There is a strange presumption in Sen. Obama’s remarks (made more artfully elsewhere) that the values that he stereotyped rural voters with are less important and less meaningful than traditional Democratic values. The failure of the Democrats to recognize that these values are just as real and important as healthcare to many people has been a failure for the party and has contributed greatly to the present red state-blue state divide Sen Obama’s candidacy hopes to bridge.

Only once we acknowledge the sincerity of those beliefs can we actual move past this divide. Keep in mind that: (1) Obama’s argument largely mimics the “What’s the Matter w/ Kansas” argument: that rural red state voters vote God/guns/gays against their economic interests; and (2) that it’s just acceptable for those voters to have their economic interests trumped by God/guns/gays as it is for us to have our economic interests trumped by healthcare, social security, welfare, etc. Until these values are considered equally valid, we cannot convince Republican voters to vote for our values first.