the state.   Bush carried the state twice because Gore and Kerry were seen as too liberal (i.e. anti-coal).  McCain will carry the state in November for similar reasons.  Racism will play a large part. 

This thread depresses me to no end.  I have a love/hate relationship with my home.  The video is the perfect example of everything I hate about the state.  Sigh. 

[yesno]

So Mark Helprin's a Republican.  Another thing I didn't know.  I'm remarkably incurious in that way.  It serves me well.

I might take back the dummy thing.  I remember last summer that he wrote an op-ed calling for *perpetual* intellectual property rights.  He took the intellectual "property" metaphor a bit too seriously, and apparently didn't wonder whether we'd have to be paying Milton's descendants for Paradise Lost.

[yesno]

This thread depresses me to no end.  I have a love/hate relationship with my home.  The video is the perfect example of everything I hate about the state.  Sigh. 

It does seem that W.Va Democrats are neither fish nor fowl.  They're not Southern enough to have been carried over to the Republican side in the 60s/70s, but not Northern enough to really be part of the rust belt democrats.

But overall my take on the state is that it is the way it is politically because it has no big cities.  Lots of rural America is pretty racist.  I can't say I know too much about every state-- rural Minnesotans by all accounts are pretty open-minded-- but I would bet you'd find similar views in upstate New York, downstate Illinois, etc.  (It's sort of like how people make a big deal about the red state/blue state thing, but meanwhile in red states, cities still vote blue, and in blue states, rural counties still vote red.  What throws a state from one column to another is often just how urban the state is.)

[Laurie]

The scariest part for me is that these guys are the democrats in town. What the fuck do the republicans say?

Actually, the woman sitting next to the "Muslim/smear-tactic" genius was identified as Republican. She kind of looked at her friend like she was nuts and interjected a few "buts" at her crazy talk and seemed to understand her friend was full of shit.

[Forrest]

Just about every justification these "people" gave sounded like coded racism to me. When someone mentioned Obama's lack of experience, I just extrapolated that they meant "his lack of experience [at being white]."

[TremblingEagle]

Just about every justification these "people" gave sounded like coded racism to me. When someone mentioned Obama's lack of experience, I just extrapolated that they meant "his lack of experience [at being white]."

and his mom is white so I assume he has SOME insight into whiteness
imagine if he was double black

[Forrest]

Just about every justification these "people" gave sounded like coded racism to me. When someone mentioned Obama's lack of experience, I just extrapolated that they meant "his lack of experience [at being white]."

and his mom is white so I assume he has SOME insight into whiteness

I just don't agree with that.

[Sarah]

. . . in blue states, rural counties still vote red.

Not my rural county, bless its little Downeastern heart.

[TL]

The Daily Show - "I've had enough of HOO-saines!"

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=168561

[TremblingEagle]

Just about every justification these "people" gave sounded like coded racism to me. When someone mentioned Obama's lack of experience, I just extrapolated that they meant "his lack of experience [at being white]."

and his mom is white so I assume he has SOME insight into whiteness

I just don't agree with that.

what having a white mother, grand parents etc doesn't give insight into the white experience?

I'm not white myself I'm only guessing
what say you?

[Forrest]

Just about every justification these "people" gave sounded like coded racism to me. When someone mentioned Obama's lack of experience, I just extrapolated that they meant "his lack of experience [at being white]."

and his mom is white so I assume he has SOME insight into whiteness

I just don't agree with that.

what having a white mother, grand parents etc doesn't give insight into the white experience?

I'm not white myself I'm only guessing
what say you?

I got a mass e-mail saying he was raised by two gay Muslim fathers in Indonesia, so I don't know what you're talking about.

[TremblingEagle]

I got a mass e-mail saying he was raised by two gay Muslim fathers in Indonesia, so I don't know what you're talking about.

ah
now I understand ur concern

[Laurie]

The Daily Show - "I've had enough of HOO-saines!"

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=168561

Ha! I was just coming to post this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgySDqa8zgQ

I've had enough of that HUUU-SAAAYN.

[Sarah]

Kudos to Wanda for telling the truth, at least. 

[Regular Joe]

I myself am an Obama-style mulatto, so that makes this thread an exercise in self flagellation with every click. Keep em coming! I can't get enough.