Wow! You sound just like me. Yes, I remember. They WOULD "vote for the crook," if given the chance. They mght do so, in fact, even if he was able to run from prison. I stood helpless and aghast at how they voted him in each time and how he--blatantly--took them to the cleaners in plain sight.
My favorite Edwards plot was against the oil industry; how he tried blackmail for a piece of the action, causing them to pull out in one week's time. I remember the boarded-up windows and massive unemployment, during the 80s and the Reagan boom.
You got out after going to college. You are smarter than I am, my friend. I went back a couple of times, in the hope that my resentment was mistaken, and regretted it each time. I wish I had learned the lesson, and trusted my instincts, as young as you did.
I guess I wished better for my home too. But, it ain't gonna happen. I still hear from friends and family there who swear the state is improving. But, I'm too old to fall for it anymore, since they know of nothing else.
Congratulations on the photos on your profile page. Thanks for showing me I'm not alone in my disgust for my home state's fate.
How 'bout dem Saints?..:-)