On a trip to Iowa last week, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty attracted attention not for his policy positions, but for the way he was speaking. Many people thought they heard him using a southern accent. Back in Pawlenty's home state of Minnesota, an MPR News listener said when he heard a report on the Pawlenty speech on the radio, he couldn't believe who it was.It is stereotyping, but Southern accents make me think the speaker is dumb.
"I didn't understand where the accent came from," said Mike Supina, a St. Paul architect. "He sounded like he was from Arkansas."
Friday, March 18, 2011
A Southern Accent
Tim Pawlenty is trying to fit in to the idiot wing (ok, the whole) Republican party:
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I heard Jesse Jackson speak at OU in 1998. He was making a speech and hosting a panel discussion on the history of the civil rights movement. Three months later I was in D.C. for a college conference and Jesse Jackson was speaking to a crowd on the mall. The eloquent and erudite man I heard at OU was now talking jive and shuffling to the thrill of a different audience.
ReplyDeleteInstead of present the crowd the real person, the person is selling an image to different crowds. I understand the concept of communicating on different levels with different people, but did FDR dumb down fireside chats for illiterate southerners?
Maybe Pawlenty is trying to steal some Mike Huckabee supporters for the Iowa caucus.
ReplyDeleteLast time I was in D.C. there was a giant Ron Paul supporter gathering. Interesting. I picked up a card at the WWII memorial warning about the impending introduction of the Amero, the currency for the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada supernation.
I for one welcome our new Canadian Overlords!
ReplyDeleteReally, the guy whose answering machine starts with Howdy is saying that other people's accents sound dumb?
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDelete