Reply #5: alabama [View All]

I think people aren't voting for economic reasons here, obviously. So farm subsidies and stuff dont make much difference. People here vote against their personal economic benefit, and I think mainly it is because of religion and racism, etc. I think a lot of white southern men dont feel powerful anymore because they have been declining in status for decades now. Every right gained by people of color, gays, etc, to them, is percieved as something taken away from them (i.e. the "sanctity" of their own marriage. There is a vague fear of the minority becoming the majority, and I think fundie type Christianity comforts these people because the system it teaches reenforces their power-men as head of household, women as homemaker/childraiser, gays as "selfish hedonists", the only thing I don't get is how they reconcile the racism with their religion, but the churches are some of the most segregated places you will ever see. I saw a church billboard here a few years ago that said "blacks welcome" this was in the 1990's. Anyway I am tired and I don't know if what I have said here makes sense.