The brain drain is a very real phenomenon in rural America. I’m not saying the Republican voters in these areas are dumb. What I’m saying is that the types of people that would be offended by Trump’s/GOP’s behavior that grew up in these areas are the ones that tend to leave for college and never come back. It’s quite sad honestly.
This, 100%. I made a comment about this in another thread, but basically if you ever go visit one of these dying towns, it's going to be one of the most depressing things you'll ever witness firsthand. Anybody with anything to live for has left. The people who remain aren't even voting for Trump because they think he'll save their sh-tty little town, they're just hoping he'll bring the rest of the country down too.
Condescending attitudes like this are a large part of why Democrats struggle in rural areas. I don't need to visit one of these "dying towns" I live there. As hard as it is for you to believe the vast majority of people who live here would not live anywhere else, myself included. I'm not saying rural areas don't have their problems, they do, but so do suburbs and cities. I may not agree politically with a majority of my neighbors but for the most part they are good people living life the way they want,who the F*** are you to say they have nothing to live for.
I agree that the “nothing to live for” remark was uncalled for. The rest of the point is arguably true, though. I do think a non-insignificant part of why these areas are so attracted to Trump is because of pettiness/vindictiveness/bitterness. I wish there was a way to attract talent back to rural America, because these places really are dying and getting more of a shell of their former selves. That’s not good for anyone in this country, no matter where you live.