Monday, May 20, 2002

Texas vs California

With more than a few silly stereotypes, an ABC article pitting Texas vs. California is an interesting if inaccurate read.

Its important to remember it was probably written by a weenie from NY City who doesn't know much about either state.

(A quick Google on the reporter's name yielded only more ABC articles --- but no bio.)

(Some guy with the same name has a great opera site though and I noticed Google has gotten together with Scott Adams for a bit o' daily Dilbert)

Back to this Battle of the Titans.

Here is a bit of the hysteria:

It's a head-on collision at the intersection of politics, business and culture, and nothing else in America can match it.

Oh no! Hold on to your cowboy hats and Birkenstocks!

While the article makes fine points about the Spurs and Mavericks getting macked by the Lakers and Kings and the Enron energy debacle, it is a bit short sighted about the character of Texas.... and California for that matter.

The most egregious quote is this one:

"You've got these two cultures opposing each other," says Kevin Starr, the state librarian of California. "Wine and cheese against beer and nachos, greenfields versus brownfields, skeptics against practicing believers, the uprooted and the traditionalists … granola against grits."

Tee hee. What Kevin Starr doesn't know about Texas would fill his library.

For example..... We have great wine here. Maybe it isn't as heavily marketed nationally as Napa -- but damn good wine it is.

Click here, here and here for a few sites to prove it.

If you clicked over, you now know we've been making Texas wine for over 300 years. We're just not snobby about it.

Regarding beer and nachos, yup they are tasty -- but Texas is far from a culinary hicksville -- just as California is more than a hippy haven on the coast

Grits? That's a Southern thing.

And Texas may be many things -- but I'll take on all comers on it not being part of the South.

That is Georgia and the Carolinas and Alabama and such. It is not the Republic of Texas. We are our own damn country -- not a formerly rebellious region of the United States.

Anyway... probably the most short sighted bit was the characterization of Texas as a bastion of republicanism.

I guess this reporter just forgot that Texas Congress folk are overwhelmingly Democrats -- 17 to 13 -- actually.

The current governor may be a Republican, but Democratic contender Tony Sanchez is poised to kick his hiney out of the mansion hard. Don't believe me? Just wait till November.

Little personal anecdotal evidence:

Back during primary week, the Time Warner guy showed up to connect the cable modem.

I have a Tony Sanchez sign in the yard.

Trying to make time, the cable guy said he was going to lose to Morales -- Sanchez's opponent for the Democratic nomination.

When I asked why? The cable guy brought up the Spanish language debate controversy and actually knew some of the details.

Pretty impressive for a "man on the street."

So I asked what he thought about Perry's chances to take either Sanchez or Morales in November.

(Remember that Perry was Lieutenant governor and was booted upstairs after Bush "won" the election.)

The cable guy said, "Who's Perry?"

Who is he indeed? Some punk on his way out.

So on to the senate.

Both currently serving senators are Republicans, but Phil Gramm is retiring and Ron Kirk -- the Democrat -- will take his seat and become the state's first black senator. You'll see.

So much for Texas as a bastion of conservatism.

If the above isn't enough to convince you:

Did you know Texas has the second highest number of swingers? Its behind only California in this area. Go figure.

I think it has something to do with population as NY is third...

Anyway.

So there -- nasty ol' ABC. Don't even try and pigeon hole us or California.

We aren't that simple.

posted by Bohica at 10:48 AM