Secret GOP Weapon: The Scots-Irish Vote

Wall Street Journal ^ | October 19, 2004 | JAMES WEBB

[OESY]

Mr. Webb, a former secretary of the Navy, is the author of "Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America," just published by Broadway.

[stainlessbanner]

bttt

[Mamzelle]

Anyone with a bugmenot? I'm wondering if the word "Cherokee" appears anywhere in this article. If we're talking the rural mountainous south, and Scots-Irish...we're leaving out part of the equation.

[mykdsmom]

Bugmenot doesn't appear to work for WSJ.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

The Scots-Irish are all over the place... I know because I am one of them! Great article. Go W!

[Republican Red]

This is getting ridiculous. Now we are being told the Scots-Irish vote so important.

What about the one-armed, green eyed, Albanian-American vote?

[Tax-chick]

Translation: "Please buy my book!"

Subtext: "Redneck trash for Bush!"

[Sadie789]

The Hispanic vote is more important and when the sleeping giant wakes up to vote...it will be screaming "VIVA BUSH!"

I read something pertaining to this in the Houston Chronicle this past few days.

I also was told by some very humble cleaning people (At the place where I work as a contract Engineer, in spanish of course.) That they will vote for Bush, simply because Bush needs to be given the opportunity to finish what he started. I was really amazed that these humble poor people had made more sense than the Engineers who were trying to convice me that voting for Kerry would be the right choice.

[somerville]

I'm of Scottish heritage, on both sides. I'm a plain speaker, too. Maybe that's what explains my appreciation for the President's no-nonsense, plain talk.Go Bush !

[Diva Betsy Ross]

... that and if you got the blood of William Wallace in you then I am sure you don't like people messin' with your freedom. That will get a Scot's back up every single time.

[somerville]

Actually, my dad says we have the blood(distantly) of Robert Louis Stevenson..

The Scots are a feisty bunch, indeed.

[Dan from Michigan]

Interesting. I'm mostly of "Green Irish" blood here, but I MAY have a little trace of Scots-Irish(less than 1/16) as well. I'm not sure if it's from Ulster or straight from Scotland. One of them was a Grand Mason and later converted to Catholicism in the 1800's.

[TEXASPROUD]

We're remembered, ah couldna believe it when I read it.

[Sybeck1]

So who has the Irish Travellers vote?

[Paleo Conservative]

At the same time, few key Democrats seem even to know that the Scots-Irish exist,

That must be because it is no longer the party of Andrew Jackson.

[Grampa Dave]

"that and if you got the blood of William Wallace in you then I am sure you don't like people messin' with your freedom. That will get a Scot's back up every single time."

One of our favorite Episcopal priest who is now dead was a Scot. His ancestors were such a pain for the Royalty of England, they would line up the males in his clan and decimate (kill one out ten) when they felt they getting ready to rebel. It didn't work then, and it doesn't work now.

Being Scottish, maybe this why GW resonates with me when he talks.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

The Scots-Irish vote is the rural folk of Appalachia from central and western Pennsylvania through western Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee to the mountain highlands of northern Georgia (think, Zell Miller's home turf).

[donozark]

How about somebody saying something positive about German/Polish/English? I feel so lonely...

[ZULU]

A German Rifle in the hands of a Scots-Irishman, conquered America's frontier.

[TNdandelion]

Well...I'm Scots-Irish but I had no idea we were an organized group or that I was being pandered to. I feel so entitled, now!