How do you know this? Have you ever lived in the South?
Doug
When I lived in Alabama, it was clear to me that my students who loved the rebel flag were clearly sophisticated enough to understand its symbolism. Hell, they use it as a symbol. But they chose to ignore the significations they didn't like. When I asked students how they thought a battle flag that could stand for their ancestors' willingness to fight for what they believed in could be divorced from the content of what they were defending, they had no response, and saw no reason to give one. They would just stare at me, like I was from outer space. Or mumble something like "You just don't get it." Or, I would get a version of "My preacher told me about you."
I think the liberal gasping was mostly for show, especially among the candidates. In fact, every one of those candidates (except Sharpton) has been courting the bubba vote from day 1, and I don't blame them. The identification of straight white masculinity with Republicanism in the south is so assumed that it hardly even warrants verbalization anymore. If the Dems want to win, they've got to crack into this constituency.
Christian