MESSAGE TO THE RED STATES, I LOVE THIS

[Nimble_Idea]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/07/blue_state_to_reds/

"With hard work and superb organization, you have triumphed over John Kerry and the forces of Blue-state paternalism. Congratulations. The multinational corporations that hold you in bondage remain free to profit off your sweat nearly tax free, while their overpaid senior execs continue to pay a pittance in personal income tax.

Your primary and secondary schools will continue to turn out third-rate pupils with limited opportunities, while you enjoy the satisfaction of making it on your own without health care when a catastrophic illness bankrupts your family.

Your agricultural universities will continue issuing Ph.D.s in football, and bogus Protestant Evangelical and Fundamentalist theology, and how to jerk off a bull safely. Your children will learn to borrow enough money to erect chicken houses so that they, like you, can take custody -- not possession, but custody -- of Tyson's chicks, feed them, rear them, assume losses from those that fail to thrive, and in the end earn just enough money to service their endless debt, and realize a profit of perhaps $12K a year. Your bank thanks you; Tyson thanks you; George W. Bush thanks you; and I thank you."

BTW, is this too much to quote? It was a large article, please let me know what to cut out.

[psyntist]

1. This is beautiful n/t

blah

[MuseRider]

2. Do you know how to

jerk off a bull safely? It is nothing to scoff at, and it is highly profitable! That is serious but I am joking with you. Those of us here working for the light have a very long, difficult task as long as there is no support for what we are doing.

[donheld]

57. Honey i have better things to....

oh never mind.:evilgrin:



BTW this is my 1100th post big duh. lol

[Career Prole]

3. Lovely! I love it too.

Thanks! :D

[Straight Shooter]

4. It should be "Message to the Fools who Voted for Bush"

Lots of Kerry voters in Red states, lots of bush voters in Blue states. But it is special fun to poke hot sticks at the ones with the most to lose.

BTW, you can quote up to 4 paragraphs.

[VivaKerry]

11. I think it should be directed the entire red state in each case...

those kerry voters? they didn't do their part to register and get enough dems to the polls. We are each reponsible for what our community signs up for, IMO.

[Wind Dancer]

17. Ouch!

Do you know how many of us in the "Red States" worked our asses off and were successful in our community? I doubt you worked any harder than the people in my area who had an almost 90% voter turnout.

There are some people you can't change, stop blaming the progressives for being responsible for this election. Go to the NC forum, we were robbed.

Your comment is rude, I won't take it personally since I know everybody is still raw.

[MuseRider]

25. That is

really rude and total bullshit. Those Kerry voters spent hours and hours and months and months working on this to be fought at every step by a media that is practically non existant out here except for RW bull. Our party NEVER takes any time to address issues here. K/E did better than any before, at least they were in my state once and next to it a couple of times. We spend our lives talking to people about this, it does not just happen around elections, it is constant and you come in here and blame us? Total bullshit and I resent it.

[Piltdown13]

31. Oh, what a helpful post.

What a rude, totally unjustified assumption, that I and my fellow red-state Dems didn't do our part. You have no idea how many hours many of us put in -- voter registration, voter education, rides to the polls... And, let's face it; in some states, even if EVERY Dem got out and voted, we would STILL be outnumbered. The process of changing people's views is a long and gradual one, and to accuse us of laziness and lack of dedication simply because we couldn't work a miracle in one election cycle is incredibly short-sighted.

Oh, and I'm proud of what *my* community signed up for. We voted for John Kerry, Joe Kernan, and swept several Democrats into local offices.

[NoPasaran]

38. Well EXCUUUUUUUSE me!

I registered more than 500 people to vote and then worked like a maniac to GOTV and we carried my county with 71,000 more votes than Al Gore got when he lost in 2000. Sorry I couldn't do more but I'm not freekin Superman.

[Erika]

5. America, Bush's new banana republic of the haves and have nots

and Republicans love him. Especially Falwell, Robertson, and Rove. The day will come shortly when the GOP nastiness, selfishness, comes home to roost and even shames them. I am already seeing signs of buyer's remorse by decent republicans. They will hang themselves.

Democrats need to keep taking the high road for uplifting all Americans.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. to those republicans exhibiting buyers remorse

don't cry to me, I don't want to hear it.

We told you so

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. It was about right in the amount to quote

oh and by the way... I think many of us are in this mood or worst, they made their bed, don't cry to me

[Kathy in Cambridge]

7. Oh my god-this is right to the point

excellent synopsis.

[VioletLake]

9. Excellent

Thanks

:toast:

[stevedeshazer]

10. I very much dislike it

Some of this has a small grain of truth, but it is a gross oversimplification.

But until we quit marginalizing rural America instead of embracing it, we will continue to lose elections.

Come on, people. No wonder we are losing in the South and much of the West. Is this kind of vilification of an entire class of fellow Americans something you support?

It's time to cut the "sour grapes" crap and get busy.

[VivaKerry]

13. No offense, but I think you are way off.

It isn't that we have alienated these backward thinking, vote against my own self interest types. They love the drumbeat of war and hate and everything else they have been taught IN CHURCH. I seriously doubt they have any inkling of the utter contempt that I have for them. They have TBN and mickie dees and their guns.

[stevedeshazer]

18. Well, I don't agree that

"they have any inkling of the utter contempt that I have for them."

I think they know that full well. After all, they have the right-wing media telling them that very thing every day. Now you and others are here to affirm it.

Ask yourself why "They love the drumbeat of war and hate and everything else they have been taught IN CHURCH."

Then, ask yourself if we should continue to throw them (rural voters) away and keep losing elections, or whether we should change our thinking and reach out to people who, as you say, vote against their own interests.

I am for the latter.

[Wind Dancer]

20. Not everybody in the south lives in rural areas.

You keep stereotyping - the very thing I despise about the RWers.

[MuseRider]

27. Your contempt

is obvious. Your contempt will only work against us. PLEASE stop doing the work of the Republicans who tell us constantly out here that this is what the Democrats do think of us. See how well it worked? Who are YOU working for here?

[lgardengate]

56. My family knows very well what dem/liberals think of them

They have read it on my computer while i am here on DU.But the media tells them that anyway.They dont understand why i come to DU and consider Liberals the ones who hate and who are mean spirited.They know i am more moderate but constantly want to know how i can post here.The gay marriage and abortion and gun issues could disappear tomorrow and they would still not vote Dem because as they keep telling me "they hate christians".one online minister told christians on his site that if they got in power the liberals would persecute christians badly.It was very much believed. The longer we speak to/about them this way the more we will distroy any chance they will ever vote even for a moderate/conservative Dem.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

14. Hey-a Brit wrote this

I consider it pretty accurate, except painting us as elitists up here in Bluetopia. I feel bad for the good folks in the Red States, but when Mississippi votes 84% for an anti-gay amendment, yet has one of the worst educational systems, an infant mortality rate that rivals some 3rd world countries, and one of the lowest standards of living in the US, it REALLY makes me wonder what's in the water down there...

[stevedeshazer]

22. Okay, let's take Mississippi as an example

We all agree that it is bad.

But the real question is, why?

I appreciate that this is from the British press, but to me it illustrates a bigger problem, that being that the American left is completely willing to write off rural/Southern/Western voters and rely solely on urban voters.

I'm an urban voter, but I'm willing to acknowledge that the current strategy is NOT working. I grew up in a rural environment, and people there are NOT all ignorant mouth-breathers as some here would suggest.

I think the opposite is true. We've abandoned these people, and the Republicans have taken over from the ground up. We have to reverse that somehow.

Feeding into the stereotype that all rural people are somehow defective won't help. Convincing them that the reason schools and economy are so bad is because of Republican policy will help.

But in order to do that, we have to actually go there instead of making fun of it.

</rant>

[Comadreja]

52. The Civil War was fought

because these folks just will not change their minds. The poor whites had no stake in slavery,in fact they were hurt by it, but they let the plantation owners Bu$hwack their brains with Bible-thumping racist rhetoric. They were the ones who went off to fight like maniacs for the sake of the rich. They have always done what the church told them and voted against their own interests. The Progressive revolt that later swept the rest of the country made no inroads into their closed minds. I know the Bible Belt...I lived there for too many years.

[nine30]

41. Mississippi *IS* Third World n/t

[Lorien]

19. Bullshit

my grandparents were farmers from rural Ohio. They were self educated and managed to work hard enough to help all four of their children go o college, three of whom ended up with Ph.Ds. Not all rural America is full of lazy, simple minded, intellectually incurious hayseeds who vote for Bush*. My grandparents voted Dem their entire lives, as do most people in their Mennonite community-so stop the ignorant sterotyping!

DU isn't vilifying the South and West-you are.

[stevedeshazer]

24. I don't think you understood my post

Where did you get that from? Please reread what I said!

How am I vilifying the South and West? I'm trying to defend it!

[VioletLake]

30. Sometimes

the only way to turn an adversary into a friend is by kicking his or her ass first. Some people will have it no other way. Do you understand this concept?

[stevedeshazer]

32. Tell me about a time

When someone kicked your ass and turned you into a friend.

<tapping foot...>

[VioletLake]

35. At the hands of family and friends -

too many times to mention. When I'm wrong, they don't condescend to me and try to win my affection. If they did that, I wouldn't respect them. Get my drift?

[stevedeshazer]

37. It's not about condescension

It's about reaching out.

It's not about winning affection.

It's about having a discussion. Or should we just break out the muskets and bayonets and refight the Civil War?

But I feel like if I don't get your drift you'll kick my ass! With all due respect, I guess your family works differently than mine.

[VioletLake]

46. With all due respect,

they don't respect you to begin with. Their intention is to wage war against us (figuratively speaking - for now). We can stop them with kindness, or we can stop them with a combination of strength & kindness.

Strength as in demonstrating the self-confidence to stand for what we believe in.

Strength as in having the courage to tell the truth - even if it hurts.

They are determined to crush us. They're not going to accept touchy-feely sentiments from us. Either we capitulate, or we fight the fight that they've brought to our doorstep. Ignoring their intentions is a form of capitulation.

"Can't we all just get along," doesn't cut it when we're under attack.

The fact is that we're more than capable of kicking ass. Perhaps if we demonstrate it more often, they'll learn to respect us.

It's not a requirement that we all follow the same approach. A discussion is what we need, but it has to be on our terms.

[Qanisqineq]

54. I'm very much with you, Stevie D

on all your points

[Sara Beverley]

12. About the school thingee. Red staters "home school" a lot.

They are either in home schools or religious madras. The public shcools are left to the minorities and immigrants mostly,

[Union Thug]

15. Oh sweet catharsis!

[vonZapfenau]

16. This is why we keep losing

Utter contempt for rural people. Not only can we simply not contest twenty states or so in presidential elections, we'll keep losing all the way down the ticket, which means no hope of recovering our bearings there for generations to come.

[stevedeshazer]

28. Bingo

That is exactly right.

Everyone jumps to heap scorn on the "red" (in many cases purple) areas, completely throwing away all the liberal/progressive/sensible voters who live outside urban centers.

Forty years of this has killed our party.

[nine30]

29. A contempt that is well deserved !

When Howard Dean was still in the race, he said " Do you know what I am going to ask the Southerners when I go down there ( to campaign) ?"

What ?

" You have been voting Republican almost 30 years. What do you have to show for it ?"

The author hit it right on the head !! They Reds resent the Blues and make up for it by fabricating an air of fictitous "moral superiority".

[stevedeshazer]

33. So mocking them will help? n/t

[nine30]

39. They are beyond help

We have tried our best to EXPLAIN to them. John Kerry has tried. John Edwards has tried. Others have tried before. To no avail.

It seems the more we try to help them, the further away they get. And like the author said, " ..We are sick of fighting FOR them by fighting AGAINST them...They have neither the brains nor the balls. ..So let us just live our independent lives."

[MuseRider]

40. This is not helpful.

There are different things important to these people and none of it is ever addressed by our party. There is a lot of talk but no one has ever come and spent any time actually talking to these people. I don't think there is really any reason to respond to you, you have obviously made up your mind but you will never win an election with that kind of attitude. Nobody ever said that you win just by showing up, or just by throwing out your ideas. You can be darned certain you will never win with that kind of attitude. "Neither the brains or the balls" my friend, I know people here who have both the brains and the balls to know better than to talk like that and ever expect support or change. Seems many of them are actually very smart but left out of the process. I have a feeling this is going to go nowhere but I could not let this pass. The people in my state may be misguided but they are good people and I resent them being pissed all over without anyone trying to understand.

[nine30]

43. Earlier this summer I read "Whats the Matter with KS "

That didn't leave me with a very good impression. Sure there are intelligent and reasonable people such as yourself in the Red States, but unfortunately they are in the minority. When someone makes a blanket statement about a Red state at DU, its directed only to the Red people of the state.
And also the reality is that most of these Red people will never turn a shade of purple, much less blue.

[MuseRider]

44. Perhaps my

reaction to you came from a post above # 11. If you do not fall into that line of thinking I apologize, I thought you did. This is a difficult time and I am feeling rather reactive having to fight my feelings about the election and now members of my own party who continue to blame us for the loss.

[Cat Atomic]

47. I don't blame you guys. You're my heroes.

I live in Orange County, California. It's a Republican stronghold, but it's surrounded by solid blue. I get to stick my toes in the hot water when I want to, but it's easy enough to find like minds when I feel like it.

I think you red state liberals are our most valuable members.

[nine30]

49. Orange county Republicans..

..I understand are fiscal conservatives. They are the monied people of the LA area. Are they social conservatives too ?

[Cat Atomic]

59. I'd say that's about right.

They usually seem focussed on lowering taxes and punishing failure (i.e. poverty). Major league assholes. But they do trot out the morality thing when it's convenient.

[MuseRider]

50. Thanks

I don't know about being most valuable but I (we) have lots of ideas to help with this problem it is just that most people do not want to hear them and the party seems to have given up. It is fixable, truly it is but it will be hard work.

[nine30]

48. No worries

Don't feel bad. I think its nearly impossible for a handful of people like you in a state like Kansas ( home of Fred Phelps ! )to make any difference.

I found it hilarious when i read that the Kerry Edwards train rumbled right through without stopping in the state ! But Edwards did return the next day :)

[MuseRider]

51. Yup

Fred is from my town and I went to school K-University with his kids. Nasty little creeps they are. I went to see Edwards the next day after they blew through and it was fabulous and very well attended, especially considering we stood outside in a gully washer. This is not impossible but we do need help. There are plenty of centrist Repubs just ripe for the picking. What kills me is that this misadministration is so far right we were all ready, this was THE opportunity to win us over but nobody really tried here. In Kansas we usually get Dems in office if we manage to put a real Rwinger up against them. The Repubs here are pretty moderate for the most part. We are getting ready to fight the gay marriage amendment here again, it did not pass the first time. Now it will be much harder to fight because those moderate Repubs now think their party must be right with this "mandate" they just got. We will see and we will not give up here, not ever, but we could use some real support from the party.

[berni_mccoy]

21. Wow

Simply beautiful. I'm soo glad I live in a blue state.

[tibbir]

23. I live in Texas and it's certtainly a red state for now.

It's very difficult to be progressive in a conservative state. The only place I'm entirely comfortable is at my Unitarian church. Houstonians did come through - a majority of us voted for Kerry.

It's not like I didn't do what I could to help get Kerry elected. Our state had no chance of going blue even though a LOT of us worked to get the vote out. And 40% of Texas did not vote for the shrubster.

Knowing Texas was going red I did what I could to help in borderline states. I spent many hours before the election calling people in Ohio to try to make sure they understood how important their vote was. I helped arrange rides for people who needed them.

You are including me and all of the people who supported and worked so hard here for Kerry in your rant and that's not right. Take out your frustration on the people who voted for the asshole.

[nine30]

26. A MAGNUM OPUS !!!!! WOW !!!

[Dastard Stepchild]

34. It's very funny, but smarmy...

Won't win too many rural fans. And I can do without all the machismo references to balls and countrymen. But otherwise, a pretty good chuckle.

[fortyfeetunder]

36. This rocks!

I am ROFLMAO on this one. It's true It's true....If this weren't so graphic, I'd print it out at work and let the Freepers twist on it.

[Mr. Blonde]

42. I take offense to the swipe at Ag schools

We have other sports as well. Of course it seems that most college educated people in Oklahoma then get the hell out. Not a lot of upper management opportunities here.

[Cat Atomic]

45. I think this thing would be effective if it dropped the

implication that blue staters are a bunch of wealthy metropolitan snobs playing philanthropist.

I want the poor and the middle class in red states to live better, because *I* want to live better. It's more enlightened self-interest than anything else.

[Blue_Tires]

53. great piece

i've tried VERY hard to convert my repub friends whenever i go back home (VA)...ever since the takeover in 1994, it's been like talking to (or better yeat, banging my head up against) a wall, and my head hurts...dialogue has been poisoned, and i fear permanently

[flaminbats]

55. why do we even listen to them?

they whine nonstop about big-spending liberals, but never about trillion dollar tax and spend Republicans. Democrats spent money to build the interstate highway system, national parks, on winning World War II and the Cold War, Medicare and Medicaid, low interest loans for small business, and on Social Security.

Republicans have spent our money on providing arms for Saddam Hussein, providing arms for Iranians fighting against Iraq, the Persian Gulf War, the Iraqi War, arming radical Islamic terrorists to fight the Soviets, on our bloody war and occupation of Afghanistan, and now on helping American companies make profits on the oil in Iraq.

Tax and spend may sound evil, but the only good way to spend tax dollars when in debt is by providing all taxpayers with some of the profit.

[LadyinRed]

58. Hitler would be so Proud

he may not have been so successful at purging the mis-fits from Germany had he not managed to turn neighbor against neighbor.