Two items, in a row:

*** “I’m Proud Of My Congressman”: While that New York Times piece on Afghanistan contains today’s most substantive political news, there’s another Times article that will probably generate a significant amount of buzz. Per the paper, some of Joe Wilson’s constituents in South Carolina are actually applauding the congressman’s seemingly unprecedented outburst at President Obama on Wednesday night. “Yeah, it was rude, but somebody needed to say it,” said one constituent. “I kind of want to defend Representative Wilson,” said another. “The president has been trying to shove something down our throats, and Representative Wilson said, ‘Hold on here.’” And then there was this: “Give Obama hell. I’m proud of my congressman.” http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/us/politics/11wilson.html?ref=politics
*** The Elephant In The Room: At what point do what a bunch of folks in D.C. believe privately become more public — that there is a dramatic divide between how people in the South view Obama versus the rest of the country? Sure, the South has always been more conservative and has been increasingly more Republican, so it shouldn’t be a surprise this region is less open to a Democratic president’s ideas; it’s no different than folks in New York City and San Francisco not being open to a Republican president’s proposals. But is it really the “D” next to Obama’s name that has folks upset in the South? Yes, there was a “coastal” divide when it came to George W. Bush, and the election results of 2004, 2006, and 2008 proved that. But is it ALL just ideological? It’s truly subjective… As defiant as some on the right are about the fact that this has nothing to do with race, there’s an equal group of folks who believe it’s ONLY grounded in race. Bottom line: Whether it’s fair or not, there is a perception growing that race is driving some elements of the opposition to Obama. It probably means this tumult will only grow for the time being.

So the guys at First Read need the New York Times to tell them that Wilson’s outburst is popular with many conservatives. Odd. Odder still, they seem to credit the idea that it’s popular just with the southerners (nod, nod, wink-wink) in his own district. Never mind that lots of cold-climate-dwelling, grits-hating Northerners also supported Wilson too. But the southern bit is important to set up item number two, which is full of grudging, halting, wish-it-weren’t-so, frumpfering approval of the Olbermannesque line that opposition to Obama is racist.

C’mon guys, you can do better. I thought First Read was supposed to replicate the Hotline and relfect Chuck Todd’s historically fairminded analysis, not Rachel Maddow’s editorial meeting notes. Oh, and why no mention of the Acorn story?