Asheville is a hippie, “bobo” enclave in North Carolina kinda of like Athens, Ga. Don’t mistake it for Appalachia.

Also I for one are tired of Obamites downplaying the the significance of Jesse’s candidacy. He had the most delegates after Walter Mondale, which would suggest that he won a good amount of the white vote.

Thanks.

I love reading your opinions on most subjects, BUT–

Jesse Jackson?

Are you being snarky, I hope?

The only way Jesse Jackson would appeal to a state composed of 95% white folks would be what?

Jesse Jackson is an opportunist, whose initial goals probably were to do the right thing by Black folk, but along the way, he lost his way and became a self-interested, philandering, caricature. He only shows up a places if they are either going to be populated with celebrities or he sees another “opportunity” to get his name in the papers. Ordinary folks who still seem to think he has sway in influencing whatever the issue may be in that particular town or city, must PAY him and his entourage for him to appear on their behalf.

Yes, Jesse Jackson at one point was doing the right thing, now, I don’t know what he is anymore.

Rather, Asheville is a funky town of about 200,000 people with a strong Art Deco vibe to its downtown. It has a handful of left-leaning liberal arts colleges, a vibrant art scene, great vegetarian restaurants, and a huge recreation community. It’s the kind of place people go for vacations.

Who lives in Asheville? College kids, retirees, old hippies, and whitewater kayakers. It’s consistently a Democratic area.

There are lots of reason to go to Asheville, but one of them is not to see the real Appalachia.

“In the midst of great wealth, one in five children still grow up in poverty. This is a moral disgrace that we must never accept. A coal miner still dies every six hours from black lung disease. In mud creek, Kentucky, kids still go to schools with not enough books to go around.

Think of Appalachia and remember. Most poor people are not on welfare. They do the heavy lifting. They take the early bus. They work the late shift. They work every day that they can and still cannot lift their children from poverty, still cannot afford health care. We have promises to keep.”

Jesse Jackson has a record (of avocacy, etc.) to go along with it.

Now why would I be anything but serious?

In the Ohio Democratic primary, Barack Obama carried 34 percent of the white vote. In the 2004 general election, John Kerry carried 44 percent of the white vote.

In Pennsylvania, Obama carried 37 percent of the white vote. In the 2004 general election, John Kerry carried 45 percent.

In Missouri, Obama won 39 percent of the white vote. In the 2004 general election, John Kerry carried 42 percent of the white vote.

This phenomenon occurs in states that aren’t seen as teeming with those classic Rust Belt/Midwest demographics. In Connecticut, Obama carried 48 percent of the white vote; John Kerry carried 51 percent.

In New Jersey, Obama carried 31 percent of the white vote. In the 2004 general election, Kerry carried 46 percent.

In Rhode Island, Obama carried 37 percent of the white vote. In the 2004 general election Kerry carried 57 percent of the white vote.

In Maryland, Obama carried 42 percent of the white vote; Kerry carried 44 percent in the 2004 general election.

There are a few states where Obama’s primary percentage outpaces Kerry’s general election share. In North Carolina, Obama carried 37 percent of the white vote. In the 2004 general election, John Kerry carried 27 percent. (So much for help from John Edwards.)

In Indiana, Obama carried 40 percent of the white vote; Kerry carried 34 percent.

In New Mexico, Obama carried 55 percent of the white vote, Kerry got 43 percent. (Of course, in that state, Kerry carried 56 percent of the Latino vote (32 percent of the electorate that year), while Obama carried 36 percent of that key demographic in this year’s caucus, according to exit polls.)

But overall, it seems extremely likely that Barack Obama will get a smaller share of the white vote than John Kerry did in 2004 – requiring a huge turnout among other demographics. Some, like African-Americans, have already demonstrated great enthusiasm for Obama. Others, like Latinos…haven’t, at least not yet.

Why wouldn’t I be?

Jesse Jackson has repeatedly tried to put Appalachia on the map.

Every time I read one of your posts from the road, I just well up a little. I knkow that you’re doing what you’re doing as much for yourself as anyone but I want to remind you how much it means to all of us, even the ones that don’t realise it yet.