May sound crazy, but in a democratic system that gives extra weight to rural votes, Democrats need the country. Period.

Couple things here

Why did so many rural Americans turn to supporting a narcissistic, amoral New York billionaire celebrity demagogue? Because he shared their values? Because he was a likable guy? Because he had brilliant solutions?

No: Because they were desperate and felt unheard in our political system, and resentful as economic growth in metro areas passed them by. So they chose the craziest guy in the hopes it would do something, anything.

Now that Trump will be leaving the stage, leaving his jilted supporters with a broken nation and nothing to show for it, perhaps it’s time for a reset.

The path toward healing our nation runs through these left-behind areas.

Indeed, many of these areas were once Democratic. But urban/rural polarization has now reached an extreme level. These days the biggest predictor of your party affiliation is the density of where you live. That’s a problem of the “two Americas” that is pulling our country apart.

If he wants to be a successful president, Joe Biden needs to — and I think is smart enough to — prioritize and make investments even in areas of the country that he “lost.”

Listen these rural folks and show them that Democrats have the ideas and solutions, while the Republican playbook keep them fed on a diet of resentment while doing nothing of substance except passing a tax cut that mostly benefits the wealthy anyway.

Realistically, Democrats won’t “win” rural America any time soon, but if they can improve their margins in rural counties and lose by less, then it is a solid path to a stable governing majority in our system which disproportionately benefits rural votes.

The problem with heartland politics has more to do with the perception of what each party stands for.

Republicans claim to be in favor of the common man, when in fact, they operate to the polar opposite. Farmers and smaller businesses benefit from relaxed government oversight, but that’s just a byproduct of the GOP making sure their major donors are making money hand over fist...it’s the only true example of trickle-down economics in action. But it’s a coincidence and nothing more.

I agree with a lot of this. The Democratic establishment has treated rural America as "flyover country" for far too long. Rural Americans have real needs and issues, and their rash of "deaths of despair" as well as joining the trump death cult shows establishment Republicans have not been helping them. Democrats should address these issues.

Sure, there are racists, misogynists, and homophobes in rural America, but there are racists, misogynists, and homophobes in the cities too! Identity politics is understandable among minorities under attack, but white supremacists invented identity politics, and it only serves to keep the poor and middle class divided. It's a con job, like most of movement conservatism.

It's also quite ironic rural Americans would view environmentalism as an enemy considering that the rural lifestyle is arguably much more environmentally friendly than the urban lifestyle.

Another Constitutional Congress, perhaps?

Originally posted as a comment to a DoctorStrangelove meme.

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