Reply #39: Hey Reb, you probably know them pretty well [View All]

and Sen. Jim Webb does a brilliant analysis of the region, its heritage, its people and its economic woes through his books and other writings. He makes some great points about how this area got divorced from the Democratic Party and how after that, few have bothered to pay attention to them. I find so much of what's been said about these people and how they've been used by both parties (in the name of financial gain) to these people's detriment is just narrow and wrong. I loved that Edwards took a JFK/LBJ position here and I think Obama started down that path with his bus tour through PA. There just needs to be more outreach and even if they feel apart from the rest of the country, the rest of the country needs to embrace them and give them a chance for prosperity and education rather than draining them of their natural resources and stealing their brightest young people. All this racist ranting is sorta silly.

:hi:I see you're in Illinois now, where'd you grow up? And do you see yourself ever going back if from the region?