Political Lessons from the Dukes of Hazzard movie.

[Radical Activist]

This post was prompted by a discussion in the Lounge but I'm perfectly serious. The Dukes of Hazzard movie had a great political theme to which Democrats should pay attention.

In the movie, the Duke boys stop Boss Hog from building a coal mine which would do to Hazzard County what Peabody coal did to The good ole boy rednecks are placed in the role of protecting the environment and fighting against wealthy special interests that try to manipulate the court system and the laws for their own personal profit. These are progressive populist themes and there was a time when there would have been no doubt that the Democratic Party would have sided with the Dukes.

But no longer, because the Republicans have done their best to make Southerners culturally identify themselves with conservatism and the Republican Party. Every time a Democrat from either coast makes a joke about dumb Southern rednecks, you are helping the Republicans advance their Southern strategy.

Democrats are also at fault because party leaders and media commentators on the east and west coasts have convinced us that populist themes don't work. They're out of touch with voters in the South and Midwest. Its also difficult for the party to use populist messages because we have aligned ourselves too closely with the agenda of corporate interests in our search for campaign cash.

Democrats can win if we present ourselves as the ally of those who want to protect the beauty of their land, and who are fighting the wealthy power brokers that are enriching themselves at the expense of the average taxpayer. If we want to win any state outside of the east and west coast again, we need to show people that we are once again the party of the Duke boys. Rednecks can be liberal environmentalists too if we make an effort to craft the right populist message instead of writing off the South and all rural areas.

You may think the Dukes of Hazzard is just another dumb movie, but if you look closely, it provides clues for how to craft winning messages for Democratic victories in the South.

[northzax]

1. true, cause if Boss Hogg played Mr. Peabody

(nice reference by the way, two points to Gryffindor) then there would be no place left for Uncle Jesse to make his moonshine, and the corrupt old southern boy network that helps the Dukes be, well, the Dukes, would collapse. Think the new sheriff's deputies would look the other way?

[Radical Activist]

2. The moonshine reminds me of another song...

Copperhead Road. Its a shame the southern political tradition of people like John Prine, Steve Earle and Willie Nelson gets glossed over in favor of the Republican corporate country singers.