Hi Joe,
I recently discovered your site and I agree with much of what you have to say, but I've got to disagree on one thing: how do you figure that the people of Winchester are voting against their own best interests by voting Republican?
Fact is, the Democratic party has been taken over by bunch of liberal elitist snots who don't give two shits about economic issues, class issues or poor white people. In fact, they utterly despise us. All they care about is identity politics. If the people of your town all turned into crippled, black drag queens the liberals would be down there in a New York minute protesting about how badly they've been fucked. But as it is, they're ordinary white folks, and thus personally responsible for every atrocity committed by white people since 1492. So the liberals smugly look down their noses and snicker at them while sipping a latte and ordering another $100 plate of sushi. It makes perfect sense for the people of Winchester to vote Republican, the Bushes and McCains of the world at least leave their guns alone and at least pretend to like them.
There's a lot more wrong with the Democratic party than there is with Kansas. And the fact that Democrats stand around scratching their heads and asking what's the matter with Kansas, rather than doing a little soul searching and asking what's the matter with them is a sign of their smugness and elitism.
On another note, reading your site, I see from your analysis of the gun control issue that you're the type of guy who is not afraid to slaughter a liberal sacred cow here and there when they need slaughtering, and there's another one I think needs to be slaughtered, and slaughtered good and hard: Roe v. Wade. If Roe is reversed, most states will legalize abortion, at least during the early term. It will probably change nothing for at least 90% of women having abortions in this country. And let's be honest: a total ban on abortion may be horrendous public policy, but there really is no constitutional right to abortion, except in the deluded minds of a bunch of pretentious, power-drunk old judges. The Democrats squander enormous amounts of political capital defending this inconsequential, shit decision, while millions of Americans go without health care, education and sometimes even food on the table. Like the gun control issue, Roe v. Wade is manna from heaven for the Republicans.
I hate to say it, but, come November, I'll probably be holding my nose and voting Republican like I always do. At least that son of a bitch McCain can be trusted to keep his hands off my guns, which is a lot more than I can say for that other son of a bitch, Obama. And I have a feeling we'll be needing those guns real soon, a la 1776, if you catch my drift.
Mike
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Mike,
Check out my book, Deer Hunting With Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War. (Or maybe you have but you got a different message than I attempted to convey.) Much of it is about how the Democratic Party has been taken over by the Westchester Country Club set, who don't even know any working class or poor people. And my entire book is about the fuck job working class white people get in America.
When I was writing the book three years ago, at its inception, I meant it as a look at the real America for urban liberals, most of whom consider themselves Democrats. Also, I understood then as I understand now that the average Democrat is not exactly a Clinton or a Kennedy, but a school teacher or simply a working person like everyone else. The effete leadership is no more representative of Democrats than the leadership of the GOP is representative of the average Republican.
At one point I said in print that I would hold my nose and vote for Obama. Subsequent events have convinced me that our two party system is a sham. Totalist states -- and that is what we have become, a corporate totalist state -- love a system limited to two parties because it gives the illusion of consent by the people, even though the powers that be finance both parties. Meanwhile, the people work themselves up over the theatrics presented them by both parties. The Dems whoop and holler about identity, sexuality, etc. The Repubs holler about God, values and gun rights (and most ridiculously about fiscal responsibility. Both parties have fucked away America's wealth to the point where we are busted).
I never suggest that people read my book. That is just too self-serving. But in your case I am doing so because we are on the same page and both holding our noses for what you perceive as different reasons. No matter who is elected it will not matter in the larger picture. The country is broke. Congress is bought and paid for by the big guys. All we can do is vote for which master we would rather serve global corporations and financial interests under.
At any rate, I prefer not to make this small corner of cyberspace about me, but rather have it be a place where ordinary people express their views and experiences. However, your take is a good one and deserves to be shared because it is representative of that of so many Americans.
In art and labor,
Joe
