U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris helps prepare hygiene-related care packages at a clinic being prepared by the nonprofit NC Counts Coalition to deliver to victims of Hurricane Helen in Charlotte, North Carolina, October 5, 2024. .
(Logan Cyrus/AFP)
Few questions trouble Democrats more than how, or whether, to reverse the decline of rural and blue-collar America. Long gone are the days when the party was seen as the natural home of the working class. While the Democratic Party is now a haven for urban, educated elites, Trump’s Republican Party has penetrated working-class voters of all races, resulting in the coalition that has sustained the Democratic Party for decades. The prevailing theory is that the government is in crisis.
This November, with states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan on the brink, Democrats need every vote they can get. So today’s episode focuses on the relationship between rural voters and the party. We have three guests who live in rural America, and they believe that many rural and working-class voters will not be a lost cause for the Democratic Party if they make a serious effort to gain Democratic support. I am adamant that you can get it without it.
Jane Cleave is the leader of the Nebraska Democratic Party and the author of Harvest the Vote: How Democrats Can Win Again in Rural America. Anthony Flaccavento is an organic farmer, co-chair of the Rural Urban Bridge initiative, and co-author of The Nation’s Re Thinking Rural column.
And in a special bonus segment, we spoke to Sarah Taber, Democratic candidate for North Carolina Agriculture Secretary. her campaign And how do we plan to connect the state’s urban and rural residents?
To support all our podcasts, subscribe to The Nation
Can I rely on you?
In the upcoming election, the fate of our democracy and fundamental civil rights depends on your vote. Conservative architects of Project 2025 plan to institutionalize Donald Trump’s authoritarian vision at every level of government if he wins.
We have already seen events that fill us with both fear and cautious optimism. nation has been a bulwark against misinformation and advocates for bold, principled viewpoints. Our passionate writers interviewed Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders, unpacked J.D. Vance’s shallow right-wing populist appeal, and discussed the path to Democratic victory in November.
Stories like this, and the ones you just read, are critical at this critical juncture in our nation’s history. Now, more than ever, we need clear-eyed, deep-reporting independent journalism to make sense of the headlines and separate fact from fiction. Donate today and join our 160-year tradition of speaking truth to power and elevating the voices of grassroots advocates.
We need your support to continue publishing the insightful journalism you rely on throughout 2024 and during what will likely be the defining election of our lifetimes.
thank you,
editor of nation
