that is all

I was starting to think no one noticed that...

bingo

That's all this whole 'heartland' code word is all about anyways. 'Heartland', 'average amreican', 'working americans'- these are all code words to signify white suburbanites.

American politics is just like african politics- it's all just tribal politics. We call it demographics. But it's just a euphemism for tribal politics. Nobody ever gives a damn about policies and stances anyways. They just want to elect somebody who is 'one of them'. The ballot box is just a way to reaffirm who they are. It's to reaffirm that 'they' still own this country, and 'they' are not to be ridiculed or trifled with.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24% of Hawaiians are of self-described European ethnicity: <link> 70% of Alaskans, by contrast, are of self-described European ethnicity.

So this idea that Alaskans are more authentically American than Hawaiians does have an ugly racial undertone.

Hey, let's not forget that Hawai'i had to take a bomb for the country even before it was a state! Now that's some patriotic credentials that no one should be able to question. Or are they?

After WWII, Eisenhower tried to get Hawai'i into the U.S. before Alaska, but was stopped by Congress because they weren't too thrilled about Hawai'i's largely nonwhite (mostly Asian and Pacific Islander) population--in other words, at that time, as now, it wasn't obviously "American" enough

And yes, in agreement with an earlier comment, I think that it is sinister how "authentic" Americanness, the "heartland" and "small town values" have, in this election, become code for "white Christians," while those who dwell in large cities with diverse populations are disdained as somehow being less "real," with problems that are somehow less pressing, less important, and more of their own making.

hmm, while I get the point, Alaska is about 15% Alaska Native (indigenous), and the Anchorage School District's bilingual program reports it has students who speak 84 languages. Anchorage has a surprising number of immigrants.

Good point, bbaltar, but I suppose it has more to do with perception than anything. When the average American thinks of Hawaii, they probably think of nonwhite people of Pacific Islander or Asian descent. Just like the 'small town values' bullshit. I mean, anyone with a brain realizes there are murderers, rapists, and drug dealers in small towns (as well as very wealthy people), just as there are church-going, middle class, nuclear families in huge cities. It's just another example of Americans choosing to become more and more divided based on ignorant stereotypes. Sad, really.

Granted, race comes into play whats considered "the heartland", eg: white rural somehow =s heartland. HOWEVER, black Americans have done a pretty good job being considered "true Americans" the same way whites have. American heartland =s white + black, screw everyone else.

Hispanics are on their way as well, eg: we eat Taco Bell, substitute Spanish words for English, and hell, Scarface is a pretty American movie, right? You don't see that with French, do you?

The only race that fails to be considered "true Americans" are fresh off the boat Asians.

I hope I've made my point, but I got stop spending too much time on slate and get back to work. Adios.

Bullshit, you should check your facts.