Silly Barack, Rednecks are for Real

So, Barack Obama couldn't quite close the gap to Hillary Clinton in today's Pennsylvania Democratic Primary. As others have noted, there were two reasons: Reverend Wright and the "bitter" comment.

Now, in the game of Presidential Monopoly I find enough "typical white person's" guilt in the Community Chest to give Senator Obama a Get-Out-of-the-Wright-Association free card. But there is no card that lets you get elected President by insulting one of the most numerous and important groups of people in America.

Rednecks. If you want to learn what the word "passion" means, date a Redneck. As a corollary, you can't have a truer and more loyal friend than a Redneck, or a worse enemy. Rednecks pride themselves on living with an emotional intensity that makes your typical Ivy League educated politician seem tepid indeed.

Sure, they can be bitter. But not about lack of government intervention in their lives. If they "cling to their guns and religion" it's to keep the government from interfering too much in their lives. They got their guns from their fathers, and their fathers' fathers, back to the generation that used guns to feed and defend themselves because back then there was no government. And they have sustained their religion because their religion has sustained them through tougher times than most Americans can remember or imagine. But mostly, Rednecks are determined. Determined to be themselves no matter who likes it or not.

Barack, by talking as if you know them, you have shown that you don't. Well, you should get to know them. You're going to need their votes.