Either You're With Us Or Against Us

Apparently there's only one way to be an American.

"On MSNBC this morning, McCain adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer asserted that “real Virginia” does not include Northern Virginia:

I certainly agree that Northern Virginia has gone more Democratic. … But the rest of the state — real Virginia if you will — I think will be very responsive to Senator McCain’s message.

MSNBC host Kevin Corke gave Pfotenhauer a chance to revise her answer, telling her: “Nancy, I’m going to give you a chance to climb back off that ledge — Did you say ‘real Virginia’?”

But Pfotenhauer didn’t budge, and instead dug a deeper hole.

Real Virginia, I take to be, this part of the state that’s more Southern in nature, if you will."

As someone who holds Virginia near and dear to her heart, I find that appalling. So what are those other, "non-Southern" Virginians? Are these people who live in Virginia and work in DC? Do they count? Or people who teach at UVa? What makes a "real Virginian," Pfotenhauer? How do you even pronounce your name, anyway?

Plus:

"Palin told a crowd in North Carolina that she “loved to visit the ‘pro-America‘ areas of the country.” “No word on which states she views as unpatriotic,” wrote Juliet Eilperin."

So you have to be in line with the McCain/Palin playbook to be pro-America? Isn't part of being American having the right to disagree? Didn't our founding fathers disagree all over the place? (Thomas Jefferson vs. Alexander Hamilton, anybody?) I might get freaked out by people who have very different views than my own, but that doesn't mean they're not American. We're the freakin' melting pot, people. Let's melt.

Being from a blue state, I'm guessing I live in an "anti-America" area of the country. Thanks, Sarah.

(As for Captain America, I think he'd kick their collective ass.)