This is my first diary. Reading the Kos post about the KS woman who felt hopeless and the diary about WV, I thought I'd share my perceptions re: neighbors and friends here in KY. I'm not much of a writer, but I wanted to try to share my perceptions for what their worth.
I've been watching FOX over the last few days regarding Obama's trip. Their main strategy seems like it's going to be, "Don't believe anything you hear from anyone in MSM, but us. It's ALL liberal bias. Don't listen to anyone, but us. We are fair and balanced. Don't let those elitist lefties make fools of you." Living in KY, I think the faux-news' message may just work, again, unless we can learn to actually stand beside and with one another.
It consistently amazes me how the corporate right has so successfully sold folks around here that the MSM is run by the left-wing elite. I think we consistently underestimate the proverbial chip on the shoulder that many rural communities still feel going back to the disruption and losses that many communities and families experienced as a result of the Civil War.
Note: I beg you to not "dis" this "loss" outright.
Many small, rural communities lost significant #'s of their males (Blue and Grey) to that war in single battles due to the regional recruiting patterns. These massive, per capita losses in small rural, communities created disproportionately severe emotional, economic and developmental issues that were never overcome. Many families lost subsistence farms and became the disadvantaged working poor in mines and mills. And, as they saw other communities pass them by in terms of educational and economic opportunities and prosperity, the wound scabbed over, but never healed. They were the white trash, hayseeds, hillbillies, crackers, rednecks who city-folk and educated people looked down since they were -- the failures -- who "clung to their guns and Bibles."
The Right and Christian fundamentalist leaders understand and feed off that wound. And, they have developed a song and dance that lessens the pain through distraction, but never fundamentally heals that wound.
The siren song goes:
America is #1, and you are the salt of the Earth. We're winners, and you are too by being a patriotic American. You have the kind of down home, common sense that really matters. Those smarty pants elitists think they are better than you, but they aren't. You can show them how powerful you are by not listening to them or voting for them. You can be God's beloved warriors by standing firm against abortion and homosexuality. THEY are responsible for the smut on TV and in the culture that is ruining this country and corrupting your kids. We can take our country back to a simpler, less sinful time [picture Happy Days or Leave it to Beaver] when men were men, and white men were definitely in charge. Blah blah blah
And as long as the Right keeps singing this song and appears to be standing beside them, people around here will listen and follow. While race baiting is definitely one of tools they use to prick the wound, I believe, the true key is that last part ... appears to be standing beside them.
This is where, I believe, we make our big mistake. We are constantly trying to get the MSM to present our straight message, as if just the information by itself should be able to persuade the
nurse on the second shift, the worker on the line, the waitress on her feet, the small business owner, the farmer, the teacher, the miner, the trucker, the soldier, the veteran, the student, the hard working men and women who don't always make the headlines but have always written America’s story
--------------- Hillary Clinton
that we are indeed on their side.
But are we standing beside them, from their perspective?
Ask yourself:
** Did that question cause me to think about a specific group of REAL people like I [Hillary] described above? Did their faces and their daily life stories flood into my mind and do they have my phone number? If asked, would they picture ME as a neighbor, church member, team mate, lunchroom seat mate at work, a friend?
OR
** Did that question bring a bunch of logical arguments about economic self-interest points to your mind?
Hillary hit her stride later in the campaign, and especially across Appalachia, when she was able to persuade people that she saw them and felt their pain. She went to the rural little towns and coffee shops and people could see her as standing beside them. They felt visible, and as a result, they were willing to listen to the logical arguments regarding mutual self-interest. Hillary disrupted the Right's siren song by respectfully [almost lovingly like an older sister or a Mom] giving voice to the wound that the RIGHT has been feeding on for decades. It was the, "There, there, I know it's been rough. I hear you. But, everything's going to be okay now. We can work this out, together."
Now, there is no doubt that Captain Kirk cared deeply about Spock, and in the later movies was willing to risk all to save him, but how many of us would REALLY like to have and trust only completely logical, pointed-earred, or pointed-headed, "friends?" Hence FOX & FRIENDS. And while we're constantly trying to refute McCain's lies and flip-flops with fact-based reasoning, he just keeps on starting on almost every sentence with, "My friends ..."followed by whatever new nonsense he's peddling. And, this is why the friendly folks at FOX chant "elitist" and "arrogant." Obama is "talking down to" people like Fox's friends and why those of us who listen to Obama are heartless "robots" or Godless cultists.
My point is that it is not enough to be rationally correct. And, even if we do manage to win this election, we will still have a polarized, unhealed, dysfunctional nation unless we can walk with those who seemingly disagree with us in places like rural, small town Appalachia, as friends. Lincoln understood this. Tragically, his VP was a weak and flawed man -- much like Bush. So, the wound remained and festered into class and race warfare under the manipulation of capital and religious elites.
I think Obama gets this. I think he began his campaign in Springfield for this reason. And, I think he is sincere and deeply committed to his service plans after being elected, because he wants to help heal this nation.
I feel that Hillary's supporters felt this, and that they are grieving so strongly and lastingly, because she made them feel like it was possible for the wound to be validated without judgement, healed and set aside.
Whereas, Obama represents intelligent and thoughtful HOPE, Hillary provided the friendly shoulder and validating eyes that many people needed to muster enough courage and self-esteem to simply hope at all.
What does this all mean, and why am I trying to express my perceptions of what I see and hear all around me, everyday? First, I'd like to hear from some others who live in red states like KS, WV, TN, KY and AK. What are you hearing? Secondly, I'd like to respectfully suggest that maybe we could learn some things from Hillary supporters in these states; after all, they succeeded, here. And finally, maybe it wouldn't be so hopeless if every one of us in red states began purposefully and actively listening to everyone around us with our main goal being understanding, first.
Kos had no real chance to persuade that woman from KS to relinquish her hopelessness (and her daughter sounded like a FOX teaser), but maybe there is an Obama supporter at her hair dressers who if they also listen to her deeply and respectfully like Kos did, she might get the courage to hope, just a little.
A personal anecdote: I belong to a Born-again, but rather centrist perspective Christian church. One of our members started a regular Play Day in the Park session for the kids. We meet up, and the kids play. I've gotten to know some of the parents better. We help each other out by doing things like trading kid's clothes. We missed a day going to see Obama in person at a Town Hall, and it became a positive point of discussion on the following play date. Did everyone immediately fall in love with Obama's message? No, but it was a good discussion between real friends -- and at that moment, they weren't listening to Fox's or McCain's faux-friendly siren song. We were listening to one another as we stood side by side watching our kids play.