Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Who Represents Me?

Everyday, I fight "the good fight", dissenting against the regressive policies of an opressive regime. For fun, I wage intellectual warfare with conservatives nationwide, educating those lost souls still nibbling on the carcass of a morally bankrupt political ideology. I represent a true brand of progressive politics custom fitted for the common man. Often, I find myself at odds with the leaders of both the "left wing" and the Democratic Party, but I refrain from attacking the "left" the way I have the "right." Until now...

During the 2002 mid-term elections, I watched quitely as the Democrats tried in vain to run a campaign against an opponent beyond their realm of understanding. Similarly, in 2004, I followed orders working with the Kerry campaign, even though I knew the party's presentation of John Kerry and his public policy alienated much of the region I knew as home.

I know the "rural South"--the heart of "Red State America." Born on a bayou, raised mid' the pine hills, my rural uprbringing engendered an understanding of the economic hardships, racial tensions, and religious concerns relevant to the "Chicken Fried Nation."

How can a Harvard educated, white male, from an affluent Northeastern family, expect to relate to my people? Men like John Kerry and Ted Kennedy probably never associated with their first African-American until well after their teenage years. Men like Howard Dean and Patrick Lehay rarely step outside their economic circle. Imagine women like Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein trying to comprehend the importance of God, high school football and the Dallas Cowboys to millions of Texans. Can Ralp Nader possibly understand the importance of the timber and oil industry to the economy of a place like East Texas?

I grew up in a town that was 60% African American, where 5% of the population controlled 95% of the wealth, where the town shut down on Friday nights for football games, and on Sunday the churches overflowed. My family owned stakes in both the timber and oil industry. I understand the frustration my people have when looking at the left or Democratic Party.

I understand that as Democrats, we need to exploit as much money out of Hollywood as possible, but that doesn't mean allowing them to be a mouth piece for our party. The average East Texan turns in disgust each time they see the smug and pretentious manner with which Alec Baldwin carries himself. Lectures on the benefits of a vegan diet by Gwenyth Paltrow have no relevance in a land where beef is king. Vietnam vets boil at the mention of Jane Fonda starting a new "anti-war" tour. Clearly, Hollywod prevents the Democrats from truly relating to the common man.

While the Bush administration wages an illegitimate war abroad, Democrats ignore the domestic issues most relevant to the "red states." Ignore the idiots on the right and focus on what brought you to power in the 20th Century. Help the common man, fight the corporation and improve education.

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