Are most of the stereotype’s liberals hold about rural Americans are actually true?”

The Daily Beast, a liberal website, caught my attention recently. They published an interview with Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman, authors of a book entitled “White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy.”

https://www.amazon.com/White-Rural-Rage-American-Democracy/dp/0593729145

Full disclosure, I did not read the book, just the article. The authors seem to have a sanctimonious left leaning bent. Schaller is a professor in Baltimore and Waldman is employed by the Washington Post.  Make your own assessment about their qualifications to judge Trump voters.   

Anyway, they claim, “most of the stereotype’s liberals hold about rural Americans are actually true.”

The Beast introduced the book stating, ” In the popular imagination of many Americans, particularly left of the political spectrum, the typical MAGA supporter is a rural resident who hates Black and Brown people, loathes liberals, loves God and guns, believes in myriad conspiracy theories, has little faith in democracy, and is willing to use violence to achieve their goals, as thousands did on Jan. 6.”

With strong objection to accusations of hating Black and Brown folks, they pretty much described me as well as most of my associates. The “hating people of color” statement was an asinine assertion by the Beast and/or the authors.

Am opportunity to rebut them might go as follows:

Tom & Paul – “Rural voters—especially White rural voters on whom Donald Trump heaps praise and upon which he built his Make America Great Movement—pose a growing threat to the world’s oldest constitutional democracy.”

Alan – I may have a sanctimonious right leaning bent, but I fervently contend MAGA supporters are what remains of constitutional democracy. I write about it regularly.

T/P – “official data” states rural whites are the demographic group least likely to accept notions of pluralism and inclusion and are far less likely to believe that diversity makes America stronger.

A – Notions of pluralism, inclusion, and/or diversity are not necessarily the right choice for all circumstances just because the woke crowd believes it to be. Moreover, it’s similar to two wolves and a rabbit arguing about what’s for dinner.

T/P – rural whites are more likely to view LGBTQ+ people in a negative light.

A – Rural people I know have no problem with who one loves but object strongly to having it flaunted in our face or attempts at indoctrinating our children.

T/P – MAGA’s have anger for immigrants, both legal and undocumented, at a higher rate than the Left.

A – The authors cleverly throw illegal immigrants into the same bucket as legal immigrants. Nearly everyone in this country is a descendant from people who arrived here from somewhere else and there is rarely backlash over anyone arriving here legally.   

Yes, we’re concerned about illegal Democrat voters pouring over our border and needing assistance at the same time we’re $34 trillion in debt. We also have concerns with people invading us and bringing drugs that kill our children. Wonder how many illegals Tom and Paul are housing?

T/P – Half of Trump voters say diversity in our communities is something they don’t value.

A – This statement carries about as much weight as me writing a book and stating, “Half of Liberals say gun owning in our community is something they don’t value.” It would be interesting to see what communities the authors live in themselves to see what their value of diversity really might be.

T/P – Rural voters are wrong in their opinions about COVID vaccines, Obama’s birthplace, …the press, …presidential powers, Christian views, and our efforts to restrict voting access.

A – Evidently these atheists do not believe voters should be required to have identification to do something as important as voting, like we already do for driving, owning guns, fishing, etc. The Left contends that requirement is racist. I contend the Left’s position itself is racist.  

T/P – Rural voters are more likely to believe citizens might have to take up arms against the government, as they have insurrectionist tendencies.  

A – As opposed to government running roughshod over us with our money? They would reverse institutions and policies such as the electoral college or two senators’ representation per state even though doing so would mean the more populous cities and states taking control of the country. This is precisely what our Founding Fathers warned us about.

T/P – Rural voters have made one of the worst deals in American politics—slavishly supporting a Republican Party that not only does little to stop their inexorable decline but actually makes it worse.”  

A – We’re right and you Neanderthals are wrong, huh? Messrs. Schaller and Waldman, what politician from the Swamp is going to fix our ills, Biden? The socialist Gavin Newsome, whose state has become a microcosm of all that is wrong with liberal constructs.? Michelle Obama, giving Barrack a third term? No thank you, gentlemen, we’ve lived those disasters.   

Nothing was said in the interview about moral decay and crime set into America’s big cities, which happen to be run by Liberal Democrats. The authors take issue about Trump voters’ beliefs, as if liberals have a monopoly on naturally being correct and the right are just troglodytes. I contend rural voters just don’t buy into socialistic and immoral themes of anything goes.

The book will have as much legitimacy as an Alejandro Mayorkas Memoir on how he fought illegal immigration.  Perhaps my next book should be entitled, “Liberal Tears,” How They Don’t Know Everything Think They Do.”