Rural Americans felt abandoned by Democrats in 2016, so they abandoned them back

[pppolitics]

Rural Americans felt abandoned by Democrats in 2016, so they abandoned them back. Can the party fix it?

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/rural-americans-felt-abandoned-by-democrats-in-2016-so-they-abandoned-them-back-can-the-party-fix-it/2017/02/08/76a96074-ee16-11e6-b4ff-ac2cf509efe5_story.html

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Indeed, 2016 was a strategic disaster for the Democrats. The big question is whether they can learn from this disaster and fix it.

[pppolitics]

     Indeed, 2016 was a strategic disaster for the Democrats. The big question is whether they can learn from this disaster and fix it.

Democrats need to show up to rural America, talk to people and show them that the Democrats still care about them.

[Blair]

I was watching on youtube yesterday videos of Obama in Iowa in 2008; this was in august '08 and he was just having an outdoors town hall with people. There's certainly a need for democrats at the presidential level to focus on rural areas.

There is the interesting question of how they actually do it? It's like people who say Republicans need to win urban/young voters in blue states; everyone agrees they should do it but it's more complex than changing your message/throwing money at it

[publicunofficial]

I was watching on youtube yesterday videos of Obama in Iowa in 2008; this was in august '08 and he was just having an outdoors town hall with people. There's certainly a need for democrats at the presidential level to focus on rural areas.

There is the interesting question of how they actually do it? It's like people who say Republicans need to win urban/young voters in blue states; everyone agrees they should do it but it's more complex than changing your message/throwing money at it

Right. Dems need rural America, but need to do it in a way besides just adopting the Trump message + platform, and in a way that doesn't seem like they're telling loyal minority voters to go screw themselves.

[Hindsight was 2020]

But Trump does?! If Gary Johnson got 20% of the vote I get it but more an more it looks like Obama has destroyed any continuing relationship with rural rights an it's not because of TPP

[Rjjr77]

What exactly are Democrats supposed to give Rural America to get them to vote for Democratic? Nobody benefited more from ACA/Obamacare than rural America (especially Medicaid expansion) and yet they still continue to trend to the Republicans.

The GOP's policies are poison to the needs of rural Americans, especially farmers

Umm stop thinking "giving them something" is what they want?

Winning back rural America is easy, dial back the attacks on religion and guns, dial back the BLM pandering, and talk about the economy again.

[Hindsight was 2020]

What exactly are Democrats supposed to give Rural America to get them to vote for Democratic? Nobody benefited more from ACA/Obamacare than rural America (especially Medicaid expansion) and yet they still continue to trend to the Republicans.

The GOP's policies are poison to the needs of rural Americans, especially farmers

Umm stop thinking "giving them something" is what they want?

Winning back rural America is easy, dial back the attacks on religion and guns, dial back the BLM pandering, and talk about the economy again.

So tell minorities/soon to be majorities to shut up got it never

[Rjjr77]

What exactly are Democrats supposed to give Rural America to get them to vote for Democratic? Nobody benefited more from ACA/Obamacare than rural America (especially Medicaid expansion) and yet they still continue to trend to the Republicans.

The GOP's policies are poison to the needs of rural Americans, especially farmers

Umm stop thinking "giving them something" is what they want?

Winning back rural America is easy, dial back the attacks on religion and guns, dial back the BLM pandering, and talk about the economy again.

So tell minorities/soon to be majorities to shut up got it never

Yeah, nice leap there. No one is saying telling minorities to shut up...

The majority of even democrats let alone rural America doesn't like these SJW, militant side of BLM, and Antifa stuff. Every riot pushes blue collar voters to the right.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

What exactly are Democrats supposed to give Rural America to get them to vote for Democratic? Nobody benefited more from ACA/Obamacare than rural America (especially Medicaid expansion) and yet they still continue to trend to the Republicans.

The GOP's policies are poison to the needs of rural Americans, especially farmers

Umm stop thinking "giving them something" is what they want?

Winning back rural America is easy, dial back the attacks on religion and guns, dial back the BLM pandering, and talk about the economy again.

So tell minorities/soon to be majorities to shut up got it never

-If the Democrats had a White primary, Bernie would have won (and have done so in the general, too, but only if minorities were allowed to vote in the general).

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

The democratic party did not abandon rural people... rural people are just attracted like a shiny object to the Republican message on guns, ISIS, the wall, and other nonsense that spews out of Trump's mouths, that will do absolutely nothing to provide real world benefit to them.  And now they will lose their health care.  Elections have consequences.

-Only a tiny fraction of Americans will lose healthcare from the repeal and replacement of Obamacare. Might hurt Senate candidates in Kerry states, but won't keep Trump from re-election.

[RINO Tom]

What exactly are Democrats supposed to give Rural America to get them to vote for Democratic? Nobody benefited more from ACA/Obamacare than rural America (especially Medicaid expansion) and yet they still continue to trend to the Republicans.

The GOP's policies are poison to the needs of rural Americans, especially farmers

Umm stop thinking "giving them something" is what they want?

Winning back rural America is easy, dial back the attacks on religion and guns, dial back the BLM pandering, and talk about the economy again.

So tell minorities/soon to be majorities to shut up got it never

-If the Democrats had a White primary, Bernie would have won (and have done so in the general, too, but only if minorities were allowed to vote in the general).

Yes, we know, you yearn for the days of the all-White Democratic primaries.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

What exactly are Democrats supposed to give Rural America to get them to vote for Democratic? Nobody benefited more from ACA/Obamacare than rural America (especially Medicaid expansion) and yet they still continue to trend to the Republicans.

The GOP's policies are poison to the needs of rural Americans, especially farmers

Umm stop thinking "giving them something" is what they want?

Winning back rural America is easy, dial back the attacks on religion and guns, dial back the BLM pandering, and talk about the economy again.

So tell minorities/soon to be majorities to shut up got it never

-If the Democrats had a White primary, Bernie would have won (and have done so in the general, too, but only if minorities were allowed to vote in the general).

Yes, we know, you yearn for the days of the all-White Democratic primaries.

-Nope. I want Democrats to continue losing, not to take back the Senate. Even the early 20th century Democrats often (not always) had horrid economic stances, and awful foreign policy views, so I'm not a huge fan of them.

[SCNCmod]

Agree (at least regarding rural America during the election)... But the reality is Trump so far has been awful for Rural America... Devos is a nightmare for rural Public Education & Repealing ObamaCare is a nightmare for rural Hospitals... And Cutting taxes on the top 1% do not help rural America..

Not to mention- most of the manufacturing job losses in Rural America... have been gone for 10 years and are not coming back... New jobs and sectors have to be created (advanced manufacturing, Solar, etc)-> which Trump isn't addressing.

But the really sad thing is most rural voters will Vote for Trump again regardless of how detrimental he is for them.

[DrScholl]

Who was abandoned? These people just want to be treated as if they are the only people in the country, when that is unrealistic and untrue. Democrats don't need to do much, because these people will come crawling back when they discover that Trump isn't what he said he was.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

The democratic party did not abandon rural people... rural people are just attracted like a shiny object to the Republican message on guns, ISIS, the wall, and other nonsense that spews out of Trump's mouths, that will do absolutely nothing to provide real world benefit to them.  And now they will lose their health care.  Elections have consequences.

-Only a tiny fraction of Americans will lose healthcare from the repeal and replacement of Obamacare. Might hurt Senate candidates in Kerry states, but won't keep Trump from re-election.

I don't think that's true.  What are you basing that off of?  And what about the pre-existing condition thing... if that's gutted that's going to screw a lot of people.

-I'm strongly opposed to mandated coverage of pre-existing conditions anyway. Raises insurance costs for people without pre-existing conditions. Still not going to have a big electoral impact beyond 2018.

[SCNCmod]

Regarding the comment "Bernie would have won" .. I think the Healthcare debate with Cruz... hints to the fact that Sanders is much more effective debating and running in a primary- where the voters are inclined to go with the major parts of his arguments... But not so effective when having to debate Republican... who fundamentally do not agree with even the premise of his argument.

[DrScholl]

The democratic party did not abandon rural people... rural people are just attracted like a shiny object to the Republican message on guns, ISIS, the wall, and other nonsense that spews out of Trump's mouths, that will do absolutely nothing to provide real world benefit to them.  And now they will lose their health care.  Elections have consequences.

-Only a tiny fraction of Americans will lose healthcare from the repeal and replacement of Obamacare. Might hurt Senate candidates in Kerry states, but won't keep Trump from re-election.

I don't think that's true.  What are you basing that off of?  And what about the pre-existing condition thing... if that's gutted that's going to screw a lot of people.

-I'm strongly opposed to mandated coverage of pre-existing conditions anyway. Raises insurance costs for people without pre-existing conditions. Still not going to have a big electoral impact beyond 2018.

You are sadly mistaken about that. The elimination of pre-existing conditions is the most popular provision and it is effective. With that said, it doesn't look like a repeal will happen anytime soon if at all, so it seems as if the powers that be are aware of the danger of repealing health care.

[Rjjr77]

Regarding the comment "Bernie would have won" .. I think the Healthcare debate with Cruz... hints to the fact that Sanders is much more effective debating and running in a primary- where the voters are inclined to go with the major parts of his arguments... But not so effective when having to debate Republican... who fundamentally do not agree with even the premise of his argument.

I agree, sure they may have picked up some stein voters in every state, but that's not to say they wouldn't have lost quite a bit of suburban voters in exchange.

[SCNCmod]

-I'm strongly opposed to mandated coverage of pre-existing conditions anyway. Raises insurance costs for people without pre-existing conditions. Still not going to have a big electoral impact beyond 2018.

This is the point I was making about Bernie is more effective in a primary than he would be in a general... b/c Republican disagree with him on the fundamental premise of most of his arguments (where as Dems at least agree on the general goals... even if some disagree with how to achieve these goals &  think he would be incapable of getting anything passed due to Republicans & Moderate Dems/Repubs.)

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

The democratic party did not abandon rural people... rural people are just attracted like a shiny object to the Republican message on guns, ISIS, the wall, and other nonsense that spews out of Trump's mouths, that will do absolutely nothing to provide real world benefit to them.  And now they will lose their health care.  Elections have consequences.

-Only a tiny fraction of Americans will lose healthcare from the repeal and replacement of Obamacare. Might hurt Senate candidates in Kerry states, but won't keep Trump from re-election.

I don't think that's true.  What are you basing that off of?  And what about the pre-existing condition thing... if that's gutted that's going to screw a lot of people.

-I'm strongly opposed to mandated coverage of pre-existing conditions anyway. Raises insurance costs for people without pre-existing conditions. Still not going to have a big electoral impact beyond 2018.

You are sadly mistaken about that. The elimination of pre-existing conditions is the most popular provision and it is effective. With that said, it doesn't look like a repeal will happen anytime soon if at all, so it seems as if the powers that be are aware of the danger of repealing health care.

-It's frankly nutty. Insurance companies are not welfare agencies.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

Regarding the comment "Bernie would have won" .. I think the Healthcare debate with Cruz... hints to the fact that Sanders is much more effective debating and running in a primary- where the voters are inclined to go with the major parts of his arguments... But not so effective when having to debate Republican... who fundamentally do not agree with even the premise of his argument.

-Goldwater lost. Sometimes, the conservative position is not the popular one. And Cruz lost his debate with Sanders, as he couldn't coherently defend an alternative to Obamacare.

[Rjjr77]

Regarding the comment "Bernie would have won" .. I think the Healthcare debate with Cruz... hints to the fact that Sanders is much more effective debating and running in a primary- where the voters are inclined to go with the major parts of his arguments... But not so effective when having to debate Republican... who fundamentally do not agree with even the premise of his argument.

-Goldwater lost. Sometimes, the conservative position is not the popular one. And Cruz lost his debate with Sanders, as he couldn't coherently defend an alternative to Obamacare.

Goldwater did lose, people viewed as being on the fringes usually do in The us.

As for Cruz losing the debate, I don't think that was the consensus, Bernie got smacked around quite a bit.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

Regarding the comment "Bernie would have won" .. I think the Healthcare debate with Cruz... hints to the fact that Sanders is much more effective debating and running in a primary- where the voters are inclined to go with the major parts of his arguments... But not so effective when having to debate Republican... who fundamentally do not agree with even the premise of his argument.

I agree, sure they may have picked up some stein voters in every state, but that's not to say they wouldn't have lost quite a bit of suburban voters in exchange.

-Who are the Clinton voters who'd never consider voting for Sanders, again? I suspect these people fall into two categories; a tiny minority of Appalachians and fictional characters.

[publicunofficial]

Personally I think rural Americans are more easily appealed to via message or a dynamic personality than any sort of policy proposal.