Same as it ever was.....same as it ever was.....
By Number Six
Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Some time ago, I was not a contributor to anything, well, except for work. I came aboard Watchers by being an acidic complainer, and I went on a tear about a piece that had appeared here: There is hope for the south, so to speak, the author said.
I totally disagreed, but then, I've lived here too long to even think otherwise...
But, back to my idea here. Is there hope for the south? Not from where I sit, no, not as of late.
It is, as I compose this, T-minus 10 days and counting to the election. This time, in two weeks, we will either be stuck on a fatal course into The 2nd Great Depression, a war that will go on until Jesus comes back, and worse, or, we will make a nice course change, reawaken the New Deal and attempt to restore some sanity to this nation.
I know, as decisions go, there's little choice left. Well, to me, the choices come as A) New Deal Part Two or B) Another four years of economic feudalism, possibly coupled with a total collapse. I know, like choosing chicken shit or chicken dinner, yes, as we rednecks offer.
One looks around the web, at the many blogs, here, Retort, Kos, DU, Raw Story, Huffington Post, and even at some media outlets, we get the impression that the election might as well be the "done deal". It appears to too many that McCain's campaign tends to be written by those who composed the events leading to the sinking of the Titanic....this ship's going down, get used to the idea. President Obama? Could well be, yes.
But not down here in South Carolina, not from what I hear, see, from what I know, and to that, here I come playing your least favorite bookie: I give anyone 2:1 odds that SC will remain....red as red can be.
First, it's a drive over to a friend's house, he lives in one of those nice suburb thingies. Every lawn. Every lawn. McCain-Palin signs, all of them displaying for anyone to see...this is Republican territory.
Then, you talk as I do to those who are white, southern and very conservative. Their words blow me to atoms, the most common phrase?
"I ain't votin' for no n****r."
"I see.", I often reply, "You mean you want four more years of the same policies, the same insanity, the same BS, is this correct? And from a candidate who voted with Cheese Whiz 90 percent of the time, picked a running mate that's as qualified to run the Senate as I am to pilot the U.S.S. Enterprise? That's the deal?"
That's what kills me. Other than a rehash of something El Oxycondo emits, some useless trite shit from FreeBananaRepublic dot horseshit, something someone heard and has been repeated more times than you can imagine....
...they cannot offer anything of substance to support wanting McCain.
As in zero, zilch, nada, nothing, negative infinity.
"Let me get this straight.", I nod. "You will lend your vote to four more years of no banking regulations, an economy in a graveyard spiral, a war fought at the behest of Exxon....just because the Democrats......?"
Oh, that's when I get the RNC yakking points: Obama is a Muslim (wrong), he supports killing fetuses (wrong), he's a tax-n-spend liberal (as opposed to a spendthrift Rethug...), on and on and on and on and on.
Apparently, the strategy devised back during the Wallace-Nixon era must've worked, as these locals are brain dead beyond words!
One of my black friends posed a good one: "Suppose it was the other way around? Suppose McCain was black, Obama white? What then?"
A good question, considering. I actually laughed, not that it's funny, but the imagined look of consternation on some faces at such a choice! Poser: Would the locals vote Democrat, that being the case? Or stick with their party of economic feudalism and fascism?
I know, you tell me. I put no odds to that hypothesis.
And yet, I am saddened, shocked, somewhat amazed. This beloved Republican party of theirs has shown it's true colors these last eight years: Unless you're white and filthy rich, fuck you! You're middle class? Fuck you! You're poor? Fuck you! You're a gay, a lesbian? Fuck you!
And candidate Obama, bless him, as of late, sounds more and more and more like Franklin Delano Roosevelt. All he needs is a fireside chat, and to tell us "The only thing we have to fear....is fear...itself." I've grown to like him a lot lately, but then, FDR was a hero of mine.
I wonder about that. I seem to recall that a certain document begins "We, The People". Not Exxon. Not LaRoche. Not Wall Street. Not Wachovia.
Yet, so many of these insipid good-ole-boys...are going to sell out. Why? Because the answer to many a prayer...is a black man.
And just last night, on SCETV, a debate, the topic? "Is the south the key to winning the White House?" I pray it won't be, I pray the other states sweep and sweep hard, if the polls and tone....the tone...is correct, we will see a huge page of history written and soon.
The deep south, if South Carolina is used as a barometer will cling and steadfast so to the old-school bigotry and racist vitriol, despite what others may think and desire. Elect a black man? Hell, for many, must first refrigerate.
I feel strong, we've a shot at some decent damage control, and yet, too many will go down Dixie instead, safe and smug inside their pickups, adorned with their blasphemous John 3:16 decals, the rebel flags.....and their precious....hate. Piss me off? Yes, it does.
But my friend, again, who is black, adds humor, today, earlier, and he made me grin for the first time in a long time:
"Dude, if Obama wins.......!"
And we both fell over laughing.
Limbaugh and others like him will be apoplectic to say the least. Faux News, who can barely hold back their racism, will be shocked stupid. But, the funny part?
I'll walk around with this stupid grin, especially when I come across the white redneck supremacists, to see their faces, their horror, their shock, their...bitterness. I know, I'm a sick puppy, but I love to see some squirm.
I will swim in it. I will bask in it.
And again, I will believe in the dream.