"Bush is a transplanted Texan, a New Englander, who attended Harvard and Yale. There is none so ignorant as those who have every advantage and still refuse to learn."

Fellow might take those words unkindly. Are you suggesting a Texas accent is a sign of ignorance? I'd point out that my 17 year old's SAT scores would probably not only beat yours, he could probably beat him up, too. (Sorry, attempted humorous reference to a bumper sticker common here.)

I live in a "commuter" neighborhood, where it's common to find people who move to Texas for their jobs and only stay here a few years. They're often shocked to find their younger kids say "fixin' to" and "ya'll" and such. Even the adults discover their friends think they've picked a bit of an accent even though we natives know better.

My kids have picked up some interesting grammar, too. It's really hard to understand why. My wife and I are fairly formal speakers. The kids are well read and spend enough time watching TV to pick up the standard American Mid-Western accent most people think isn't an accent at all. Must be just hanging out with the local school kids, all from affluent, well educated families. I don't think the accent has anything to do with intelligence or making use of your advantages.