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Ok- you want specific differences, I'll share my story:
I was born, raised and lived most of my adult life in Ohio. When I was laid off, I got this wierd idea in my head... you hate snow so go somewhere that you won't have to deal with snow. Good in theory but bad idea. Maybe if I'd stuck to a big city, it wouldn't have been so bad but I went to a town of 60,000 in the Southeast. I was reminded at least weekly that I was a "Yankee" (spoken in the tone of voice that someone from Boston would use when speaking of a certain pinstriped baseball team). Social events among colleagues would be discussed and I'd get notes in my box telling me that I was not welcome... I wouldn't understand their traditions and humor (I didn't, it was racist.. there were racist cartoons post all over the office). I even tried finding a church-- same thing "Oh, you ain't from round here... you a tourist?" When I was polite and courteous to our secretaries and ask how they were doing, I was told "white ladies don't talk to them". When I directly discussed a difference of opinion with a co-worker, I was told that I was rude... people in that office played passive-aggressive games routinely. I soon learned that Southern civility (at least in that region) is a thin veneer. How does that translate to politics? Communication, how you address people and determine their issues. Their needs may be similar (jobs!!) but how you go about that is different and candidates need to be cogniscent of regional differences lest they offend and don't even realize they've done it. Needless to say, I left after a year.
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Hybrid Mode
