Where do we go from here?

[WaynetheDrain]

Got this text this this morning and almost threw my phone out of the window. These motherfuckers…

Donald Trump WON! If you're ANGRY, join us in the fight, chip in $25 (500% MATCHED) to protect what's left! forwardblue.us/l/YmSMdV

ForwardBlue
End2End

 

[superrific]

I count myself among many on this board who grew up in rural towns, among rural whites.

I have 5 uncles and several cousins who are rural, blue collar folks—mechanics, farmers, volunteer firefighters, cops, etc.

All of them have been hardcore rightwingers for decades—the types who listened to Rush Limbaugh on AM radio back in the 80s/90s.

I went to HS in a rural white community, where most folks went to the same church.

My relatives and the folks in my community made fun of anyone who went to college. “Poindexters, liberals, and fags” go to college, they’d say.

They called all the Hispanic immigrants who came through town for season work on farms by the same name. “Jose’s” they’d call em. As in “Did ya see that truck full of Jose’s out yonder?”

They’d rail against black welfare queens and bitch and moan about the liberals taking god out of schools.

I see their seething hatred in every Trump rally. I hear it cloaked in every interview with every asshole who claims they really didn’t want to vote for Trump, but gas costs too much.

It has taken root over 40 years in rural communities. It’s the same as it ever was.

So you can miss me with this bullshit.

yes.

 

[tallheel95]

It isn't about "not getting their hands dirty." The anti-college sentiment among blue collar workers is resentment toward the countless MBAs that come to their factory floors and tell them how they should be doing things. It is all the Six Sigma kaizen warriors with their MBAs who are deployed by their companies to shave fractions of a cent off the end product and reduce the direct labor cost. They go back to their bosses showing minuscule savings while making the job of the guy on the shop floor a lot more difficult. MBAs don't have to live with the lasting results of their cost savings adventures, the blue collar workers do.

Yep. Those MBAs make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and drive BMWs. The workers? Having trouble buying new tires for their truck. Trickle down economics at work my friends.

 

[Zoo_View]

Yep. Those MBAs make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and drive BMWs. The workers? Having trouble buying new tires for their truck. Trickle down economics at work my friends.

And, the MBA’s are most likely Romney/Dubya/Trump Republicans.

 

[uncjhodges]

Bingo. Arrogance isn't a doctor telling people to take a vaccine. It's some fucking idiot who googled for thirty minutes and thinks he knows better than the doctor.

i am so fucking tired talking stupid people into vaccines

 

[uncjhodges]

I count myself among many on this board who grew up in rural towns, among rural whites.

I have 5 uncles and several cousins who are rural, blue collar folks—mechanics, farmers, volunteer firefighters, cops, etc.

All of them have been hardcore rightwingers for decades—the types who listened to Rush Limbaugh on AM radio back in the 80s/90s.

I went to HS in a rural white community, where most folks went to the same church.

My relatives and the folks in my community made fun of anyone who went to college. “Poindexters, liberals, and fags” go to college, they’d say.

They called all the Hispanic immigrants who came through town for season work on farms by the same name. “Jose’s” they’d call em. As in “Did ya see that truck full of Jose’s out yonder?”

They’d rail against black welfare queens and bitch and moan about the liberals taking god out of schools.

I see their seething hatred in every Trump rally. I hear it cloaked in every interview with every asshole who claims they really didn’t want to vote for Trump, but gas costs too much.

It has taken root over 40 years in rural communities. It’s the same as it ever was.

So you can miss me with this bullshit.

i’m from Valdese NC- fuck almost everyone from there

 

[Calheel]

1. It's the day after the election. Maybe it's too soon to have fixes?
2. You're right that we have to find a way to reach them, but I don't know how. None of these ideas seem like they will work very well. Today's America is defined by hatred. The candidates who project hate to the majority of the population will win.

I have come to loathe rural white people. I admit it. There is real hate there. I'm not immune. I try not to, but it's so hard.

In my experience, it's the rural folks who always start the hate cycle. They are so goddamned insecure about who they are.

Keep in mind that we are only talking about 3% of the voting population; it is not everyone.

Also, just because Trump ran on certain themes does not mean that is what moved that 3% to vote. I tend to think that the 3% -- especially the latino voters -- were almost exclusively inflation voters. Inflation hurt working class people the most. Americans typically vote their pocketbooks above all other issues. I think it was as simple as blaming Biden for inflation and remembering that inflation was low under Trump.

The border, crime, Ukraine, transgenderism -- all of those issues are effective with the base that was already going to vote for Trump. But when it comes right down to what motivated those 3% to vote for Trump rather than Harris, I think it is simply the economy, stupid.

Which means, if the economy goes gang busters the next four years, Republicans will stay in power. And if the economy goes in the toilet, Democrats will get in power.

I think it is as simple as that.

 

[grimes70]

i’m from Valdese NC- fuck almost everyone from there

Worked one summer many years ago at Crestline Furniture factory. I know the area decently for an outsider. Some nice people, both on the liberal side (definate minority) and many m9re good old foothills folk back then. There wasn't such a divide and hate as there is today. Now other than a few folks I know who are liberal up there, I'd put money on there being 50 MAGA to 1 Dem. Maybe more.

 

[dukeman92]

You have to find a way to reach them and acting all better than is not it. Liberals have a massive PR problem and I'm not seeing much hope on this board of fixing it.

You fix it by educating your electorate. You do not bend the knee and become the antithesis of the very thing your party is founded on. If we have to become like the modern republican party to win elections, fuck it. I don't want to be that.

 

[dukeman92]

i’m from Valdese NC- fuck almost everyone from there

I used to live there.

 

[dukeman92]

I count myself among many on this board who grew up in rural towns, among rural whites.

I have 5 uncles and several cousins who are rural, blue collar folks—mechanics, farmers, volunteer firefighters, cops, etc.

All of them have been hardcore rightwingers for decades—the types who listened to Rush Limbaugh on AM radio back in the 80s/90s.

I went to HS in a rural white community, where most folks went to the same church.

My relatives and the folks in my community made fun of anyone who went to college. “Poindexters, liberals, and fags” go to college, they’d say.

They called all the Hispanic immigrants who came through town for season work on farms by the same name. “Jose’s” they’d call em. As in “Did ya see that truck full of Jose’s out yonder?”

They’d rail against black welfare queens and bitch and moan about the liberals taking god out of schools.

I see their seething hatred in every Trump rally. I hear it cloaked in every interview with every asshole who claims they really didn’t want to vote for Trump, but gas costs too much.

It has taken root over 40 years in rural communities. It’s the same as it ever was.

So you can miss me with this bullshit.

Well said.

 

[Unc12003]

I wonder who the right is going to blame when the price of everything we buy goes up 20% sending us straight into a depression. When they control congress and the White House how will it be the democrats fault?

 

[ZenMode]

At this point it's pretty clear in my mind that I live in a bubble and that this board is a super-bubble. As a group we are completely out of touch with the average American. I'm as guilty as anyone of this (actually moreso) but the condescention to conservatives isn't working. Liberals as a group have what I would call a "bad case of better than". This con man is likely going to win the popular vote and unfortunately just proclaiming that every single person that voted for him is an idiot is not a practical way of looking at it.

How good is the economy really? It's damn good if you have an IRA and a good job. It sucks if you live in a small town, have the same job you always had, and the extra $300 you had left over every month after paying all your monthly bills is now eaten up by the price of groceries. We're just out of touch. Not all the people who cast these votes are bad people but a lot of them are straight up "fuck you" votes. We all need to step back and take a look at ourselves. When I see a Trumper struggling my thought has typically been "he's struggling because he's not that bright to begin with and wants someone to blame other than himself for his predicament." And unfortunately many of us project that kind of arrogance which makes a lot of people hate us even more than we hate Trump.

I don't have time to write a novel right now. Maybe tonight when I'm drinking this off I'll come back and vent. But I'm pretty humbled by this and those are my initial thoughts.

 

[JCTarheel82]

I wonder who the right is going to blame when the price of everything we buy goes up 20% sending us straight into a depression. When they control congress and the White House how will it be the democrats fault?

I have no doubt they'll find a way.

 

[altmin]

That is who Jon Tester was for years. Didn't work out this time.

Not to mention Sherrod Brown.

 

[Croatoan]

At this point it's pretty clear in my mind that I live in a bubble and that this board is a super-bubble. As a group we are completely out of touch with the average American. I'm as guilty as anyone of this (actually moreso) but the condescention to conservatives isn't working. Liberals as a group have what I would call a "bad case of better than". This con man is likely going to win the popular vote and unfortunately just proclaiming that every single person that voted for him is an idiot is not a practical way of looking at it.

How good is the economy really? It's damn good if you have an IRA and a good job. It sucks if you live in a small town, have the same job you always had, and the extra $300 you had left over every month after paying all your monthly bills is now eaten up by the price of groceries. We're just out of touch. Not all the people who cast these votes are bad people but a lot of them are straight up "fuck you" votes. We all need to step back and take a look at ourselves. When I see a Trumper struggling my thought has typically been "he's struggling because he's not that bright to begin with and wants someone to blame other than himself for his predicament." And unfortunately many of us project that kind of arrogance which makes a lot of people hate us even more than we hate Trump.

I don't have time to write a novel right now. Maybe tonight when I'm drinking this off I'll come back and vent. But I'm pretty humbled by this and those are my initial thoughts.

Thia poast should be pinned on this board for the next four years.

 

[Calheel]

Not to mention Sherrod Brown.

Politics have become more tribal and Brown's/Tester's tribe didn't embrace their working class, everyman politics.

 

[altmin]

I don't see that turning around for quite some time. I believe one of the results of this election will be a worsening of the male lonliness epidemic as more women (and even liberal men) cut those guys out of their lives.

based on some of the exit polls, sure seems like plenty of women are all for what these guys are selling. At least half the white women in the country in fact

 

[GQNC]

Right. Part of Tester’s issue was being tied to the Democratic brand and being an incumbent for years, IMO. I’m also not sure how populist of a campaign Tester ran. I can’t speak on it really.

Good thread Rodoheel. I also was curious how liberal Tester might be considered so I searched and found a January 2023 senate scorecard tallied by 538 for voting with Biden’s position on bills. Here is a subset of senators:
Sherrod Brown (98%+), Krysten Sinema (93%), Jacky Rosen (92%), Jon Tester (91%), Bernie Sanders (91%), Joe Manchin (88%), Susan Collins (68%), Lisa Murkowski (67%), median Republican (~35%)

I guess it could be seen as surprising that Sherrod Brown, Jon Tester, and Joe Manchin stayed in the senate for multiple terms being from red states and voting with a Democratic president 88-98% of the time. I did not find anything regarding voting with Trump’s position (during his term).

 

[wmheel1287]

We don't go anywhere from here. The most engaged and well meaning portion of the voting populace is now totally disengaged and will never again have a seat at the table. It's total idiocracy from this point forward for both parties.