Gwinnett Daily Post

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Editor’s Note: Carole Townsend, a correspondent for the Daily Post, is writing a blog called “Food for Thought.” It is available online at http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/townsend.

Politics is in the air; I can smell it. We have listened to debate after debate for months, probably more than we’ve ever had available to us before. I’m all for communicating with voters on the issues, but we’ve witnessed more tattling and finger-pointing than we have an airing of solid positions on real issues in the debates and campaigns in general. That’s really become the norm, I suppose.

At any rate, the campaign trail swung down below the Mason-Dixon line earlier this week, with Alabama and Mississippi in the crosshairs – and it began. I always cringe just a bit when someone who’s not from the South tries to come across like he is. The candidates didn’t disappoint in these two very southern states, did they? It was getting so deep I was waiting for at least one of them to hook his thumbs in his belt loops, kick the dirt and say, “Shucks, y’all vote for me, ya hear?”

I am a Republican, but I haven’t yet made up my mind which GOP candidate will get my vote. Monday’s antics didn’t help.

Really, Mr. Romney? You had cheesy grits for breakfast and loved them? That’s “cheese grits,” by the way. And you’re a big fried catfish fan, are you? What’s that? You’re having trouble pronouncing the “g” at the end of your words?

And Mr. Santorum, the cowboy boots were a nice touch. Again, the “g’s” were dropped from many of your words. Do Pennsylvania folks usually talk like that? It’s aggravatin’.

Georgia’s Gingrich, the only GOP candidate still in the running who didn’t sound Southern this week, took pride in pointing out that he was probably, in fact, the only one of the three to actually have grits for breakfast that morning, so I guess he has that going for him.

On most days I like to think that the rest of the country has come to know what we who live here have known for a long time. We Southerners – many of us, anyway - are articulate, well-spoken, educated, upright-walking people who have enjoyed electricity and running water for some time now.

And then, there are days like Monday. When will people learn? If you ain’t from here, you can’t fake it.

Carole Townsend is also a Gwinnett Daily Post staff correspondent and author of the recently-released book, “Southern Fried White Trash.” The book takes a humorous look at families and how we behave when thrown together for weddings, funerals and holidays. She has been quoted on msnbc.com, in the LA Times, USA Today and the Christian Science Monitor, been featured on FOX 5 News and CNN, and is often a guest on television and radio shows nationwide.