Why, in these last few weeks leading up to the Presidential election, is there such a need to define what makes someone a “real” American? Why the divisiveness, and the implication that edumacated, elitist big city folks just don’t understand the toils and troubles of the average, homespun “real” America? Well, I’ve looked at it backwards and forwards and upside down and the only conclusion I can come to is that it’s the GOP’s alternative to just coming out and saying “Don’t vote for the black guy with the funny name.”

Othering Barack Obama in any way they can is their only shot right now of pulling voters’ minds away from the economic crisis and the desperate belief that we, as a nation, need a change. Telling people that change is BAD, that this smart, competent man can’t relate to the Heartland and is somehow misrepresenting himself and will, therefore, screw Joe Six Pack, Joe the Plumber, and Joe Blow over… that’s the only weapon they have left.

And as someone who grew up in Ohio and now lives in New York City, I think that’s utter and complete bull. What a way to completely gloss over the fact that there are just as many highly educated elitists in Middle America as there are blue collar folks in our big cities! The socioeconomic divide is hardly regional and perpetuating that myth is doubly and triply offensive because New York City and Washington D.C. are the sites of one of this nation’s biggest tragedies. You cannot use 9/11 as one of your parties talking points and then turn around and say that where that tragedy happened isn’t “real America.” Gee, I guess it’s only real America when you need to appropriate its tragedy for political gain, huh?

  Read the rest of this entry »