Reply #43: I'll try to phrase my point differently -

[appamado amata padam]

For some reasons I'd rather live in NJ; for others I'd prefer MS. I did not allude to any specific "it" or "that" that is average or exceptional. It might be something good, like quiet two-lane highways shaded by great leafy trees, or something bad, like generations of families chained to grinding poverty. My point is that no state is simple enough to be judged strictly by the average.

There are progressive groups that are working in deep red Southern areas. Often they do not get much publicity, because they don't get much coverage from local media, and their stories don't get amplified to the national level.

I live in New York City, where there is a sizeable population of immigrants from all over the world. My impression is that while yes, on average, the South may be lagging behind in ways that are familiar to us, human failings are just part of the equation, wherever people may be from. Those in deep-blue states may congratulate themselves on how great they are, but they would be avoiding the big picture.