I simply can't relate to the red-necks who populate the rest of the State. I have to travel through Amish Country to see conservatives in their natural habitat. It's like visiting a foreign country. I've live in this State my whole life, but the cranial wiring of the average wingnut is simply a mystery to me from lack of exposure. (And yes, I said red-neck. If you're offended, you might just be a red-neck. See Jeff Foxworthy for further clues.) When you read Karl Rove's take on the Buckeye State, keep in mind that if only about 60,000 Ohio voters had switched (or been counted fairly), Kerry would have won in '04 -- thanks to my five "home" counties.
It's been said that all politics are local, and I think there's something to that. While pundits chase their tails analyzing broad, abstract political macrotrends, it's what happens behind each individual voting booth curtain that ultimately makes the difference. If you want to get a better idea of how local politics really does lay the groundwork for what happens at and on the national level, one really needs look no farther than Ohio. Over at American Street, Toledo resident Mark Adams has an excellent piece that illustrates how a seemingly reliably red state is anything but. Guess what, in the areas where Conservatives dominate, it's the same old story: viral lies, disinformation, and character assassination, much of it spread via churches. Apparently, God really IS a Republican.
