Though they write powerfully about southern Republicans+óGé¼Gäó political exploitation of race and the appalling inequities rural Americans face, Jarding and Saunders provide few solutions beyond semiotic gimmicks like putting candidates in flannel shirts, or symbolic gestures like Bob Graham+óGé¼Gäós sponsorship of a NASCAR driver.If these self-styled southern political experts can+óGé¼Gäót solve the problem of building a sustainable cross-racial Democratic coalition in the South, there are only two conclusions to draw: The consultants are not worth the price of their contracts, or the Democrats+óGé¼Gäó problems in the region are so intractable they simply cannot be solved. Either admission would put guys like Saunders out of business.
Ouch! Those cat scratches really hurt. Reeeeeeaaaaaaarrrrr!!!!
Schaller adds, for good measure:
Indeed, Saunders+óGé¼Gäó very livelihood requires him to peddle fictions like the notion that rural, white, Christian, noncollege-educated, married male voters are the key to Democratic resurgence in a country where women, suburban-exurbanites, seculars, college graduates, the unmarried, and minorities become a larger share of the electorate with each passing cycle.
Well, there you have it. According to Schaller, the Democratic Party should simply abandon rural, religious parts of this country to the Republican Party. Sounds like a great strategy, no? No.
Anyway, I was getting all geared up to write a rebuttal, when a good friend saved me the trouble. The following is her letter to Schaller. Enjoy!
Mr. Schaller: Interesting article - but you got two things wrong.1. Mudcat Saunders "livelihood" doesn't depend on anything having to do with politics. The land he owns and many business interests he has outside politics make him more than financially secure. And, in fact, he generally picks his clients, not the other way around.
2. What you dismiss as semiotic gimmicks and symbolic gestures are more akin to a brilliant application of the work of philosphers and political scientists like Pierre Bordieu, who correctly assign much of political decision making to the emotions and socio-cultural associations than to self-interested logic.
You claim that intentional displays of respect for a people's culture in order to make them receptive to a political message, or using culturally respected third-party verifiers, is just a gimmick? Well, don't politicians do that all the time with Hispanic and African American communities?
Your typically arrogant assumption that white people in the south are acting out of racism is exactly the stereotyping from spokespersons of the Democratic Party Mudcat is seeking to move beyond. These people are often just voting to keep a little more in their paychecks from a government they have little faith in.
Your analysis just doesn't hold much water, I'm afraid. Perhaps you're feeling a touch of jealousy - after all your book and his are in direct competition. I'm afraid when it comes to political analysis - you're simply outclassed.
xxxx
All of that said, Mudcat is right that the Democratic party has to craft a message that is not offensive to this still large block of voters. Also, for specific candidates in specific states, it could make all the difference in the world. As a national strategy, howevever, it may not work as well.
As Steve and Mudcat point out in their book, there are tons of these rural "Bubbas" in new suburban areas, working in cities. The same strategy applies.
Democrats in Virginia give Mudcat a ton of credit, in large part because of the Warner election. And for the most part, it's deserved. However, the truth since then is that the "rural Bubbas" (myself included) are becoming less and less relevant. In 2006, if targetting city folk and rural Bubbas were mutually exclusive (which it of course isn't), you'd have to choose city folk no doubt. The wise candidate will find a way to target the masses with a message and style that won't offend us country boys. Wearing a Dixie hat and going to a NASCAR race (while wearing Armani back home) is not a good idea.
Mudflap is one of those “legend in his own mind†kind of guys.
He’s the modern day version of a snakeoil salesman  perhaps even worst. He somehow thinks that a liberal candidate can wrap himself in NASCAR attire  pretend to know about racing  and that all will be well for the Democrats in the South. B.S.
When he talks, he gets very profane. Chances are…this is an action to overcompensate for a lack of self-esteem.
And, he has a great distrust for family values voters. In fact, he likes to talk down to them.
The bottom line with voters in the 5th, 6th and 9th congressional districts is that they don’t particularly care what you look like, how you dress, whether you watch NASCAR, or listen to bluegrass music…but they damn sure care about a candidate’s views on the issues.
To wrap a liberal in NASCAR clothing…is nothing less than pure snakeoil salesmanship at its worst.
Petty, indeed.
And, if you can tell me how many Winton Cup championships Richard Petty won and who Lewis Armistead was....I'll give you bonus points.
With loving affection,
rpetty a/k/a Lewis Armistead
The bottom line with voters in the 5th, 6th and 9th congressional districts is that they don’t particularly care what you look like, how you dress, whether you watch NASCAR, or listen to bluegrass music…but they damn sure care about a candidate’s views on the issues.
Please state the basis for your agreement/disagreement.
It's that simple.
Are you from Roanoke?
I read these blogs and see that most people who comment are from NOVA, Richmond, the Eastern shore and VA Beach area. No offense, but you guys are pretty out of touch with what DEMS in this area of the state think, do and know.
That Mudcat ought to drive a big rig, chew tobacco, shut up and vote like he's told.
Feel free to take offense at the jabs Schaller takes at Mudcat Saunders, but don't let it stop you from reading the whole article, at least the part where he looks at the Warner and Kaine races and where those elections were won.
We are blessed this time to have a candidate who has a lot of natural appeal to the rural and southwestern parts of the state. Many of us are just like Webb in being descended from the Scotch-Irish who trekked down the valley from Pennsylvania, settling along the way.
But we're kidding ourselves if we think that even lopsided support for Webb over here will swing the election; we're just too thin on the ground. Statewide elections are won or lost where the masses of voters are, and particularly where the masses of Democratic and Dem-leaning voters are. The contribution we can make over here is to eat into the margin that Republican campaigns have traditionally counted on.