(BBC) -- During this U.S. election cycle we are hearing a lot from the pundits and
candidates about "heartland voters," and "white working class voters."
What they are talking about are rednecks. But in their political
correctness, media types cannot bring themselves to utter the word
"redneck." So I'll say it for them: redneck-redneck-redneck-redneck.
The fact is that we American rednecks embrace the term in a sort of
proud defiance. To us, the term redneck indicates a culture we were
born in and enjoy. So I find it very interesting that politically
correct people have taken it upon themselves to protect us from what
has come to be one of our own warm and light hearted terms for one
another.
On the other hand, I can quite imagine their concern,
given what's at stake in the upcoming election. We represent at least a
third of all voters and no U.S. president has ever been elected without
our support.
Consequently, rednecks have never had so many friends
or so much attention as in 2008. Contrary to the stereotype, we are not
all tobacco chewing, guffawing Southerners, but are scattered from
coast to coast. Over 50 percent of us live in the "cultural south," which is
to say places with white Southern Scots-Irish values -- redneck values.
more
READ MORE: BBC