"Dismissive elitist blather?" It's out there, but it isn't universal. Speak for yourself if you like, but don't try to include me (or all progressives, for that matter) in your "collective arrogance and contempt".
Both my parents were born on farms. My dad was as progressive as it gets; my mom is a dyed-in-the-wool conservative. My mom is still rural, as is most of my family. I have no contempt for them, or for the people they live with, who are (yes) terrified of the changes that are happening around them. I left my home town in 1992 because I could already tell it was dying. It's still dying. The people who stayed because they love that town are angry that nothing's been done. And they know that nothing is ever going to be done.
They understand (and rightly so) that the political structures of this country have abandoned them. That our political system has been taken over by people who are just as happy to let all the poor people drown. Most of my mom's neighbors think we need to just burn the whole thing down and start over.
I happen to believe that the Democrats are a better choice than burning it all down. But unless the Democrats start working toward legislative reform and campaign finance reform -- and let's be real, how likely is that to happen when you still need BILLIONS of dollars to run for national office? -- it's going to continue to be more of the same, over and over again.
So how can I really say they shouldn't vote for Trump? Maybe, like my leaving town, they just figured out that the whole thing is a dead end faster than I did.
Both my parents were born on farms. My dad was as progressive as it gets; my mom is a dyed-in-the-wool conservative. My mom is still rural, as is most of my family. I have no contempt for them, or for the people they live with, who are (yes) terrified of the changes that are happening around them. I left my home town in 1992 because I could already tell it was dying. It's still dying. The people who stayed because they love that town are angry that nothing's been done. And they know that nothing is ever going to be done.
They understand (and rightly so) that the political structures of this country have abandoned them. That our political system has been taken over by people who are just as happy to let all the poor people drown. Most of my mom's neighbors think we need to just burn the whole thing down and start over.
I happen to believe that the Democrats are a better choice than burning it all down. But unless the Democrats start working toward legislative reform and campaign finance reform -- and let's be real, how likely is that to happen when you still need BILLIONS of dollars to run for national office? -- it's going to continue to be more of the same, over and over again.
So how can I really say they shouldn't vote for Trump? Maybe, like my leaving town, they just figured out that the whole thing is a dead end faster than I did.
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