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Saw this in my neighborhood and had to take a picture of it. The context of this is that my neighborhood is stuffed with the sort of people right wing radio instructs you to hate: Earnest college students, college professors, liberal yuppies with jobs in marketing and law, bohemians who own successful antique shops. You know the like. It means that the overall tenor of the neighborhood, signage-wise, is “OBAMA! FUCK YEAH!” It’s not subtle in any way. I suspected, the second I saw this display, that the people responsible are trying to aggravate their neighbors. Considering that this house is in an area with heavy foot, car, and bicycle traffic and is right around the corner from the neighborhood hippie grocery store, I suspect mine is a good bet.
There’s an equally big American flag that I didn’t capture in the picture, so I apologize if this doesn’t seem as fair and balanced as they perhaps intended the display to be. When I first saw it, people were sitting on the porch, but I figured they’d get tired of sitting out there hoping to catch people walking by holding their noses, but apparently not, because when I got there later, they were still sitting out there eating meringue. Unable to just snap and run, I decided to engage, and be friendly so as not to frighten them and lose access to the photo op. On went the redneck switch. “Hi, y’all! Lovely day! Mind if I take a picture of this display you got here?”
Permission was granted and I was asked who I was voting for. I demurred, as people did in my childhood but don’t much anymore. I asked the old man who was doing all of the talking who he was voting for.
“Palin!” he said. I thought I misheard him.
“Did you say McCain?”
“No! Palin! She’s got more sense than the lot of them!”
I thanked him and hopped on my bike and rode off.
Hope this makes up for a lack of a post this morning. We had to film some video for RH Reality Check, and I didn’t have time.
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Posted by
Amanda Marcotte on 02:30 PM •
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I like how they spelled “Socialist” wrong. Not only do they not know what the word means, but they also can’t spell.
Also misspelled “maverick”. When I saw the pic, before reading the post, I thought someone was being sarcastic, riffing on the idiot who put a sign in his yard calling Obama a “half-breed Muslin”. Sadly, it appears these people are in earnest. There’s nothing like ignorance put proudly on display to make one weep for the Republic and her future.
Mostly Harmless. Sincere and harmless. There are far worse displays than “no Obama”.
The signs are hand-made, not terribly threatening. It just looks like somebody cares, just not about the things we care about.
Did you ask them how they felt about the Socialest Bale Owt?
“I’m a MAVRIK. How about you?”
Aw come on; this can’t be for reelz.
I thought the same thing, millsapian.
Also misspelled “maverick”.
For some reason, the “mavrik” strikes me as an intentional misspelling. I can’t put my finger on why, though.
No, no. They dislike the socialest. They’re fine with the merely social and even the socialer, but that most social motherfucker is a real ass.
As for “mavrik”, they’re obviously fans of Russian heavy metal.
I have to agree with them on a point, I don’t really like hyper social people either, so the most social probably would really grate on my nerves.
By some chance, was this guy one of the people on that porch?
Devil’s, I was somewhat skeptical until I talked to them. If they’re fooling, they do a bang-up impression of ever proud but ignorant redneck I’ve ever known.
This display comes across as sarcasm. I suspect the folks are really voting for O.
Is that Hyde Park? It’s an unusual neighborhood for people that uneducated.
Say, is that Junior Samples on the porch? I believe they are going to break into the theme song:
I searched the world over and thought I found true love,
but you found another ... and pffft, you wuz gone!
I hope so toddly. It’s not impossible. Just, after that conversation, extremely unlikely.
LOL.
Here’s another one. I think of John McCain as more of a poly blend, personally.
“Unless I’m one of those guys with saliva dribbling out of his mouth who wanders into a cafeteria with a shopping bag screaming about socialism.”—Alvy Singer
Reminds me of the guy in Florida who won’t vote for Obama because he’s “muslin”.
Reminds me of the guy in Florida who won’t vote for Obama because he’s “muslin”.
Ha! That’s what my link is about! And yeah he has a GUN and if anyone touches his sign he’s gonna git ya!!!
I swear. My fellow Americans embarrass the hell out of me sometimes.
Eh, Hyde Park still has a lot of people that have lived here since before it went yuppie. I used to live in another part, and my neighbors were mostly yuppies and bohos, but one of our neighbors was an elderly lady whose mullet-sporting son would always call the cops and complain about everyone else, and whose kid was always hanging out in the yard because his dad didn’t make him go to school. Indeed, I lived next to Huckleberry Finn.
Anyway, you don’t buy a Dixie flag that big for a prank.
I’m surprised they didn’t see you on a bike and immediately peg you as an Obama supporter. Only socialest non-maverks avoid burning as much gasoline as they can in their humvees.
Sincere and harmless. There are far worse displays than “no Obama”.
When you put “no Obama” together with a Confederate flag, however, we can infer that the reason behind “no Obama” is not really harmless, however sincere.
zadig, I’m white and I give good redneck. They probably suspected, but I pass if I have to.
Mark B., while Junior may have done it once or twice, that song was Archie Campbell and a guest star, although Gordie Tapp was his partner more than anyone else. And it wasn’t the theme—that was a bluegrass number preformed by Roy Clark.
Assuming the American flag is to the right where you can see the the flagpole, it is in the wrong place.....The American Flag is always to be displayed to the right (its own right) of all other flags.
You may want to drop off a copy of the “Flag Code” as a neighborly thing to do....
Incidently, note that the population of Austin is larger than the population of Alaska. The mayor of Austin, at least on paper, is more qualified to be president than Sarah Palin. Plus, you can see Mexico from Austin, just like you can see Russia from Wasilla
Plus, they were really proud of it. Even if I am some smarmy liberal, what do they care what I think? The whole point of the display is to show they don’t.
I’m touched by the people who think that there’s no way this is real. Austin is still in Texas, and we have our fair share of noxious racists. As for the misspellings, I’d blame male privilege. It’s just easier not to tell grandpa he’s wrong about anything, even something you can look up in the dictionary. Hell, it’s probably worse if you conclusively prove him wrong.
Hey Amanda, some friends of mine are placing bets in which Austin neighborhood this is, (looking for pre-debate excitement I suppose) you up for letting us know the winner?
It’s Hyde Park. It’s not my direct neighborhood, but you know, close enough. I used to live close to there, but not anymore. I can only imagine how high the rent on my old place is now.
I think they’re probably McCain supporters with a sense of humor, hamming it up for the visitors to the zoo. I had a friend who was homeschooled, and she told me about pulling similar stuff when people asked all the usual questions about socialization and such.
Reminds me of the guy in Florida who won’t vote for Obama because he’s “muslin”.
How many times is he going to have to say it before these idiots get that he’s gingham?
Amanda, seeing as you’ve admitted to knowing more than a few proud but ignorant rednecks....
How do these elderly anti-socialest types typically deal with the cognitive dissonance of accepting Medicare and Social Security payments?
I think they’re probably McCain supporters with a sense of humor, hamming it up for the visitors to the zoo.
I live in Tennessee. Trust me, they’re not.
For some reason, the “mavrik” strikes me as an intentional misspelling. I can’t put my finger on why, though.
Spelling is elitist.
I think people who want this to be a joke need to consider how awful and hateful it is to put out the Confederate flag. I saw at least a couple of non-white people flinch when they saw this. If you’re funning, you want it to be fun.
zadig, in this part of red California, there’s a lot of folks of the redneck persuasion who use bicycles because of the price of gas having risen in the last 3 years, which make it easy for Amanda to ‘pass’ riding a bicycle, conditions here and there being similar economically. She probably puts on a little more accent, keeps a blank expression on her face, or none-of-the-above.
OMG I saw that yard yesterday! I was hoping to go by again today to take a picture or two. Thanks for posting!
Maybe you should put out a colonial Mexican flag? It was more original to the territory than the stars and bars ...
Michael, Social Security is not understood as socialism, and Medicare is often held up, by my very conservative grandparents at least, as a terrible federal program that doesn’t work right. And it doesn’t, because it’s underfunded. But they believe that it doesn’t work like it’s supposed to because socialism automatically fails. I pointed out that I’d rather have Medicare than buy my own insurance, because I don’t risk getting my policy canceled under Medicare, and they didn’t have much to say to that.
But you know, Barack Obama is a Hussein.
Here in Tennessee, I saw a doctored up bumper sticker: somebody had taken a “Southern by Grace of God” sticker, cut off the Confederate flag part, and then they carefully placed the stars and bars section right next to an Obama-Biden ‘08 sticker.
Strange, huh?
How many times is he going to have to say it before these idiots get that he’s gingham?
But seersucker would be cooler.
Heh.
Socialest isn’t correct. It should be Most Social.
Anyway, you don’t buy a Dixie flag that big for a prank.
Actually, Amanda, I have a question Texans may be best able to answer after years of local observation. Is it fair to say you would never see a Confederate flag on the same property as a pro-Obama or pro-Dem sign, or are the two not completely mutually exclusive?
Signed,
Curious Canadian
hilarious.
nothing you can do with people like that except laugh about it i guess. anyone with a giant confederate flag isn’t going to be up for some stimulating intellectual back and forth.
i’m from austin and this in no way surprises me, even in hyde park.
Isn’t a maverick an unbranded calf?
I’m a freemartin, how about you?
I have to agree with them on a point, I don’t really like hyper social people either, so the most social probably would really grate on my nerves.
Wuss. They’re only about 15 nova points, and wityh a good referee you can have a lot of fun playing one.
I think I know that house! I used to live not far from the Wheatsville Co-op, too. (That HAS to be the hippie grocery store you’re talking about.)
I guess its a Texas thing, but the Southern Swastika would not last long in my neighborhood in Chicago. I know Amanda defends Texas all the time and I haven’t lived in the South since I was three years old, but...WTF? Austin is an oasis in a very, very large desert.
I live in deep-blue Chicago, in a neighborhood that probably has more PhDs than any in the midwest. We’ve got a house on our block that’s the Chi-town version of the above. It looks normal (except for the tacky window treatments) but there’s a black Ford pickup parked there that’s got bumper stickers like Obama/Ayers08 and “I’m voting for the American - McCain08”.
During one of the immigration marches last Spring, the whole family was out, standing on their porch at attention (I’m serious) and holding American flags with anti-immigration signs all over the yard. They talked to me for a while when they first moved in, but they refuse to speak to me or my wife ever since my daughter put a “Support the troops - End the War” sign in her bedroom window. When I walk my dog they give me the hairy eyeball. My wife has tried to engage the woman of the family, but I don’t think she’s allowed to speak to strangers.
Shoulda asked these “most social” folks if they were drawing social security, or getting medicare or medicaid.
Mark B., while Junior may have done it once or twice, that song was Archie Campbell and a guest star, although Gordie Tapp was his partner more than anyone else. And it wasn’t the theme—that was a bluegrass number preformed by Roy Clark.
True enough, but I always thought Junior was always on the porch for that number, at least he was as far as I could remember, along with a barely animate Hound Dawg. And while that wasn’t the Hee Haw theme song, it was damn nearly always the high point of each episode. Hee Haw was ‘Laugh In’ for rednecks.
Roy Clark was really talented, and I always enjoyed seeing him when he appeared on the show. Buck Owens, too.
Ranylt--
I’ve actually seen two houses with confederate flags and Obama signs. I don’t know if they’re trying to confuse me on purpose, or what.
But I’m in Virginia, not Texas.
Obama nailed it in his response to the criticism of his ‘inflated tires’ proposal… ‘These people delight in their ignorance.’
I used to live in Hyde Park and had liberal friends who had those idiotic flags, mostly for the Skynyrd camp value and/or their parents had them from a different time. But the more radical ones only flew the Lone Star — and kept the “Texas can secede anytime it wants — it’s in our constitution” ideal.
Still, if you’re going for satire this: “I think people who want this to be a joke need to consider how awful and hateful it is to put out the Confederate flag.” is part of the point, don’t you think? I mean, if you were trying to make fun of redneck values you’d make the exact same display because you’d be calling to light their incredible lack of social decency (and inability to spell) by flying the stars n’ bars. Really. Even idiots can spell ‘socialism’ and ‘maverick’ (especially given its Texas roots).
“Hee Haw was ‘Laugh In’ for rednecks.”
Learn about John Henry Faulk sometime, there’s an interesting story. If you know about Faulk, you’d know that his righteous fight against being blacklisted made him broke. And Hee Haw paid him.
Even idiots can spell ‘socialism’ and ‘maverick’ (especially given its Texas roots).
Not true. Some people can’t spell. Hell, plenty of people can’t read.
Your Hee Haw fact of the day:
Gordie Tapp is Canadian!
As for the misspellings, I’d blame male privilege. It’s just easier not to tell grandpa he’s wrong about anything, even something you can look up in the dictionary.
This is really what pisses me off about W’s butchering of the English language-- only a rich white guy who’s never been told “no” in his entire life could get away with it. My father, whose first language was not English, insisted always on having perfect grammar and spelling because he knew that he’d find barriers placed in front of him if he didn’t. Sorry for the digression. Pet peeve.
Jay B, the effectiveness of that kind of satire is defeated by Poe’s law. It isn’t possible to recognize actions like that as satire, because large numbers of people earnestly hold those beliefs. What’s more, racism is something experienced by and enforced against people of color every day. Anyone who thinks that putting a Confederate flag on their lawn is “satire” is an idiot. Doing it achieves nothing more than sending a message of hate, because it doesn’t have the appearance of taking any current social belief or policy to a ridiculous extreme. We are already AT that extreme.
I know that i should see that picture and despair or be afraid for my country, but it cracked me up.
Vote Obama. He’s the socialest!
I live in deep-blue Chicago, in a neighborhood that probably has more PhDs than any in the midwest. We’ve got a house on our block that’s the Chi-town version of the above. It looks normal (except for the tacky window treatments) but there’s a black Ford pickup parked there that’s got bumper stickers like Obama/Ayers08 and “I’m voting for the American - McCain08”.
ZOMG. I know that house. Holy shit, I thought they were joking. Shows what I know.
Tyro, a better solution is to acknowledge that there are multiple dialects of English in which pronunciation and other rules are not identical and that the judgment as to which of these dialects is more “proper” or “correct” is passed by those in power. Millions of people speak a dialect of American English in which “nuclear” is pronounced the way that W. pronounces it. Millions more speak Black English Vernacular, and receive no end of bigoted criticism for it. I can give W. a pass on his “mispronunciation” of “nuclear,” given that I am disgusted by the use of language as a weapon of oppression against black Americans, poor Americans, and etc. Spelling is another issue, but I’ve long since run out of patience for criticism of someone’s particular dialect.
Anyone who thinks that putting a Confederate flag on their lawn is “satire” is an idiot.
Maybe. But anyone who thinks that someone who hangs a Confederate flag on a lawn, next to crude cardboard signs which misspell “Socialist” AND “Maverick” while showing support for McCain/Palin in a particularly liberal neighborhood in a liberal town can’t possibly be joking is significantly dumber than that.
Context matters, don’t you think? Even in unfunny satire. Now, you could tease out the demographics of the neighborhood (where I lived) and convince me that sure, there are cartoonishly stupid people living there. But not this stupid, at least not this aggressively and publicly stupid. Hell, I lived next to a half-dozen frats in West Campus where people routinely died from drinking and falling off roofs and even they wouldn’t be so moronic.
Is it fair to say you would never see a Confederate flag on the same property as a pro-Obama or pro-Dem sign, or are the two not completely mutually exclusive?
Pretty much. I never say never, but that would be completely unlikely to see both on one car.
Nash, nah it’s Fresh Plus, not Wheatsville.
Jay, people are walking by this and visibly flinching in front of the family that did it. I understand the need to look away from ugly hate like this, and believe it’s something else. But it is what it is. And not that uncommon, either. And zoning laws don’t keep out bigots.
I know of at least one guy who, in 2004, had a big Dean sign in his window and the Stars and Bars flying from his porch. My friend gave him the Dean sign.
But that was rural NM, not Texas, 2004 ain’t 2008, and Dean ain’t Obama. Still, though, I come down on the side that says, if you want a better country, we want your vote. Even if you’re racist, ignorant, or just pissed at McCain. Your kids still need healthcare. Your town still needs jobs. You’re still an American, and we want your vote.
Obama is a muslin? maybe he’s one of those Marxist-Linenists I keep hearing about…
What is it with these right wingers not knowing how to spell? It’s as if they’re illiterate, or something.
There must be some other explanation.
I Love Hyde Park. I lived there my jr year and both of my sr years. Hmm. Liked it too much? Is Mother’s still open?
Yep, and it’s better than ever.
There’s a certain irony to a Texan flying the Confederate Battle Flag:
Despite Houston’s being a slave owner and against abolition, he opposed the secession of Texas from the Union. In 1860, he offered the following prediction: “Let me tell you what is coming. After the sacrifice of countless millions of treasure and hundreds of thousands of lives you may win Southern independence, but I doubt it. The North is determined to preserve this Union."[3]
One of the rare bursts of sanity that occur from time to time in Texans, YMMV..........
Tyro, a better solution is to acknowledge that there are multiple dialects of English in which pronunciation and other rules are not identical and that the judgment as to which of these dialects is more “proper” or “correct” is passed by those in power.
Sure. Except that Bush is the descendent of generations of New Englanders, spent most of his youth in the Northeast, and the accent is an affectation.
And I have to say that there’s something about putting on a stereotypically ignorant-sounding accent that just doesn’t sit right with me. It’s not just a lie, it’s a malicious anti-intellectual lie.
I ar practikly ilitrat. Cant spel werth a dam. Mebbe shuld hav gone beeyond therd graid. Go Palen!
‘Mavrik’ is phonetic, as I suspect ‘socialest’ is. ‘Morans’ most certainly is, especially is you listen to the speaker.
LOL!cat obzervur sees no problim with teh sihnz.
I trust Amanda’s judgment on the non-humor of the residents.
I ar practikly ilitrat. Cant spel werth a dam. Mebbe shuld hav gone beeyond therd graid. Go Palen!
That’s alright, Frederick. Just remember when marking your ballot for McCain, his name is spelt “O-B-A-M-A”.
Amanda: Oops—wrong side of Hyde Park!
Damn, this conversation is making me homesick. In my head I’m hearing a William Shatner version of “London Homesick Blues”:
I...want to go HOME...with the...ar...maDILLo...
oh my gosh. This is literally two blocks from my house. They are surrounded by liberal college students. hahahaha
Boy, you guys are so clever with your intentionally misspelled words and ridicule of your beloved lower middle class. The creativity of the posters here astounds me. I can’t wait to peruse your blogs and read more of this witty intellectual
Funny how commenting negatively on african-american culture makes you a racist, and picking on homosexuals makes you a homophobe. But it’s always open season on the uneducated lower-middle class.
By the way, how’re things in Michigan these days? Is voting democrat the last four elections working for you? Maybe another tax hike will make things better…
See ya. I’m going to watch another one of those funny Sarah Palin SNL skits…
Boy, you guys are so clever with your intentionally misspelled words and ridicule of your beloved lower middle class.
My dad was the first person in his family to go to college. His father had a 3rd and 4th grade education. Yes, 3rd and 4th only. My ex-boyfriend was the first person in *his* family to go to college. My father-in-law works in a mailroom on an Army base, and my husband grew up eating government cheese.
And *all* of them can spell better than this.
Everyone in the United States is entitled to a public school education of at least 10 grades. If you go to an urban inner city school where people shoot each other over sneakers, I could maybe forgive never learning how to spell, but most of these lower middle class people went to schools every bit as good (and safe) as the public school *I* went to.
So yeah. I think *lots* of liberals, while we might be well-educated ourselves, have grandparents or parents who were decidedly working class. We have family members with as much education as these folks. And our family members can spell.
Hey, Amanda, your photo was Photo of the Day last night at 23/6.
I don’t care if you can’t spell, as long as you’re not a giant asshole. The more puckered and gaping you are, the more likely I am to take shots at everything about you that you should rightly be ashamed of.
I thought it might be a joke, but then realized the people responsible for the sign are the base for McCain/Palin. Joe Six Pack and Hockey Mom Barbie; The ignorant throwbacks evolution is leaving behind.
They make great backdrops and in ten years time will be viewed as what they are; Those that chose to let life and the world pass them by.
Henry, there are a lot of different communities on the net, obviously. Some exist for pretty open sparing between people who have wildly divergent views of the world. Pandagonians have vigorous debates sometimes, but it’s usually from within a shared worldview. So, dissent is definitely common here but from within a common framework. The trolls that come around Pandagon don’t come to debate how feminism should interpret X, they come to challenge the very idea of feminism. So they don’t really deserve our respect because they don’t respect the meaning of the community.
There’s no good reason why a well established community has to accept all dissent equally.
Oops, wrong thread somehow.
Funny how commenting negatively on african-american culture makes you a racist, and picking on homosexuals makes you a homophobe. But it’s always open season on the uneducated lower-middle class.
Well, yeah...dissing the blacks DOES make you a racist, and dissing the gays DOES make you a homophobe.
But this isn’t the “uneducated lower-class” being mocked here, it’s uneducated, lower-class WINGNUTS. Do you even grasp that subtle distinction, or are you another of those “mavriks” who think it’s badass to be deliberately obtuse?
BTW, I’m the first person in my formerly lower-middle-class family to go to university, and I have two degrees. One’s English Lit, and it’s from one of Canada’s top schools. I went to public school, and I have no qualms about telling anyone who asks that it was Canadian socialism that took my immigrant family out of the proles and into the upper half of the middle class.
Or for that matter, telling anyone who doesn’t ask!
Michigan is in dire straits and has been for a long time, and it’s not because of voting democrat, either. Michigan hasn’t recovered from the recession following 2001 like the rest of the country, because its largest industry in its largest metro area is the auto industry, whose leaders didn’t learn the lessons of the 70s. Thanks again, guys.
Tax hikes? TAX HIKES? What tax hikes? And what do you mean by voting Democrat? The MI legislature is pretty heavily republican. The senators and gov are dems, but they don’t raise taxes on MI, its legislature would have to do that, you know?
And how did Michigan sneak into a discussion about Texas anyway?
Yesterday I drove the long way through a very, very red suburb. I saw lots and lots of lawn signs for their uber-wingnutty member of Congress. Many of the same lawns also had a number of other signs for Repub candidates in various local races. Not one had a McCain sign. Not one. Interesting.
Hate to say it, but based on what I can see in the picture, these look like people who would benefit from more social programs.
Just saying.
Attn: RANT BEGINS
Christ, when I see stuff like that I think thank god I have enough money and skills to leave the country if I need to. They get what they deserve. I’m sick of hearing from “working class” people that liberals have contempt for them. YES WE DO. Your racism is contemptible. Your ignorance is contemptible. You are the same people who watched my grandparents carted off to die on the trains. Not one iota different. You are the same people who thought carting off my other grandmother to a camp in Idaho was OK too. If Sarah Palin was handed a .45 and told to kill the Jew because it’s the end times, she would point that gun at a child and pull the trigger, no hesitation whatsoever. I mean it.
That deserves no sympathy. That deserves no respect. You want to kill me? Fine. Admit it. But I won’t pretend to like you.
What is it about white Christian folk that makes them lust for so much blood? And yes, they kill. They kill again. And I for one wont take it anymore. I see stuff like that and want to do the most horrible violence I can imagine and say “How do YOU like it?” If violence is all they understand, then I will damned well give it to them. Next time some whacko shows up at church to shoot a few people I want to be there. And I want to kill him slowly. Very slowly.
/RANT
I’m sorry. I shouldn’t rant. But… I can’t help it anymore. I really can’t. I try to find it funny, and I just break down into tears. I try to respond to hate with love, violence with non-violence. I can’t do it anymore. I just can’t. That display makes me want to just cry.
I know Obama is in a good place to win. I know that, rationally. But can people here understand why I just feel so tired of fighting? Why I feel like packing up and making a new life somewhere that people arent so bloody crazy?
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I like how they spelled “Socialist” wrong. Not only do they not know what the word means, but they also can’t spell.