The most depressing thing about post-election maps like this and this isn’t just that they sneer at the alleged stupidity and bigotry of Bush voters; it’s the implication that there is something immutable about the so-called red state/blue state division.
Never mind that even in the “red” southern states, the very un-southern John Kerry got more than four in ten votes; the states that went for Bush last week are obviously dominated by lesser breeds incapable of understanding what’s good for them.
This attitude was taken to its logical conclusion by the execrable cartoonist/writer Ted Rall. In an article entitled “Confessions of a Cultural Elitist: Win or Lose, Kerry Voters Are Smarter Than Bush Voters,” Rall writes:
So our guy lost the election. Why shouldn’t those of us on the coasts feel superior? We eat better, travel more, dress better, watch cooler movies, earn better salaries, meet more interesting people, listen to better music and know more about what’s going on in the world. If you voted for Bush, we accept that we have to share the country with you. We’re adjusting to the possibility that there may be more of you than there are of us. But don’t demand our respect. You lost it on November 2.
While shamelessly voicing sentiments once associated with the snobbish Right, Rall identifies himself with what passes for the Left. And the supposedly progressive Common Dreams website considers this elitist crap part of acceptable leftwing opinion.
Sigh. I’m starting to feel like a Left boll weevil.
