Seeing Red: "Blue state" denizens are far more parochial than heartland dwellers.

Opinion Journal ^ | 02/11/2002 | BLAKE HURST

[Pokey78]

TARKIO, Mo.--Like an anthropologist touring deepest, darkest Africa, the writer David Brooks has courageously trekked to Middle America, studied the natives there and reported back to readers of The Atlantic Monthly, one of the nation's toniest opinion magazines. He reports that out here in Red America (as the last election maps dubbed George Bush country) we're dumber, poorer, fatter and less well dressed than those in Blue America (the parts of the country that voted for Al Gore). At least, his data show, our wives have more orgasms.

[goodnesswins]

"One of the most interesting statistics that Mr. Brooks uses to contrast the two Americas is that only 53% of conservatives consider themselves intellectuals, while 75% of self-identified liberals do."

Boy....that one statement speaks VOLUMES about the difference between Red and Blue America.....the pompous, know-it-all liberals who try and tell the rest of us how WE should live, and then pull money out of someone elses (ours) pockets to PAY FOR EVERYONE ELSES PROBLEMS. Praise the Lord we have GW Bush for PRESIDENT.

PLUS, I wonder what the difference in definition of "intellectual" is between a conservative and a liberal.

[Texas Cornhusker]

What about us down here in Texas, more exactly the suburbs around the big cities, such as Houston in my case. We are about as red as it gets and we are often called hicks but live near our nations 4th largest city. The thing is we travel across texas and enjoy the small town atmoshere and long for a chance to live there, realizing its superiority. Jobs unfortunately hold us away until we can retire. Thing is though, i have a greater respect for the real people than usualy self-deluted city folk. This is coming from our nations largest city going for Bush.

[oldvike]

David Brooks would get eaten alive in my town. What a pompous jackass.

[oldvike]

I take back my last comment. The more I think about it, the more I have come to the conclusion that the jerk would probably be treated quite nicely (until he spouted off to the wrong person... then he'd get punched sqarely in the nose).

[cactmh]

I could not have said it any better had I tried. This is an excellent, and I mean excellent article. I've observed many of the differences that he notes...

[gortklattu]

Right on the Money!

My liberal friends all identify themselves as intellectuals and continually brand others as 'stupid.'

Yet, when questioned about the difference between a Democracy and a Republic I received a vacuous stare.

Conceit is at the center of liberalism. It mostly supports their ignorance.

[Free the USA]

good post

[Mike Darancette]

According to Mr. Brooks, "We in the coastal Blue areas read more books and attend more plays than the people in the Red heartland. We're more sophisticated and cosmopolitan--just ask about our alumni trips to China or Provence, or our interest in Buddhism.

Does that include the drug addicts, welfare cases, illegal aliens and mendicants that the Blue Zone Democrat press gangs manage to round up at election time?

[cactmh]

"(until he spouted off to the wrong person... then he'd get punched sqarely in the nose)." We can only hope.

This reminds me of the saying (down here) about Yankees. You ask one what time it is and he tells you how to make a watch.

BTW, I am glad that Blue Zone types have such low opinions of us in the Red Zone. Hopefully they'll stay the Hell out of the Red Zone.

[cactmh]

Does that include the drug addicts, welfare cases, illegal aliens and mendicants that the Blue Zone Democrat press gangs manage to round up at election time?

They have an easy way of dealing with this. They simply build gated communities to help separate themselves.

[Texas Cornhusker]

Unfortunately, living in Houston we have mass arivals of the outsiders. I enjoyed the old school oil boys better.

[John H K]

Can anyone remember what color the Election night wall maps on the networks were for the Presidential elections in 1980, 1984, and 1988?

I could swear Reagan and Bush states were in Blue, Carter, Mondale, and Dukakis states all in Red...

Am I hallucinating? When was it changed?

And it strikes me as endlessly odd the left-of-center party gets blue and the party further right gets red....totally contrary to the normal association of colors with parties.

All I can see is that blue is easily the most common favorite color, and it's just yet more network media bias.

[Alberta's Child]

With all due respect for the author of this piece, Alberta's Child had the whole issue of "Red vs. Blue" figured out in December 2000.

The Triumph of Little America

[cactmh]

Does that include the drug addicts, welfare cases, illegal aliens and mendicants that the Blue Zone Democrat press gangs manage to round up at election time?

They have an easy way of dealing with this. They simply build gated communities to help separate themselves.

[koba]

True enough. Blue zone reminds me of the Roman Empire, its wealth, arrogance and poverty. Red Zone reminds me of the Roman Republic, less wealth but more societal equilibrium and patriotism in place of the cynicsm of the Blue Zone.

[SoDak]

Wow, great article. I'm passing this one along to some friends.

[SoDak]

You got that right. Hopefully they stay where they are.

[cactmh]

I emailed it to my friends too.

[bjcintennessee]

This reminds me of the differences in culture and economics that prevailed between the north and south before the Civil War.

This is not a good omen.