Redneck America?

One other thing about the Baxter article. Describing the impact of Bush’s vacations in Texas, she writes:

In the past, Bush’s visits to Crawford, where he clears scrubland and cuts logs with a chainsaw, have impressed voters in redneck America.

Since when have derogatory characterizations become acceptable group identifiers in news stories at The Times? If this is a new policy, I look forward to reading things like “In the past Rodham-Clinton’s speeches to the American Bar Association, in which she’s opposed tort-law reform, have impressed fundraisers in the shyster community.”