The appeal of local pedestrian politics is more akin to Tammany Hall than the Great Society because one can keep them down on the farm when the control is centralized in small denominations in paper bags. But of course the denominations are much larger. How many rich Protestant Republicans there are in the south begs the question of why so many are fraught with anger as if they’re being drawn and quartered when it comes to progress in the sort of scientific way. The essence of Republican conservatism is backwards denial of rights beyond the scope of the church. Taxation is indeed controlled by local assessors. And sales and state income and inheritance taxes as well. In fact the folly of Ryan is to send the federal taxes to the states so they can take care of Medicaid and welfare. There is no question but that they lack the intelligence to run this country.