Here's something to ponder for your Monday. It's actually a serious article, though written in the usual "Cracked" style. How Half Of America Lost Its F**king Mind
Yep. This is my Mom's side of the family, in rural MO, and since she was one of 12, I have a TON of relatives there. With so large a group, they themselves defy stereotypes by being all over the map, and while many will vote for Trump, many others see through him. But the largest point of that article - that their small town way of life has taken a beating - is undeniable. How they sort out politically often depends on if they choose to blame a convenient scapegoat, or think through a little deeper. Which, by the way, many of them do. Even that is a too-convenient bifurcation, as some are just conservatives who habitually vote Republican with no animus towards others at all. They really are all over the map. Some will vote Trump because, sadly, they see the racism and sexism as a feature, not a bug. Others will vote Trump because they'll see it as a big middle finger to an uncaring establishment, without really thinking through that they're voting for a guy who has given even less of a fig for them his whole life than most of the establishment. Others because they're Republicans and always vote that way. Others will vote Clinton because they usually vote Republican but either saw through Trump early, or just can't stomach his crudeness and sexism especially. Others will vote for her because (shock!) they're Democrats and always vote that way. Like I said - it's a large family. The best point the article makes is that we shouldn't just dismiss these folks, who are legitimately hurting, because some of them are undeniably racist, etc. Many, many others are not, and their economic distress is real.
