Furthermore, having lived in the south I can personally attest to the natural reaction Southrons have to a New England bred Yankee -- the narrowing eyes, the sudden strained quality to that outwardly projected attitude of overly-hospitable friendliness, the guarded yet probing questions on everything from your musical tastes to whether or not "Y'all worship Mary," but especially, how you might vote.
And if I appear to be bashing Southerners or the South, that is in no way my intention. These days, as far as freedom and conservative beliefs, the South puts the North to shame (the disagreeable Southern climate notwithstanding.) But I'm a Yankee born and bred, Scotch-Irish on one side and Flemish-German on the other (not strictly adhering to the *true* definition of Yankee, especially since many of my ancestors are late arrivals circa 1860, but close enough), and that's not something I'll ever apologize for. Southern hospitality tends to grate on me, as Yankees are cranky, ornery and extremely reserved by nature. The overbearing pride Southerners (especially Texans) take in their state causes me to dawn my "American by Birth, Yankee by the Grace of God" shirt when mixing with Southerners. But I suppose all of that is mere culture-shock.
The instant assumption that one is a moron democrat polluting Southern air is what truly ticks me off. All Yankees are northerners, but very few northerners are Yankees -- this fact seems to escape most Southerners.