I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago...aside from discussions at the occasional family BBQ or hearing about a crooked governor on the news, I never felt that politics were at the center of my society. Then I moved to the South. Politics are different here. My cousin through marriage is the attorney general for South Carolina, Alan Wilson. His father, Joe Wilson is a South Carolina representative. Their family was very close to Strom Thurmond - Alan was an intern in his office while in college and Joe was an aide to Thurmond in the 60's. One thing I have learned about this part of the family is that they are VERY proud to be from South Carolina. In reading the book this week, specifically Part One: Up From Edgefield, I get the sense that the political community in South Carolina is very close-knit, loyalty is taken very seriously, and the love for the state of South Carolina runs DEEP. Thurmond was born and raised in South Carolina, went to college in South Carolina, got married in South Carolina (twice) and died in South Carolina. Even after the scandal with his daughter, Essie Mae Washington-Williams, many in South Carolina are still very loyal to Strom Thurmond's memory. A statue still stands in Columbia in his honor.
I find Crespino's brief connection to Thurmond very interesting. Coming from the South, Crespino acknowledges that much of the GOP (and Southern politics in general) was impacted by Thurmond. After reading Crespino's book and having a small personal connection to South Carolina politics...I'd have to agree.
As a Southerner, there is a general sense of pride in being from the South swirling around in the culture that, while maybe not unique, is certainly interesting.
ReplyDeleteThurmond in many ways represents the defiant South that is proud of being different from the rest of the country.
Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI think you make an extremely interesting point. Growing up in Colorado was a similar experience as Chicago. For most of my childhood, politics received limited attention. Even as a Politcal Science major at the University of Colorado, we were primarily focused on events outside of the state. However, in the last several elections, political consciousness in Colorado seems to be rising. This seems to be coinciding with Colorado's growing political importance nationally. I wonder if there is a link between the national importance of a state, or region, and general interest in politics.
I grew up in New Jersey and politics was a constant presence in my childhood, probably because my parents were some of the few Republicans in a thoroughly blue state. I remember during the 1996 presidential campaign thinking that my parents might disown me if I grew up and became a Democrat since my entire family continually attacked Clinton, that nice adult who signed a certificate congratulating me on my physical fitness. I think the reason that conservative politics, state pride, and loyalty run so deep in South Carolina as well as the South is because of a residual Confederate consciousness, the feeling of being marginalized in national politics by Northerners. Identity politics runs deep here.
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