Burnt Orange Report

Stories in America

By John Pruett

Rose Aguilar is an independent journalist from San Francisco who embarked on a fascinating project several months ago. Following the 2004 General Elections, she decided to take a road trip across the Red States of Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Montana and Utah in order to better understand the culture and views of conservative America.

Stories in America is the product of Aguilar's efforts. The site includes a chronicle of her travels complete with anecdotes, pictures, and interviews. In the same vein as George Lakoff and Thomas Frank, her blog represents one of the latest attempts by liberal scholars and journalists to delve into the bizarre world of conservatism that we in Texas call home. It's definitely worth a look.

However, Aguilar's project causes me to pause. I remain baffled by the explosion of research on conservatism over the past several years. It's as if liberals had fallen asleep only to be re-awakened by a slap in the face (i.e. Bush & Co.).

Maybe those on the left continued dreaming of the '60s, denying that times had changed, and now they're suddenly faced with an enemy they didn't anticipate and do not understand. Come on people! The South is still basically the South, modern-day conservatives have been growing in strength since the 1950s, jingoism didn't end with the Cold War, and robber barons still hate social programs and steal from the poor. So perhaps our recent history is not so much a story of conservatism's success, but of liberalism's failure.

Nevertheless, it was not until conservative Republicans assumed overwhelming power over this nation's government that Democrats and progressives began questioning their overall strategy and searching for new methods. This searching and re-education is a good sign and I hope to see it continue.