I remember hi ow a lot of people would quote Joe Bageant, author of books like "deer hunting with Jesus." His theme was the poor whites, which he called the "scots-irish" were an oppressed, exploited people, and that the nation had been so busy labeling them rednecks that they had failed to help them. Yes, there was truth in that, but the one thing Joe never hit on is that, unlike all other races, the poor whites were always willing to give sympathy and allegiance to the rich whites, because they never want to think that they are just one group among many. They wanted to feel they were the chosen people. The Calvinist churches (baptist, etc) that are a major part of Southern Culture also do a lot to keep the poorer whites from actually get angry enough to rise up. It is why Unions are weakest in the South, despite labor conditions that cry out for Labor unions. It is why so many Southern Churches are outright citadels for the GOP, preaching politics from the pulpit and raising funds to win elections. While I can sympathize with the genuine plight of many poor whites, there is alwasy the fear of what has happened many times; that all a preacher or politico has to do uis strum the right heartstrings and my comrade will suddenly turn on me, and join the rest of the GOP kicking my face in.
And yes, this is why I never forgive either Clinton for all the damn racist dog whistles they blew in 2008. If that worked and put Hillary into the white house that year, that would have said "we would rather have the membership of the bigot than the minority." I know I may have to choke down Hillary, and the thought of it, howevfer necessary it may be, makes me sick, because I know if she could turn us in for the support of half the old "dixiecrat" types, she would.
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