Last week I read a column by Timothy Egan about books by J. D. Vance and Tara Westover, which he said were “guides to a Trumpland that is terra incognita to most Americans.” Vance grew up in southern Ohio and Westover grew up in Idaho. A couple of days later, […] Read more »
Americans Big on Idea of Living in the Country
Given six choices of a type of place where they could live, 27% of Americans choose a rural area, more than any other option — although this is down from 35% in 2001. Another 21% currently favor life in a suburb of a big city, while 12% would choose a […] Read more »
Republicans in Wisconsin and Michigan Aim to Hobble Incoming Democrats
In both Wisconsin and Michigan, Democrats followed a similar formula last month to win the governorship and other key statewide offices: big turnout in urban centers and gains in white-collar suburbs. But in each state, Republican dominance of small-town and rural communities—reinforced by a highly partisan gerrymander of legislative district […] Read more »
Are Rural Voters the ‘Real’ Voters? Wisconsin Republicans Seem to Think So
In much of Wisconsin, “Madison and Milwaukee” are code words (to some, dog whistles) for the parts of the state that are nonwhite, elite, different: The cities are where people don’t have to work hard with their hands, because they’re collecting welfare or public-sector paychecks. That stereotype updates a very […] Read more »
This District Was Solid Red. Why Did It Flip?
Oklahoma City’s population is becoming younger and more diverse, a fact that helped propel a Democrat, Kendra Horn, to victory in a traditionally Republican House district. But the city’s changing demographics are only one part of the story. Emma Cott, New York Times Read more »
Two Americas, only 30 miles apart
As the US mid-term elections approach, the real divide when it comes to values and voting is between rural and urban America. And whether it’s their views on race, guns or Donald Trump, people in these places might as well be living on different planets. As part of the BBC’s Ask […] Read more »