It’s always funny to me to hear people who have grown cynical of American politics say that Democrats and Republicans are not different enough.  In fact, to anyone paying attention, they are quite different.

My original choice for the Democratic nominee for President, John Edwards (not even ashamed), ran on the concept that there are two Americas and that to progress we must move past this divide.  Barack Obama adopted a similar message of reconciliation between the culturally divided areas of our nation.  

This is where the party differences that I referenced earlier come in.  The Republicans now agree that there are two Americas, but they don’t see that as a problem.  In fact, it’s quite useful around election time.  This past week we listened to a Congresswoman from Minnesota talk about the Pro-Americans and Anti-Americans in Congress.  We watched Sarah Palin explain how people from big cities weren’t “real Americans” like those from small towns.  We heard from the McCain campaign about “real Virginia” and “fake Virginia.”  By the way, I learned from John McCain’s brother that Fake Virginia can also be referred to as “Communist Country,” you know, if you’re going for something more tactful.  

This found me conflicted, not just from a political standpoint but also on a personal level.  I realized I’m not sure whether I’m a real American or a fake American.  I’m from a small town in the South that votes heavily Republican, so that should give me real American status, right?  But then Robin Hayes, a Congressman from North Carolina, informed me that “liberals hate real Americans that work and achieve and accomplish and believe in God.”  I’m a liberal.  So I guess I hate real Americans? But I believe in God…  although people who work and achieve do kinda piss me off… hmm… if only there were some sort of list to tell us who’s anti-American…I wonder if anyone’s ever tried that.

This represents a major philosophical difference between the two parties.  You can go with the Democrats and try to find common ground amongst the obvious differences in our hugely diverse nation, or you can go with the Republicans and stick with yer own kind. I personally find that categorizing people based on shallow regional stereotypes is much easier than actually trying to understand people of different backgrounds, which is why I’m voting McCarthy/Palin ‘08!