Opinion of Rural Democrats

[Kuumo]

Joe Manchin, Jon Tester, Jared Golden, Anthony Brindisi, Collin Peterson, Earl Ray Tomblin, Richard Ojeda, Max Baucus, Heidi Heitkamp, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.

Rural Democrats exist. Rural Democrats are more moderate or conservative socially, especially on guns and abortion, but their key message is healthcare and education.

They are not the suburban or urban counterparts.

What do you think of them?

[Fight for Trump]

Max Baucus and Jon Tester have little in common with each other, other than state and party affiliation, let alone Richard Ojeda.

[Suburbia]

Freedom Fighters.

You need urban Republicans and you need rural Democrats.

You need a balance

[VAR]

Tom O'Halleran is technically a "Rural Democrat" too, no?

[Fight for Trump]

Tom O'Halleran is technically a "rural Democrat" too, no?

Bernard Sanders is technically a rural Democrat. (well, technically, a rural Independent who calls himself a Democrat every 4 years to run for President)

[S019]

I'll tolerate them if they are needed to hold their seats, but generally not a fan

[Suburbia]

I'll tolerate them if they are needed to hold their seats, but generally not a fan

Why? Because they have a different opinion, they are more moderate?

[S019]

I'll tolerate them if they are needed to hold their seats, but generally not a fan

Why? Because they have a different opinion, they are more moderate?

I am a moderate Dem, but I align far more with New Dems than Blue Dogs, so yeah not a fan of pro-gun or anti-choice Democrats

[AGA]

FF, couldn't care less about their pro-life views.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Some are FFs, some are HPs, many are in between.

I voted FFs in support of their existence.

[TML]

It depends on the extent to which they are influenced by special interest donors.

For example, people like Mark Pryor & Heidi Heitkamp opposed increased background checks for gun purchases not because the majority of their constituents opposed such measures (in fact, most of them actually supported this), but because their corporate donors opposed them. These are examples of HPs among this group. On the other hand, if someone holds a position because of genuine personal conviction, then I’m OK with that in principle, even if I don’t agree with the position(s) being held. For example, in the 2018 election cycle, Justice Democrats endorsed John Heenan for the House seat in Montana, even though he is more pro-gun than the average Democrat (in this case, it was not because of corporate influence, but because that’s what he genuinely believes based on his local culture). That’s an example of an FF among this group.

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

FFs, because I have no illusion that if it's not people like Manchin and Tester holding those seats, it would be some Republican wingnut. I'd rather have rural Democrats that lean right 50% of the time, than rural Republicans who do so 100% of the time.

[jingletoes]

Do rural Black democrats like Sanford Bishop count?

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

On the whole? FFs. I prefer the concept of Rural Democrats over the actual people who have been elected. I'm talking about Jane Kleeb-types (progressives who want to actually talk to rural people and organize them and lead the charge on issues that impact rural people) more than the Joe Manchins who win elections on name recognition and then feel like they have to govern as a Republican.

[Catholics vs. Convicts]

Massive FFs. If Democrats want to have a majority in the Senate ever again, they have to win in at least a few predominantly rural and conservative leaning states. The Senate is dumb in that way, and not built for the 21st Century, but that's not going to change anytime soon. So yes, we need them.

[Suburbia]

Do rural Black democrats like Sanford Bishop count?

Yes, and Jim Clyburn.

Bishop and Clyburn are both rural Black Democrats.

[Dipper Josh]

I voted HP because the majority of the people you named had some pretty unforgivable actions. Despite the fact that I like Jared Golden quite a bit and Richard Ojeda has been a net positive in his career despite some obvious slip ups.

You don't get a free pass to do whatever you want when you're a rural Democrat, I can forgive necessary votes to help your re-election campaign but so many of rural Dems go far beyond that. No, Heidi, You did not need to gut Dodd-Frank to win re-election in North Dakota, Manchin and Tester also did this. What about when Joe Manchin cost the Democrats the governor's seat in West Virginia in 1996 by campaigning for Republican Cecil Underwood.

What about when Peterson voted against expanding the ACA a few months back? Making D.C a state? Consumer credit protections?

They win elections, they're better than their opponents, that doesn't mean they're good people.

[JA]

Hmm... a moderate, rural Democrat or, the most likely alternative, a Republican. Yeah, I'll take the Democrat every time (some exceptions may apply).

[H. Ross Peron]

I'll tolerate them if they are needed to hold their seats, but generally not a fan

Why? Because they have a different opinion, they are more moderate?

I am a moderate Dem, but I align far more with New Dems than Blue Dogs, so yeah not a fan of pro-gun or anti-choice Democrats

So the 2004 Bush voter wing of the Democratic Party

[Blue3]

There’s a wide range, not much they all have in common.

Overall? Better than Republicans.

[Battista Minola 1616]

I don't think my opinion of rural Democrats is noticeably different than that of non-rural Democrats; the people in the OP specifically are a diverse bunch and I don't have a strong opinion about it.

[Battista Minola 1616]

I'll tolerate them if they are needed to hold their seats, but generally not a fan

Why? Because they have a different opinion, they are more moderate?

I am a moderate Dem, but I align far more with New Dems than Blue Dogs, so yeah not a fan of pro-gun or anti-choice Democrats

So the 2004 Bush voter wing of the Democratic Party

No, he is the Romney/Clinton or even better Romney/Trump/Biden wing of the Democratic Party.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Some of the best people.

I'll tolerate them if they are needed to hold their seats, but generally not a fan

Why? Because they have a different opinion, they are more moderate?

I am a moderate Dem, but I align far more with New Dems than Blue Dogs, so yeah not a fan of pro-gun or anti-choice Democrats

You really have no room to talk when it comes to retrograde, intrusive views on social and cultural issues.