Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

A Blue City (Disconsolate, Even) Bewildered by a Red America
New York Times ^ | 11/04/2004 | JOSEPH BERGER

Posted on 11/04/2004 11:18:32 AM PST by JerseyRepub

The superior, condescending attitude just drips off the page. Even they admit it and they seem to be proud of it. And they wonder why they lost and no one gets them!

An excerpt from the article...

Dr. Joseph, a bearded, broad-shouldered man with silken gray hair, was sharing coffee and cigarettes with his fellow dog walker, Roberta Kimmel Cohn, at an outdoor table outside the hole-in-the-wall Breadsoul Cafe near Lincoln Center. The site was almost a cliché corner of cosmopolitan Manhattan, with a newsstand next door selling French and Italian newspapers and, a bit farther down, the Lincoln Plaza theater showing foreign movies.

"I'm saddened by what I feel is the obtuseness and shortsightedness of a good part of the country - the heartland," Dr. Joseph said. "This kind of redneck, shoot-from-the-hip mentality and a very concrete interpretation of religion is prevalent in Bush country - in the heartland."

"New Yorkers are more sophisticated and at a level of consciousness where we realize we have to think of globalization, of one mankind, that what's going to injure masses of people is not good for us," he said.

His friend, Ms. Cohn, a native of Wisconsin who deals in art, contended that New Yorkers were not as fooled by Mr. Bush's statements as other Americans might be. "New Yorkers are savvy," she said. "We have street smarts. Whereas people in the Midwest are more influenced by what their friends say."

"They're very 1950's," she said of Midwesterners. "When I go back there, I feel I'm in a time warp."

Dr. Joseph acknowledged that such attitudes could feed into the perception that New Yorkers are cultural elitists, but he didn't apologize for it.

"People who are more competitive and proficient at what they do tend to gravitate toward cities," he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: kerrydefeat
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-97 next last
To: BluH2o

wow how quickly New Yorkers forget 9-11 huh, you'd think the fact Rudy Guilani AND Ed Koch supported Bush meant something, at least the NYP firefighters supported Bush, not everyone has forgotten.........


61 posted on 11/04/2004 12:15:17 PM PST by littlelilac
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: JerseyRepub

OK now let me get this straight. I live in a large, nice, affordable home in a city with clean air, very little crime and abundant good paying jobs. I belong to a beautiful golf course (where I spend too much time) that winds through wooded hills and along a scenic river. I live 20 minutes from a two concert arenas and a theatre that feature world class entertainment on a regular basis. There are a multitude of restaurants in my city that offer any type of cuisine that one might desire. My wife and I are college educated and are fortunate enough to earn incomes that allow us to live an upper middle class lifestyle, even though neither of us come from families with alot of money.
The folks mentioned in this story likely live in small apartments in an overpriced smelly cesspool of humanity. The cost of living is twice what it is in my city, yet they have to walk blocks to find an open green space, all the while avoiding the crackheads, dog poop and human urine. The deal on a daily basis with a rude overbearing population who in most cases would rather spit on you than say a friedly word. The air smells almost as bad as many of the people on the street. And although the crime rate has gone down (thanks to a former Republican mayor they despise) it is off the charts compared with where I live.
And Im the dumb hick. Just keep on thinking that your world is superior to mine. We dont want you here anyway. Life is pretty good out here in flyover country but lets keep that little secret between us rednecks.


62 posted on 11/04/2004 12:15:21 PM PST by Big Red Clay (Greetings from the Big Red State)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Aetius
I think Dr. Joseph must have inadvertantly said "mankind" instead of "humankind." "Mankind" is so unsophisticated, and regressive, and outdated, and ....

In the full article, the NY Times actually referred to a woman as a "barmaid" (!).

63 posted on 11/04/2004 12:16:04 PM PST by malakhi (Paleoconservative = Neoliberal)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: kellynch
From my personal experience, most big-city dwellers do look down their respective noses at the "country mice." And it's just wrong.

I wonder if they have any idea where their food and clothing comes from.

64 posted on 11/04/2004 12:20:22 PM PST by concerned about politics (Vote Republican - Vote morally correct!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: Big Red Clay
OK now let me get this straight. I live in a large, nice, affordable home in a city with clean air, very little crime and abundant good paying jobs. I belong to a beautiful golf course (where I spend too much time) that winds through wooded hills and along a scenic river. I live 20 minutes from a two concert arenas and a theatre that feature world class entertainment on a regular basis. There are a multitude of restaurants in my city that offer any type of cuisine that one might desire. My wife and I are college educated and are fortunate enough to earn incomes that allow us to live an upper middle class lifestyle, even though neither of us come from families with alot of money. The folks mentioned in this story likely live in small apartments in an overpriced smelly cesspool of humanity. The cost of living is twice what it is in my city, yet they have to walk blocks to find an open green space, all the while avoiding the crackheads, dog poop and human urine. The deal on a daily basis with a rude overbearing population who in most cases would rather spit on you than say a friedly word. The air smells almost as bad as many of the people on the street. And although the crime rate has gone down (thanks to a former Republican mayor they despise) it is off the charts compared with where I live.

Sure... but can you buy Italian newspapers just around the corner from your house? ;o)

65 posted on 11/04/2004 12:21:29 PM PST by malakhi (Paleoconservative = Neoliberal)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: Sthitch

what a great story! You're great!


66 posted on 11/04/2004 12:23:06 PM PST by merry10
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: thoughtomator
"They just don't get it, still... they win no friends by calling a majority of the electorate "stupid" or "redneck"."

Exactly. They endlessly repeat this.

My whole family is from the South. Three of the five of us have PhD's (one in particle physics from Carnegie-Mellon) and the other two have MBA's and Electronic Engineering degrees.

I do not intent to brag here, but I am so damned tired of being portrayed as some ignorant hick just because I was born and raised in Alabama, and love the South.
67 posted on 11/04/2004 12:23:28 PM PST by EEDUDE (Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Fredgoblu
"P.S. 99th percentile GMATs across the board. Beat that, doctor."

Huh. Another one. I live in Peoria (aka "Red county" in a blue state). The fact there's two of us on FR, outside the City (as NYC dwellers like to call it), may invalidate the premise of the article?

But facts are not admissible in a liberal argument.

I don't usually bring up my GMAT score, but in deconstructing a fallacious article, it's fair game.
68 posted on 11/04/2004 12:24:18 PM PST by Forgiven_Sinner (Europe: name one nation you have ever liberated. I won't hold my breath.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: Mrs. Xtrmst

"What's different about New York City is it tends to bring people together and so we can't ignore each others' dreams and values and it creates a much more inclusive consciousness,"


AKA "mass hysteria"

Put too many rats in the same cage and they will eat each other.


69 posted on 11/04/2004 12:27:36 PM PST by EEDUDE (Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Forgiven_Sinner
Liberals have no common sense. They're not very bright people. They don't know it. They are completely unaware of it. They really do think they're smart.
I wonder where they ever got the idea they were intelligent. Most liberals I know have nothing in their heads but dust.
70 posted on 11/04/2004 12:32:01 PM PST by concerned about politics (Vote Republican - Vote morally correct!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: concerned about politics
Liberals have no common sense. They're not very bright people. They don't know it. They are completely unaware of it. They really do think they're smart. I wonder where they ever got the idea they were intelligent.

Probably told by their teachers all through school how smart and "special" they are. Didn't want to harm their self-esteem, you know...

71 posted on 11/04/2004 12:36:25 PM PST by malakhi (Paleoconservative = Neoliberal)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: Forgiven_Sinner
I don't usually bring up my GMAT score, but in deconstructing a fallacious article, it's fair game.

Me either.

It's bothered me this whole campaign cycle. I couldn't help but laugh that the dropout Michael Moore had the gall to portray Bush, the Harvard MBA, as stupid. Yeah, maybe he used connections to get in...but let me tell you, Daddy can't get you a passing grade once you're there!

What really frosted me, though, was the lack of respect that the Kerry campaign had for Bush voters and for the voting public in general. Remember Teresa and her "you've got to be an idiot not to support my husband's plan", or Edwards and his "only an ignorant person would vote for Bush."

In his Silverdome rally last week, Bush had one line that summed it up for me: "you may not agree with everything I say...". He gets it. He understands what Lincoln said (please correct me if I'm wrong): "you can please some of the people some of the time, and you can please some of the people all of the time. But, you can't please all of the people all of the time." Plain and simple. You may not agree with him--and many people won't--but that doesn't make you stupid!

There's plenty of room for differences of opinion in this country and in this administration. But, there's absolutely no room for generalization, mischaracterization, and name calling.

72 posted on 11/04/2004 12:47:22 PM PST by Fredgoblu
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: JerseyRepub

A short and true story:

When I was about 15, my family was on vacation driving through some of the most remote North Carolina mountains you can imagine. Dirt roads through the hills, and a VERY poor area.

We came across an old pickup truck with a flat tire. There was a young boy (maybe 5 years old) and a very elderly man with a leg cast on and crutches. They were miles from anywhere, and the old man was attempting to tell the child how to change the tire, but he was too small to do it.

My Dad immediately stopped and told me to get out and change the tire for them. I did.

Do you think they thanked us?

No.

They insisted that we come have dinner at their house, and they served one of the best dinners I have ever eaten, even though it was obvious they didn't have much.

Do you think this would happen in New York?

I don't.


73 posted on 11/04/2004 12:47:42 PM PST by EEDUDE (Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EEDUDE
I saw a news special (a few years ago) on "Who's Friendlier in America." They used Texas and NYC as their testing ground.
They were asking people for change for a dollar to make a phone call. They filmed people being asked.
NYC failed miserably. They just ignored the guy, or pointed to a near by store. Some just said no as if the guy had a plague. They were very rude.
Texas was very friendly. They gave change, some just gave the guy a quarter, or they actually waked him to a store to get change. They were very friendly.
NYC failed, Dallas won.
74 posted on 11/04/2004 1:03:03 PM PST by concerned about politics (Vote Republican - Vote morally correct!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: concerned about politics

You bring up a good point. The true mark of a civilised society is the manners of its general population and having lived in Manhattan I know they are in short supply there.


75 posted on 11/04/2004 3:06:03 PM PST by Timocrat (I Emanate on your Auras and Penumbras Mr Blackmun)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: cyborg; Clemenza; Cacique; NYCVirago; The Mayor; Darksheare; hellinahandcart; NYC GOP Chick; ...

FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.

Have a laugh at all the pseudo-sophisticates the "paper of record" uses.

It's so nice to be on the winning side in politics for a change in NYC with the national results.


76 posted on 11/04/2004 6:27:28 PM PST by neverdem (Xin loi min oi)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Did you read Mo Dowd's column today..? Totally off the wall..


77 posted on 11/04/2004 6:28:51 PM PST by ken5050
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: JerseyRepub

I just feel so darn guilty about gloating. I have never felt this content about an election. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to all Ohioans that helped reelect Bush. Sorry Pa, Wi,NJ,Mn,Mi,NH, You weren't quite worthy enough to join the "red state" celebration. Maybe next time . .we'll be waiting with open arms!


78 posted on 11/04/2004 6:33:14 PM PST by 2nd Amendment
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ken5050
Did you read Mo Dowd's column today..?

No, and I'm fearful that's she's using all that psychobabble crap. Is she, or is she funny for a change?

79 posted on 11/04/2004 6:34:40 PM PST by neverdem (Xin loi min oi)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Delusional..but in a perverse way..it's like rubbernecking at an accident..ya gotta check it out..let me know after you read it....


80 posted on 11/04/2004 6:37:10 PM PST by ken5050
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-97 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson