In a New York Times Op-ed, the self-identified Tennessee yellow dog democrat, Robert Hicks offers a compelling description of this state's Daddy Party. In a far more polite way than I've ever said it, Hicks names the number one Tennessee Republican priority as the right to be selfish.
Actually, I'm surprised the Dark Side hasn't yet framed their number one priority into a constitutional amendment:
Perhaps they'll unveil it after the November election.
Hicks also identifies the state's wealthy Williamson County conservative stronghold as the site of a slew of Republicans with no roots in Tennessee. It makes sense. After all, when personal greed is your number one value, a state that sucks the life out of ordinary folks - with the highest average sales tax in the nation and no state income tax - would indeed appear to be Mecca.
After taxes, Hicks identifies that long desired conservative male birthright of never having your seed rejected or aborted. Yep. Hicks nails it. Those who reside on the Dark Side don't want to pay for the social services that are necessary when conservative seed is dropped in too many places, but the Sperm Warriors will fight to the death to abolish a woman's right to reject said seed.
With priorities like these it's no wonder that the party of Greedy Old Patriarchs is now trembling in fear over the news that a terrible backlash is coming.
New York Times:
LET me begin by confessing that I’m a yellow dog Democrat. I come from a long line of yellow dog Democrats and I even own a yellow dog named Jake. That understood, I believe I can objectively observe the political climate as my fellow Tennesseans and I prepare to replace Senator Bill Frist.
You need to be objective to be a Democrat in Williamson County these days. When I moved here 32 years ago, we were just another poor Southern agricultural community: we had countless small dairy farms, the cash crop was tobacco and just about everybody was a Democrat. Now we’re one of the richest counties in America: we have maybe one dairy farm left, the cash crop is McMansions and just about everyone is a Republican.
These are neither the “Lincolnite Republicans” my grandparents feared nor are they Old Southern Democrats refitted in Republican clothing. Their roots are not here. Williamson County is a physically beautiful and safe place to live and raise a family, so it’s no surprise they come and stay.
Yet, without roots in either party, they seem, first and foremost, driven by an obsession with taxes. This isn’t to say that none of them have genuine concern for the poor; and while most seem more pro-birth than “pro life” (the term they favor), there are exceptions there, too. Yet, over all, their credo might be (to paraphrase Robert Goodloe Harper): “Billions for defense, but not one cent for social concerns.”
Read the whole thing
Graphic via the venerable Jesus General
News Politics Abortion Pro Choice Election 2006 Democrats Franklin Tennessee Robert Hicks Harold Ford Bob Corker Republicans Frist New York Times
