White Rural Trump Supporters Are a Threat to Democracy DEAL WITH IT

[mommy_jules]

"The story that results is often a disheartening one. Though the various parts of rural America differ in important ways, as a whole, they are weighted down by their struggles: resource economies where powerful interests extracted wealth and left the people who toiled to remove it with little or nothing to show for their decades of labor; manufacturing jobs that fled overseas; inadequate healthcare and physical infrastructure; limited opportunities that push talented young people to leave; and much more. And all this exists within a landscape of political emptiness in which a lack of real competition leaves Democrats believing there's no point in trying to win rural votes and Republicans knowing that they can win those votes without even trying - and give the people who supply them nothing in return."

...

"This coverage insists that the views these people express, no matter how alarming or repellent to coastal-dwelling cosmopolitans, demand consideration and respect. Rural sentiments, even undemocratic ones, must always be validated and amplified."

That highlighted portion needs to be emphasized. That’s a serious problem in my area. Most elected positions are unopposed with no Democrats in sight, and if you have any choice, it’s in the primaries choosing which Republican.

[Slimshandy]

Have you read the book?

I’ve read the title, the synopsis, and the questions the book has spawned…

I think there’s a lot of misguidance in all of the above.

So you were unaware of the interviews with people who live, work in, and represent rural communities throughout the US?

I am unaware… I find that to be the best reason to ask questions.

[Della]

I’ve read the title, the synopsis, and the questions the book has spawned…

I think there’s a lot of misguidance in all of the above.

So you were unaware of the interviews with people who live, work in, and represent rural communities throughout the US?

I am unaware… I find that to be the best reason to ask questions.

But you aren't really asking those questions. You're making judgement based statements about his reporting.

[WellPreserved]

"The story that results is often a disheartening one. Though the various parts of rural America differ in important ways, as a whole, they are weighted down by their struggles: resource economies where powerful interests extracted wealth and left the people who toiled to remove it with little or nothing to show for their decades of labor; manufacturing jobs that fled overseas; inadequate healthcare and physical infrastructure; limited opportunities that push talented young people to leave; and much more. And all this exists within a landscape of political emptiness in which a lack of real competition leaves Democrats believing there's no point in trying to win rural votes and Republicans knowing that they can win those votes without even trying - and give the people who supply them nothing in return."

...

"This coverage insists that the views these people express, no matter how alarming or repellent to coastal-dwelling cosmopolitans, demand consideration and respect. Rural sentiments, even undemocratic ones, must always be validated and amplified."

That highlighted portion needs to be emphasized. That’s a serious problem in my area. Most elected positions are unopposed with no Democrats in sight, and if you have any choice, it’s in the primaries choosing which Republican.

And yet Eastern Kentucky voted for Beshear - as a board member on Appalachia Regional Commission, he not only demonstrated their struggles but walked the talk. I was listening to a young democrat from Texas who is also walking the talk - Talarico. Democrats need to take note and certainly not just discount rural voters.

[WellPreserved]

The threat to democracy is a grotesquely unfair economic system, and the Trump movement is why that's a threat. This is what happens when people are cut off.

“When people are cut off” economically and/or politically.

[Slimshandy]

So you were unaware of the interviews with people who live, work in, and represent rural communities throughout the US?

I am unaware… I find that to be the best reason to ask questions.

But you aren't really asking those questions. You're making judgement based statements about his reporting.

I feel like that’s normal…


Most of the time when people ask questions, they’ve already been exposed to a single bit of information that made them question one way or another…

I wonder where his information came from. Maybe there’s something here that would surprise me. That’s ok too.

[WellPreserved]

I am unaware… I find that to be the best reason to ask questions.

But you aren't really asking those questions. You're making judgement based statements about his reporting.

I feel like that’s normal…


Most of the time when people ask questions, they’ve already been exposed to a single bit of information that made them question one way or another…

I wonder where his information came from. Maybe there’s something here that would surprise me. That’s ok too.

Actually, I think this book (at least from what I read) would surprise you because it does just what you are asking - lot's of voices from throughout rural America. It states that Democrats have not been engaged with rural voters since Gore and Republicans have but not delivered. I think you would agree that if a political system is not delivering on promises then sometimes the only option is to disregard the political system? This book offers paths for actually serving the rural communities (granted, phrased in a way to appeal to Democrats) but shouldn't that service appeal to rural communities in general?

Rural communities are no different from other communities in the US. When they don't feel they are being represented by one party or another, they will seek out the opposing party. When they don't feel that they are being represented by the opposing party in a two party system, they throw out the two party system in favor of another form of governance. It's not that rural America suddenly "became" Republican after Gore. It's that Democrats didn't give them anything during Bush or Obama nor prior so now it's time to throw out the entire system and go for Trump. He's not going to give them anything either and they know that but shaking things up is better than the status quo.

We're starting to see this with Black voters and Arab American voters so perhaps both the Republican and Democratic parties should take note OR we can elicit changes whereby we move to a multi-party system. Not going to happen in my lifetime but perhaps later.

[WellPreserved]

I just want to add that the plan for a Republican presidency fucks over rural American more than any other group. Rural America knows this and yet will vote Republican. IMO, it's because they feel that the other option doesn't give them anything either. Again, if you feel you have no viable choices in a two party democratic system, take down the system.

[SouthernIslander]

I don’t like the author’s tone in this article. Screams fake woke and generalizing to me.

[Della]

But you aren't really asking those questions. You're making judgement based statements about his reporting.

I feel like that’s normal…


Most of the time when people ask questions, they’ve already been exposed to a single bit of information that made them question one way or another…

I wonder where his information came from. Maybe there’s something here that would surprise me. That’s ok too.

Actually, I think this book (at least from what I read) would surprise you because it does just what you are asking - lot's of voices from throughout rural America. It states that Democrats have not been engaged with rural voters since Gore and Republicans have but not delivered. I think you would agree that if a political system is not delivering on promises then sometimes the only option is to disregard the political system? This book offers paths for actually serving the rural communities (granted, phrased in a way to appeal to Democrats) but shouldn't that service appeal to rural communities in general?

Rural communities are no different from other communities in the US. When they don't feel they are being represented by one party or another, they will seek out the opposing party. When they don't feel that they are being represented by the opposing party in a two party system, they throw out the two party system in favor of another form of governance. It's not that rural America suddenly "became" Republican after Gore. It's that Democrats didn't give them anything during Bush or Obama nor prior so now it's time to throw out the entire system and go for Trump. He's not going to give them anything either and they know that but shaking things up is better than the status quo.

We're starting to see this with Black voters and Arab American voters so perhaps both the Republican and Democratic parties should take note OR we can elicit changes whereby we move to a multi-party system. Not going to happen in my lifetime but perhaps later.

That's what I see happening, but I don't see them taking note to listen.