This is a bit off topic, but I think that a lot of the perspectives on the turnout for trump and the neo-confederates was driven but the stunning amounts of money which were poured into rural and red counties. Since the beginning of the pandemic, disposable income has gone up significantly. trump used every tool of the state for patronage, and messaged relentlessly that the money was coming from him (see: signatures on checks. messages in aid boxes).
The democrats carelessly let the trump regime dispose of several trillion dollars as they saw fit.
I haven't seen any analysis of the impact this could have, but think of the impact on low information voters of receiving thousands of $$s from their leader - and the votes that this buys. Including in Latino communities.
I spent my first 18 years in one of those extremely rural counties in the deep south back when everybody was a Democrat and most were solid racist to the core even though there were more grandchildren of exslaves (most who dared not vote) than "white" people there. An excellent pastor of the SB (whites only) church went to seminary with MLK and made it clear that segregation is unchristian. For saying that many congregants made his life miserable. That's another story. My family was supportive of our pastor and I've always been proud of them for that. But they had to live there and knew what to say and not to say. And they remained Democrats even after the racists followed Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms into the republican potty. Anyway, I admit I've been a yellow dawg Democrat all my life and plan so to remain. I've lived in cities since I was 19 and have become more convinced that as the years have passed the gop has gotten progressively worse and the Democratic Party has gotten better and better. I think most of the voters in that county disapprove of Obama because he identifies as Black and Hillary because she's female, and approve of trump because they don't know any better. The good thing I want to write here is THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING.
And thank you for giving permission in the last 2 paragraphs to express exhaustion at the "hillbilly elegy" bullshit. I'm done trying to 'understand' people who think I should not be allowed to marry. Or that wearing a facemask is "socialism" - Screw them.
Hmmm but maybe their rural newspapers will run endless pieces in 2021 on "what we rural Americans missed" about those Americans who live in cities and how we must reach out to them."
Nah. I'm pretty sure they won't because the one word that sums up that list at the end of this post of how Trump voters is ARROGANT.
Cities punched back. But suburbs punched with them--and that's where the fight really is and will be going forward. The question will be whether momentum with suburbs can be maintained.
It is worth adding, however, that this in itself is only part of the fight. Unfortunately we are still too caught up in personality voting and not enough in party voting. That will never change as long as the Democrats (and, yes, Republican, too, though they get this better) refuse to adopt Howard Dean's original credo that 1) you run everywhere and even more important 2) you build your party everywhere. The last, unmentioned item has as a corollary that party-building never stops: there is no downtime ... ever.
Case in point: this article at HuffPost: http://tiny.cc/eym4tz. I quote: "Some suggested significant overhauls to the party’s operations, including reorienting the party to focus more on long-term goals instead of supporting individual candidates." I quote again: 'Murphy said he was hoping to refocus small-dollar donor energy and cash toward “building permanent political infrastructures in every state rather than just channeling it toward the flavor-of-the-week candidate.'"
To which I say: no shit, Sherlock. Stacy Abrams, anyone? Jeez, you'd think they'd have learned by now. But I'm not optimistic with Charles Schumer at any helm. Notwithstanding his long experience on the Senate floor, he's an out-of-date old fart whom AOC could potentially crush in a Senate race when it comes to campaigning smarts, GOTV, digital media work, and on-point messaging.
2020 over 2016, Trump actually did slightly better in the cities (relatively speaking -- overwhelmingly blue both times). The blue shift was in the suburbs & exurbs.
Also did slightly better with minorities. Rural went even more red.
"It’s OK. If people living in Trump Country desire a king to rule them, let them. "
Unfortunately, the sheer ignorance of Trump country is exactly why the rest of the nation is still saddled with #MoscowMitch McConnell when by rights he should be facing trial.
This is a bit off topic, but I think that a lot of the perspectives on the turnout for trump and the neo-confederates was driven but the stunning amounts of money which were poured into rural and red counties. Since the beginning of the pandemic, disposable income has gone up significantly. trump used every tool of the state for patronage, and messaged relentlessly that the money was coming from him (see: signatures on checks. messages in aid boxes).
The democrats carelessly let the trump regime dispose of several trillion dollars as they saw fit.
I haven't seen any analysis of the impact this could have, but think of the impact on low information voters of receiving thousands of $$s from their leader - and the votes that this buys. Including in Latino communities.
I spent my first 18 years in one of those extremely rural counties in the deep south back when everybody was a Democrat and most were solid racist to the core even though there were more grandchildren of exslaves (most who dared not vote) than "white" people there. An excellent pastor of the SB (whites only) church went to seminary with MLK and made it clear that segregation is unchristian. For saying that many congregants made his life miserable. That's another story. My family was supportive of our pastor and I've always been proud of them for that. But they had to live there and knew what to say and not to say. And they remained Democrats even after the racists followed Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms into the republican potty. Anyway, I admit I've been a yellow dawg Democrat all my life and plan so to remain. I've lived in cities since I was 19 and have become more convinced that as the years have passed the gop has gotten progressively worse and the Democratic Party has gotten better and better. I think most of the voters in that county disapprove of Obama because he identifies as Black and Hillary because she's female, and approve of trump because they don't know any better. The good thing I want to write here is THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING.
So glad I found this site. You get it.
And thank you for giving permission in the last 2 paragraphs to express exhaustion at the "hillbilly elegy" bullshit. I'm done trying to 'understand' people who think I should not be allowed to marry. Or that wearing a facemask is "socialism" - Screw them.
Hmmm but maybe their rural newspapers will run endless pieces in 2021 on "what we rural Americans missed" about those Americans who live in cities and how we must reach out to them."
Nah. I'm pretty sure they won't because the one word that sums up that list at the end of this post of how Trump voters is ARROGANT.
They can try to understand the rest of us...
Cities punched back. But suburbs punched with them--and that's where the fight really is and will be going forward. The question will be whether momentum with suburbs can be maintained.
It is worth adding, however, that this in itself is only part of the fight. Unfortunately we are still too caught up in personality voting and not enough in party voting. That will never change as long as the Democrats (and, yes, Republican, too, though they get this better) refuse to adopt Howard Dean's original credo that 1) you run everywhere and even more important 2) you build your party everywhere. The last, unmentioned item has as a corollary that party-building never stops: there is no downtime ... ever.
Case in point: this article at HuffPost: http://tiny.cc/eym4tz. I quote: "Some suggested significant overhauls to the party’s operations, including reorienting the party to focus more on long-term goals instead of supporting individual candidates." I quote again: 'Murphy said he was hoping to refocus small-dollar donor energy and cash toward “building permanent political infrastructures in every state rather than just channeling it toward the flavor-of-the-week candidate.'"
To which I say: no shit, Sherlock. Stacy Abrams, anyone? Jeez, you'd think they'd have learned by now. But I'm not optimistic with Charles Schumer at any helm. Notwithstanding his long experience on the Senate floor, he's an out-of-date old fart whom AOC could potentially crush in a Senate race when it comes to campaigning smarts, GOTV, digital media work, and on-point messaging.
2020 over 2016, Trump actually did slightly better in the cities (relatively speaking -- overwhelmingly blue both times). The blue shift was in the suburbs & exurbs.
Also did slightly better with minorities. Rural went even more red.
"It’s OK. If people living in Trump Country desire a king to rule them, let them. "
Unfortunately, the sheer ignorance of Trump country is exactly why the rest of the nation is still saddled with #MoscowMitch McConnell when by rights he should be facing trial.