JJ, I never said that "all bias, bigotry and small minded lack of progressive thought" are based SOLELY in the red and swing states. I would never say that. I am southern myself, as or more southern than you are, I am from Georgia and I turned out liberal. So don't get so defensive. It doesn't change the fact that there are parts of the country which are more conservative than others. There are states that are less likely to vote for a woman candidate, a black candidate, or a hispanic candidate than others. That is not being self righteious, that is just a fact. A fact that is proven by the fact that some states, such as my former home state of georgia, have never elected a non-WASP male governor or senator. Ever.

There are plenty of progressives in the south and elsewhere, but they are a minority in the bible belt region. That doesn't mean the south is "backwards, reactionary, cracker", it just means that plainly, literally, that more people are conservative down there. The same states go red every year no matter who the democrats nominate. Some states, like Mississippi, have gone red in national elections pretty consistently ever since Johnson passed the civil rights act in 1964. That isn't a bias, its a fact. In fact I think it is you that stereotype the north by getting so defensive anytime anyone points out anything like that. We don't get past the problems that are still out there, the fact that many people in the south AND north are still prejudiced and theocratic, by ignoring those problems and pretending they don't exist. Or pretending, as you seem to want to do, that the red states are as blue as the blue states and the blue as red as the red states.