Are the people of Ohio and Pennsylvania stuck on stupid?

I read the USA today almost everyday during my lunch break. They are really great at covering diverse topics from spanning anything from politics to sports. One article in particular that caught my attention was a piece written in the political section entitled, "Small Ohio towns play a hefty role". According to the article, the republican party has made a clean sweep in these areas. "Traditional values" was the trump card the Bush camp played in the 2004 election. 118,000 total votes decided the winner of the state. It appears that Obama has to find common ground with the rural community. During the primaries, fear (racism) reared its ugly head. Many of the voters struggled with the thought of Obama being president. Most believed the rumors of him going to a Muslim school and that secretly he was still a Muslim.

The Jeremiah Wright fiasco didn't do Obama any favors either. Don't let the title of this blurb throw you off. I'm not suggesting that the people of Pennsylvania and Ohio are stupid. The term stuck on stupid refers to people who knows they should do the right thing but can't. Most of these people have never been exposed to an Obama. Their only introduction to black people are the ones they see in handcuffs on the news or hip hop videos. The town Coshocton, Ohio has a population of 11,500. Most of their big ticket employers like Coca-Cola have left town leaving the county with a 10.2 unemployment rate.

Truth be told many of the hardest hit rural counties never get their stories told. The media has a love affair of depicting minority's only as the ones who suffer from the effects of poverty. A few camera crews from various news organizations interviewed some of the people of rural Pennsylvania. When asked about supporting Obama, some openly admitted that race was an issue. Of course they used the "experience" card which is a fair argument on the surface. That's until Sarah Palin showed up on the ticket of the Republicans. Now some of these same people are changing their tune.

The biggest sign of hypocrisy is the McCain camp's back pedal. They have started out keeping Palin out of the spotlight by herself purposely. They have done a masterful job of promoting her as a career woman that women can relate to. Clearly the strategy is to move the Clinton supporters over to their side. Of course women around the country aren't that naive but there's enough of them that are. Some men are sticking to their guns about McCain praising his choice as validation for his "maverick" persona.

Sadly many in the middle class are undecided because they're allowing religious doctrine to be a crutch for making a good decision. Anyone who makes less than 250,000 a year should cast a democratic vote. The McCain economic package doesn't benefit us!!! It's just that simple. Most politicians on either side of the coin remind me of used car salesmen. I should know I used to be one!!! Car salesmen are great at making you feel like one of them. They'll butter you up with cold drinks, snacks for the kids, and compliments for how pretty your wife is. The empty promises of giving people the choice of what to do with their money is baloney.

Taxpayers are going to pay some form of tax and it want be cheap. Corporate welfare for AIG, Fannie Mae, and Freddi Mac is a testament to how there's a huge double standard. Middle class people aren't going to get this type of bail out. Many people are behind on their mortgages. Will the government create an authentic program that assists working families with catching up on their mortgages? (regardless of fico score) This is why this question should be asked. Are we as a country stuck on stupid? The last eight years as proven to us that the Bush economic plan has failed those who matters most.

If we don't elect Obama we will continue to slide down the slippery slope of economic mediocrity. Hopefully new voters will get out. Prayerfully rural county people will see the error of their choice four years ago. It's up to all of us.. Not just one community.....