You're a state. Which one?

Posted Thursday, February 7, 2008, at 9:43 AM

"I thought, if Barack Obama was a state, he'd be California," Maria Shriver said at a Barack Obama campaign rally earlier this week. "Diverse, open, smart, independent, bucks tradition. Innovative. Inspirational. Dreamer. Leader."

I've never thought of comparing someone to a state.

But if you were a state, which one would you be? Or which one would your favorite politician or celebrity be?

I'd like to think Tennessee would be a good state to be compared to. Talented people. Traditional yet progressive.

I realize some think of Tennesseeans as uneducated rednecks. Some may qualify, but I respectfully disagree about sticking that label on all from Tennessee (or, for that matter, most Southerners.)

Does Al Gore represent what Tennessee's all about? Or is Fred Thompson more of a symbol?

I'd guess some think Gore would be more of a Californian -- movie industry, liberal, environmantalist. Thompson also could be California -- or, after his allegedly "lazy" primary campaign, Florida, as in retirement haven.

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Actually, I would hate to think that people elsewhere equate the "average" with Al Gore. Fred's more of a down-home kind of guy from what I can tell.

But this state has a bit of everything. The people here are generally good-natured and helpful (once you get out of metro Nashville and Memphis). We've got ranchers, farmers, craftsmen (craftspeople?) of ALL sorts. This state has everything we need.

There are only two eco-systems that you can find in other states that Tennessee doesn't have, those are desert and ocean. We've got mountains, hills, plains, forests, rivers, and swamplands. This state really does have everything it needs to be self-sufficient if need be. I would be honored if people think of me as a "Tennessee" kind of person.

-- Posted by Thom on Thu, Feb 7, 2008, at 11:28 AM

I am continually the state of disrepair or confusion. It's a bad day when I am two states at once.

Sorry, couldn't resist!!

Thom, you are so right. It's a shame that more people can't see that and continually abuse the abundant natural resources we have.

-- Posted by Jacks4me on Thu, Feb 7, 2008, at 11:36 AM

I am a hot weather kinda person and thrive better at the ocean. Considering Florida is looked upon as the retirement haven and that sounds inviting to me...I wanna be Florida.

-- Posted by Dianatn on Thu, Feb 7, 2008, at 12:03 PM

While working for Alcan (and all the other names that it has been called in the 42 years that I worked there) I traveled all over Europe, Mexico, Canada and a lot of the United States for the company and I have found no place that is as good as Tennessee. If I could be a state, I wouldn't want to be anything but Tennessee. I can go back 7 generations and not move over 7 miles, so this must show that my family must have felt a lot like I feel.

-- Posted by Gale Barber on Thu, Feb 7, 2008, at 5:52 PM

David Melson

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David Melson is a copy editor and staff writer for the Times-Gazette.

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