Ted Rall: Win or Lose, Kerry Voters Are Smarter Than Bush Voters

[kerry-is-my-prez]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=127&e=2&u=/ucru/20041110/cm_ucru/confessionsofaculturalelitist
CONFESSIONS OF A CULTURAL ELITIST
Tue Nov 9, 8:03 PM ET Op/Ed - Ted Rall
By UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE/TED RALL
Win or Lose, Kerry Voters Are Smarter Than Bush Voters

-snip-

If militant Christianist Republicans from inland backwaters believe that secular liberal Democrats from the big coastal cities look upon them with disdain, there's a reason. We do, and all the more so after this election.

-snip-

Mine is a common story. Every day in America, hundreds of our most talented young men and women flee the suburbs and rural communities for big cities, especially those on the West and East Coasts.... There are exceptions--some smart people move from cities to the countryside--but the best and brightest gravitate to places where liberalism rules.

-snip-

By any objective standard, you had to be spectacularly stupid to support Bush....Educational achievement doesn't necessarily equal intelligence. After all, Bush holds a Harvard MBA. Still, it bears noting that Democrats are better educated than Republicans. You are 25 percent more likely to hold a college degree if you live in the Democratic northeast than in the red state south.....
Inland Americans face a bigger challenge than coastal "cultural elitists" when it comes to finding high-quality news coverage. The best newspapers, which routinely win prizes for their in-depth local and national reporting and staffers overseas, line the coasts. So do the cable TV networks with the broadest offerings and most independent radio stations. Bush Country makes do with Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity syndicated on one cookie-cutter AM outlet after another. Citizens of the blue states read lackluster dailies stuffed with generic stories cut and pasted from wire services. Given their dismal access to high-quality media, it's a minor miracle that 40 percent of Mississippians turned out for Kerry.

So our guy lost the election. Why shouldn't those of us on the coasts feel superior? We eat better, travel more, dress better, watch cooler movies, earn better salaries, meet more interesting people, listen to better music and know more about what's going on in the world. If you voted for Bush, we accept that we have to share the country with you. We're adjusting to the possibility that there may be more of you than there are of us. But don't demand our respect. You lost it on November 2.

[pmbryant]

1. This attitude sickens me

And I better not say anything else until I calm down.

:grr:

[chicagojoe]

3. Why?

[Bridget Burke]

6. Perhaps because pmbryant is from San Antonio, Texas.

It's a richly cultured, vibrant city smack in the middle of "Flyover Country." Since the founding of the missions in the 1700's, through the 18th century immigration from Central Europe to the current multiethnic reality, San Antonio has never been the dull backwater depicted by Ted Rall. There are many educational institutions & a vital artistic community in that beautiful city.

Yes, the coasts are groovy. But poor Ted needs to get out more.

[LiberalBushFan]

5. It shouldn't.

It doesn't seem to hurt the Republicans when 100% of their radio hosts have this sort of attitude towards us, when they're not even right. It's true, and dumbass Americans don't seem to mind arrogance unless you're shy or in denial about it, so don't pretend it's not true.

[chicagojoe]

2. Don't sweat it.

Their little "revenge of the nerds" can be tolerated.
Face it-- we survived 8 years of that nitwit Reagan.
This too shall pass. Too bad for the young men and women Bush has and will continue to put into harms' way, though.

[ElectroPrincess]

7. Come to think about it ... That bumbling arrogant Dean in the

old flick "Animal House" has a lot in common with *. Yes, one could *work* with that. :-)

[kerry-is-my-prez]

4. Bush Country makes do with Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.....

And THAT'S what happened.... Coming from an "inland" or "red region" I did have to work hard at finding high-quality news coverage. The newspapers and radio shows were all full of crap.

-snip-

"Inland Americans face a bigger challenge than coastal "cultural elitists" when it comes to finding high-quality news coverage. The best newspapers, which routinely win prizes for their in-depth local and national reporting and staffers overseas, line the coasts. So do the cable TV networks with the broadest offerings and most independent radio stations. Bush Country makes do with Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity syndicated on one cookie-cutter AM outlet after another. Citizens of the blue states read lackluster dailies stuffed with generic stories cut and pasted from wire services. Given their dismal access to high-quality media, it's a minor miracle that 40 percent of Mississippians turned out for Kerry."

[Ernesto]

8. SOCK it to em Ted! N-T

[KoKo]

9. I understand that Ted Rall is pissed like the rest of us...but articles

like this do more harm than good. They just make for more "culture war" anymosity. Lumping folks in areas of the country together just perpetuates the RW/Repug view of the world.

I understand exactly what he's saying, and while there's some truth to it...about the lack of media and "intellectual support" in areas outside the East and West Coast...would any of us want to hang out with the members of the PNAC group or the "Inside the Beltway folks" like Cokie Roberts and the rest of the "elitist government types." The group think amongst the Political Pundits like Russert, Will, Matthews and the rest and the "Think Tank/Incrowd" who feed them their "Talking Points" can be as bad as the Evangelical Fundies who support Fox News.

It's a bad direction to go in. But I understand his misplaced anger.

[chicagojoe]

10. I love it here on my inland island of Chicago.

It's as blue as blue can be.

[CBGLuthier]

11. I lost a lot of respect for Rall for his last two columns

We eat better, travel more, dress better, watch cooler movies, earn better salaries, meet more interesting people, listen to better music and know more about what's going on in the world.


What a crock of shit. Pure and simple-minded elitism.

I eat fine in Okalhoma. HAve a choice of ethnic food that rivals any part of this country. I go to an art museum to wacth good movies. I don;t need to earn 200,000 a year because it doesn;t cost a damn fortune to live here. My musical tastes are are far flung and eclectic as anyones. And I am very, very informed.

[Blue_Tires]

12. lol...Rall strikes again

rage pieces are sooooo two weeks ago