To: cnyndwllr who wrote (191751 ) 6/16/2012 2:03:03 PM From: JohnM Read Replies (3) | Respond to I think a more telling question would be to ask how long the list of enlightened, intellectual southern legislators would be? A different way to make the same point I'm making. There are lots of "souths" during different time periods, so it always makes sense to be as specific as possible. Origins of the New South, 1877-1913. Woodward is a terrific story teller, easily the best southern historian and one who has/had a deep appreciation for the diversity, at the political level, the loss of diversity, and, my guess, were he alive today, would have appreciation for some of its political diversity today. You may know that his work was extremely influential on the civil rights movement of the late 50s and early 60s. Jim Clyburn are from South Carolina, the one, possibly the most right wing senator, certainly among a handful; and the other in the House Democratic leadership. It also depends on where you wish to place North Carolina and Virginia. Terry Sanford was, again in my view, a terrific governor in NC, and Douglas Wilder and Tim Kain were not bad Virginia governors. I suspect that the southern legislators reflect southern attitudes and that the south is, in fact, anti-intellectual. What result could you expect given the prevalence of rigid, faith based thinking which is anti anything that could be considered contrary to their literal and strict interpretation of the bible. That's a fine recipe for ignorance and not much of a soup for accepting scientific thinking. To the contrary, to maintain many of those beliefs requires a rejection of scientific thinking. Ed, that's the stereotype but the reality is a great deal of diversity. That stereotype is clearly present but there's much, much more. Again, I recommend you take a look at Woodward's work.
