Steven P. BarrettTHE END FOR THE SOUTH? TIME TO TELL NEWSWEEK, HELL NO! (Pt. 1) (LINK)
August 5th 2008 02:45
By Steven Barrett
What's got into Newsweek and it's parent company, the Washington Post Co., lately? All the big shots have to do is look out their windows over to the Old Dominion side of the Potomac and see all those gleaming high-risers and look at all the sprawl from the DC Beltway towards Fredericksburg, etc., and "on to Richmond" to this ain't true. It just ain't true.
I know it's not true because as a native Massachusetts resident (or inmate) I know Dixie still has at least one advocate up here, and God willing, and my skills in political n' regional persuasion spellbinding, I'm sure there'll be a few more northerners up here who'll know the Real South for what She is and isn't.
First off: She's not a barren intellectual wasteland. After all, your's truly graduated from St. Thomas University in Miami-Dade, FL, and other members of my family received even higher degrees at other colleges and universities "down there." If I want to explore any intellectual wasteland, I only need to catch up on the latest news of the various Five Colleges Inc. Consortium institutions in the surrounding towns.
The regional media had to get in on the act following former Arkansas Mike Huckabee's surprising successes on the Super Tuesday Primary last winter. Look at this treatment of one of the more gentlemanly of the candidates over Mitt the Mutt Romney. (Romney carried MA, but Huckabee creamed him out west, and deservedly so.)
Take a good look at this very interesting issue of Newsweek. After all, despite author/editor Jon Meacham's sincere concern for his region's distinctiveness, it's not in any danger whether or not Obama's elected. The South will always be the South because, notwithstanding what the Damnyankee press (and yes, that IS one word -- QUITE PROPERLY USED) think -- on the whole, it'll always have more to stand on than the entire North, especially the snootier Northeast.
What's got into Newsweek and it's parent company, the Washington Post Co., lately? All the big shots have to do is look out their windows over to the Old Dominion side of the Potomac and see all those gleaming high-risers and look at all the sprawl from the DC Beltway towards Fredericksburg, etc., and "on to Richmond" to this ain't true. It just ain't true.
I know it's not true because as a native Massachusetts resident (or inmate) I know Dixie still has at least one advocate up here, and God willing, and my skills in political n' regional persuasion spellbinding, I'm sure there'll be a few more northerners up here who'll know the Real South for what She is and isn't.
First off: She's not a barren intellectual wasteland. After all, your's truly graduated from St. Thomas University in Miami-Dade, FL, and other members of my family received even higher degrees at other colleges and universities "down there." If I want to explore any intellectual wasteland, I only need to catch up on the latest news of the various Five Colleges Inc. Consortium institutions in the surrounding towns.
Cultural Snobs At "Work"
The regional media had to get in on the act following former Arkansas Mike Huckabee's surprising successes on the Super Tuesday Primary last winter. Look at this treatment of one of the more gentlemanly of the candidates over Mitt the Mutt Romney. (Romney carried MA, but Huckabee creamed him out west, and deservedly so.)
Gomer Pyle?
Take a good look at this very interesting issue of Newsweek. After all, despite author/editor Jon Meacham's sincere concern for his region's distinctiveness, it's not in any danger whether or not Obama's elected. The South will always be the South because, notwithstanding what the Damnyankee press (and yes, that IS one word -- QUITE PROPERLY USED) think -- on the whole, it'll always have more to stand on than the entire North, especially the snootier Northeast.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Good post, Steven.
Comment by Anonymous
I've gotta confess to using the term "Bible Belt" in a negative way sometimes, but only in context with what I thought was where hypocrisy met political pride and VICES versa -- like this guy -- and I kid you not -- who ran for some county wide office in Orange County, FL and he looked like Boss Hog of the Dukes of Hazard. White suit, hat and all ... but he used to brag on and on about his "born again" credentials -- until it got out that he was insuring the local porn movie halls and other "adult" entertainment outlets. Needless to say he didn't have much divine help and lost.
But I agree with you that the northerners overdo it with their sneering attitudes and condescension. If the South loses any distinction, it's only because the North is picking up on things the hoity toity don't like, but are too stupidly snooty to recognize that's going on under their noses. And when they do take action, well, get ready for the regionalist collateral damage that usually follows.
"Oh, that rednecky stuff's coming up here. What next?"
Yeah, well, what next?
NASCAR tracks in New Hampshire. You can't tell me the Boston Globe doesn't hold its nose when it has to cover a NASCAR related story from Loudon. I bet they stock up on smellin' salts for that assignment.