Harris-Walz defend rural Americans who are vulnerable to Project 2025 propaganda
Why you should support rural Democratic candidates
A call to action for a more inclusive and representative democracy: Democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires active participation and engagement from all citizens, regardless of where we live, what we do, or who we are.
Unfortunately, in our political system, not all people are heard or represented, let alone on an equal basis. Rural Americans, who make up about 20% of the population, face many challenges and barriers to access and influence in our democracy.
Republican gerrymandering has diverted voters from diverse Democratic districts into largely rural districts where Republicans have a huge advantage. This is made worse by Democratic election funds, PACs, and political donations that have been increasingly diverted to battleground states and metropolitan candidates. This has created a dearth of Democratic information directed to rural populations—a void that has been filled by right-wing media outlets, such as Fox News and Newsmax. These rural citizens have been disinformed, often lied to, about Democrats by these right-wing media outlets since 2012. And they are now, in 2024, especially vulneable to Project 2025 propaganda!
For example, 80% of rural central Washington has not heard positive Democratic messages, but routinely hears a steady stream of right-wing disinformation—and rural communities have suffered the consequences.
If this trend continues, Democrat-dense urban centers will not be enough to achieve a Democratic majority in the Electoral College, as we learned in 2016.
Consequently, confidence in Democrats to serve the needs of rural communities declined. This has led to Republican majorities in crucial local positions, impacting groups like native Americans, Latino, LGBTQ+, Asian, and African Americans.
We must regain rural voter confidence in Democratic agendas by displacing right-wing disinformation with truthful, educational, and relevant information about how Democrats serve rural America. For over fifteen years, Republicans have been effectively convincing Americans to vote against their own best interests. We must persuade rural voters to vote for their own best interests, and vote for Democrats.
That's why Democrats need your help. When you’re deciding to donate to local, state, and national Democratic campaigns, consider reserving some of your donation funds for rural candidates. You can help empower and amplify the voices of rural Americans who are often left out and left behind.
Rural Americans are not a monolithic group. They have diverse backgrounds, identities, experiences, and opinions (see Summary of under References below). However, they also share some common challenges and barriers that affect their quality of life and their participation in our democracy.
Some of these challenges and barriers include:
Lack of access to quality health care, education, broadband, transportation, and other essential services and infrastructure.
Higher rates of poverty, unemployment, underemployment, and economic insecurity.
Lower levels of civic engagement, social capital, and political representation.
Greater exposure to environmental hazards, climate change impacts, and natural disasters.
More vulnerability to the effects of globalization, automation, and trade policies that favor urban and suburban areas.
Less media attention, public awareness, and policy responsiveness to their needs and concerns.
These challenges and barriers not only affect the well-being and dignity of rural Americans (20% of U.S. population), but also undermine the health and vitality of our democracy. When rural Americans are marginalized and excluded, our democracy becomes less diverse, less inclusive, and less representative.
By reserving some of your donation funds for rural candidates, you can help create a more inclusive and representative democracy that benefits everyone. And supporting rural democrats is good strategy:
By investing in rural candidates and campaigns, you can help expand the democratic map, flip more seats, and win more elections at all levels of government.
Expanding the democratic base, coalition, and electorate to include more rural voters who share democratic values and priorities.
Electing more rural democrats who can bring their perspectives, experiences, and expertise to the policymaking process and advocate for the needs and interests of rural communities.
Building more trust, dialogue, and collaboration between urban and rural democrats who can work together to find common ground and solutions to the challenges facing our country.
Strengthening our democracy by ensuring that all Americans, regardless of where we live, have a voice and a vote in our political system.
Our democracy is only as strong as the people who participate in it. We need your help to make sure that rural Americans are not left out or left behind in our political system.
By donating to local, state, and national democratic campaigns, and reserving some of your donation funds for rural candidates, you can help make a difference in the lives of rural Americans and the future of our democracy.
References
The Democrats’ Rural Problem, Washington Monthly, July 2022
What Democrats Don’t Understand About Rural America, NY Times, May, 2022
Healthcare Access in Rural Communities, RHIhub, January, 2024
The Electoral College and the Rural-Urban Divide, Aspen Institute, February, 2021
These maps show how Republicans are blatantly rigging elections, The Guardian, Nov. 2021
Rural voters continue to evade Democrats, NBC News, November 2023
Democrats losing in rural America because ‘we are very bad at messaging,’ says Sen. Jon Tester, NBC News, December 2022
6 charts that illustrate the divide between rural and urban America, PBS, March 2017
Summary of, “Joke’s on them: how Democrats gave up on rural America”, The Guardian, February 2022
The main argument of the article: Rural America is not a monolithic entity, but a complex and diverse place with its own class structure, political culture, and economic challenges. The Democratic party has failed to address rural political culture and economic needs. Republicans pander to rural voters with fabricated authenticity, with false displays of rural credentials—and win.
The history of rural economic decline and consolidation: How rural America has suffered from market consolidation, corporate domination, and government policies that favored large-scale agribusiness over small farmers and ranchers.
The rise of rural conservatism and resentment: How rural America has developed a conservative political identity that is shaped by a sense of loss, nostalgia, and opposition to urban elites and cultural change.
The failure of the Democratic party to appeal to rural voters: The Democratic party is criticized for neglecting the internal class structure of rural America, pandering to rural stereotypes, and failing to offer bold economic policies that could address rural grievances.
The possibility of change and opportunity in rural America: Rural America is not hopeless or homogeneous, but rather has potential for change and opportunity, as evidenced by the recent labor strikes, the diversity of rural communities, and the people working to improve their local conditions.