Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Truth or Consequences

I thought this post on the BBC's US election blog illustrates a big obstacle that the Democrats face, not just in this election, but overall: the fact that people who live in smaller communities just don't see social services and government programs the same way as those of us who live in cities. How do the Democrats address that? Should they address it? I know in Pennsylvania that there's a push in Philadelphia to get voters registered and to the polls because a high turnout there could push that state over into the red column. I'm sure there are similar plans in motion in Ohio and the other swing states.

I especially liked how the BBC blogger contrasted the man who said that he's "going to take personal responsibility" for himself with the man whom the community rallied around to save. To me, that disconnect highlights a big problem with fixing our system.

1 comment:

Caroline said...

Very interesting.

In a possibly related matter...I also wonder where most of our extreme poverty is - cities or small towns? I middle class and lower middle class folks may be better at community than the wealthy and the very poor... The wealthy are too disconnected and the poor to busy scraping by to sweat others' problems...

Just a theory.