Jesse McCray (jesamccr@mars.utm.edu) from mmlab1.utm.edu at 10/27/97 10:21AM
comment
    To begin with, I see little reason for "good ole boys" not to be "men of ideas" as well. It seems to me that these people seek office for reasons--namely the application of such ideas. The true difference between the two labels then lies not in ideas, but the kind of ideas. Not in the people running, but in those who are voting. To have a "good ole boy" system, only one thing is required--an uneducated public. In the words of the infamous Dr. May, education leads to tolerance. Thus, an uneducated public yields and atmosphere where corruption can thrive, women and minorities can be suppressed, and deviations from the norm can and will be scorned. What am I saying? Simple: we are seeing less of this type of system in the South as education increases. Unfortunately, education in the South still lags behind. Hence, the "good ole boy" system, to a good extent, has been able to survive over the years.