Putting Myself In the Shoes of a Struggling, White, and Rural Voter

To comprehend why they would vote for a privileged-from-birth billionaire.

And we need to look at this from a purely economic angle, because trying to appeal to them from a social angle is the reason Hillary lost in so many states.

I grew up somewhere between the suburbs of a small, dying city (like the place I actually grew up: Syracuse, NY) and the outskirts of a small town that’s now a shadow of its former self.

My grandparents didn’t go to college, because they didn’t need to. The industry in my small but prosperous town surrounded manufacturing, farming, or energy industries back when American-made was more important than buy ten, get fifty free.

My grandparents didn’t go to college, but they made a good living. Hell, they even went on vacation every now and again, and they had enough to either retire or leave something to their kids. Their kids didn’t go to college either, taught by my grandparents that a degree doesn’t make you successful, hard work does.

This was back when (my) America was great.

Since then, my town has been struggling. No new businesses have popped up, the industries that once made my area thrive are gone (though the structures that once housed them stand as woeful reminders of how things used to be), and it feels like the only options are moving — which I don’t have the means to do — and/or going to college — which… same problem.

And here comes Donald Trump. He’s not a politician. He wasn’t in political control as my town’s heartbeat monitor slowed to a near flat line.

Trump is an outsider, and while he’s made all sorts of claims, one resonates with me on such a deep seeded level, it’s all I really needed to hear: “Make America Great Again.”

I don’t want to hear: “Make America great for everyone.” That’s not fair! It used to be great for my family, and now we’re struggling. Imagine if that were the political focus?! Making it fair for everyone?! Where does that leave me? In the same place I’ve been.

I don’t care to look up the history of racial biases, how legitimate the threat of terrorism is in relation to letting in refugees or immigrants from any country my government deems dangerous, or the logistics of building a wall, especially if that wall creates jobs, keeps out people who could take any new jobs that may pop up, and isn’t going to be paid for with our taxes. (Remember, Mexico will pay, and radical Muslims commit acts of terrorism.)

I’m a white rural American, and of fucking course I voted for Donald Trump.

Democrats, you should’ve given me a clear cut, easy to understand reason why I shouldn’t vote for him from an economic perspective rather than point out all the things wrong with that individual or what’s socially wrong with the Republican Party, because I don’t, and have NEVER, given a shit about any of that.

Role-playing aside, I too am seething mad about the racist, sexist, and xenophobic rhetoric, and the idea of trying to see past that and appeal to voters on their level is basically validating the divisiveness. I don’t want to do it either. The idea makes me sick to my stomach.

But they vote too.

(I always follow back on Medium and on Twitter.)