Nashville News Blog

My Dad just had to call me this morning from DC crowing about that piece. He who helped draft the voting rights act. Yes Dad, we're all ignorant bigots down here.

And to that dumb bitch who worries that blacks will get "aggressive", what does that mean, exactly? Looking a white woman in the eye? Forgetting their "place"? GFY.

It's hard to deny that race played some role in the outcome of the Presidential election in TN. But did anyone really expect that it wouldn't. We saw Corker's subtle racial jabs ("Call me, e.g.")and the impact they had on Jr.'s campaign.

The more interesting question that Nossiter's article raises for me is this: If the Republicans lost the White House because they became "too Southernized", did TN Democrats lose the State House because they became "too Republican?" Put another way, if 2008 was a year for change, did TN Democrats lose because they stood "against change?"

Admitting I may be naive, I answer both of those questions with a yes. I hope TN Democrats seriously consider these questions before they run further to the right in an attempt to regain the State House.

The irony of Southerners making fun of Obama by refering to him as a 'messiah' cannot be lost on you people.

Thanks for conveniently summing up what I believe all liberals think about the south. At first I thought the article was someone trying to be sarcastic. If you hate the south so much move to san francisco. Have you even considered the fact that southerns are predominantly republican b/c they disagree with the change to socialism Obama promises to bring to the government. We are a more traditional people who believe hard work deserves rewards and that it's not the governments job to take care of people. Obama wants to create a larger welfare state, take away your 401K and put it under government control, and raise many kinds of taxes. He is for amenesty and a reduction in oil drilling, new nuclear power plants and refineries. Southerners are not stupid and racist as you think of them. As a biracial person just like Obama I think you are being very ignorant.

It's rich that people like BJ throw out the word "socialism" after a Republican president and his treasury secretary just went to Congress for a $700 billion bailout that includes partial nationalization of banks. This was approved not only by Obama but by McCain. Spare us the hypocrisy, BJ, the GOP is into "socialism" too these days.

but what rankles us more - that we failed to be part of American's big growing up party because of race, that we are the last bastion of W bumper stickers because of stubbornness or bible thumpers, or that we now must admit that when it comes to national politics, we don't matter?

One wonders how many people this Timesman had to interview to get these particular quotes. I would bet good money that these were not typical of the responses but were the ones that fit with the story that the Times wanted to write.

As for the analysis, consider this quote:

"Those states have experienced an influx of better educated and more prosperous voters in recent years, pointing them in a different political direction than states farther west, like Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, and Appalachian sections of Kentucky and Tennessee."

Except that it was these voters who helped move the South to the Republican column in the 80s and 90s. Look at the voting patterns, education and income of the high growth areas of these states and you will find strong areas of Conservative / Republican support. The last two elections only demonstrate that these voters are rejecting the Bush Administration and the Tom DeLay-ization of the Republicans in Congress.

Too bad the Times' motto has become 'All the news that fits our agenda, we print.'

The only thing killing this country more and more each year is the amount of ignorance people insist on trying to shove down each others throats. If people would stop being so emotionally driven and use more common sense... Hmm I wonder if it's even worth... Naaa, nobody wants to hear the truth, only that which they can handle hearing.

I think it is a little irresponsible of you to classify Tennessee as racist based solely the election results. As you said in your article, Obama ignored Tennessee during his campaign. That being the case, perhaps Tennessee ignored Obama. Of course, race likely played a large role in the disparity between the votes for Obama and McCain. I just take issue with anyone who says that the election proves that political decisions in Tennessee are mad on a racial basis.