Puzzling Out the Rural Riddle

After posting an essay titled Impolite Company on April 19, I got the following message from a LinkedIn contact raising a valid and important question about rural voters that deserves a response that I’ve decided to share with all my readers.

He asks: “I understand that it is condescending to say they are voting against their interests. Have you identified what Republicans are offering that is in their interests?”

That’s a valid question because today’s Republicans aren’t doing anything tangible to actually help rural communities, they are only fanning the flames of resentment to gain political advantage. It’s an important question because it speaks to the rural-urban divide that is at the heart of the debilitating polarization that fractures the citizenry and paralyzes our government.

My answer is just one farm boy’s perspective, take it for what it’s worth. While there is a dimension of their voting tendencies that reflects the value rural people put on self-reliance and independence a…