Speaking with the honey of a Southern accent, they still have strong feelings about the Stars and Bars but their bow to 21st Century reality is nontraditional. Nor do all South Carolinians buy into the teachings and preachings of an exotic local attraction, Bob Jones University, which forbids interracial dating and is decidedly anti-Catholic. Bush spoke there without even frowning on its bigoted teachings in his troll for votes. So people in, say, Nebraska or New Mexico look at South Carolina and see no connection to themselves. And in the information age, every quirky minority view gets air play, often to a region's great consternation.
Regional interests come in all types.
In Iowa before the caucuses, the subject on every candidate's lips was his stand on ethanol, a fuel made from corn. Geography, history and a dozen other factors have made us a nation of differences united under the umbrella of one federal government standing upon the firm foundation of the Constitution. The Gap unite us, too. But when I visit New Orleans or the outlying Bayou country, I still feel I should have brought my passport. It is that unique, despite the Hard Rock Cafe in the city's heart.