It does seem that cultural differences matter more to many rural voters than economic issues--this would explain why they so often vote against their own economic interests. But how much do any of these cultural differences have to do with actual political policies or legislation? Yes, one can find some examples, like the battle over abortion (although even in that case, there were never any laws forcing anyone to get an abortion--it was always a matter of personal choice). Most of the changes that so many rural people find they cannot accept have been driven not by political policies but by a culture that is evolving to be more open and tolerant. What is it that right-leaning rural people want, exactly? Do they want to force LGBTQ people back into the closet? To deny fair wages and educational and housing opportunities to anyone who isn't white and male? To force us all to join a church of their choosing? To deny needed health care to anyone who cannot afford to pay the costs on their own? To allow everyone to wander around carrying a loaded gun? To pretend that the climate crisis and viral pandemics are fictional? I fear the answer to a lot of these questions is "yes." Giving in to their list of demands would be morally reprehensible and, ultimately, horrible for the entire nation. Yet it seems they will be satisfied with nothing else and our weird form of democracy has given them an outsized amount of political clout.

It does seem that cultural differences matter more to many rural voters than economic issues--this would explain why they so often vote against their own economic interests. But how much do any of these cultural differences have to do with actual political policies or legislation? Yes, one can find some examples, like the battle over abortion (although even in that case, there were never any laws forcing anyone to get an abortion--it was always a matter of personal choice). Most of the changes that so many rural people find they cannot accept have been driven not by political policies but by a culture that is evolving to be more open and tolerant. What is it that right-leaning rural people want, exactly? Do they want to force LGBTQ people back into the closet? To deny fair wages and educational and housing opportunities to anyone who isn't white and male? To force us all to join a church of their choosing? To deny needed health care to anyone who cannot afford to pay the costs on their own? To allow everyone to wander around carrying a loaded gun? To pretend that the climate crisis and viral pandemics are fictional? I fear the answer to a lot of these questions is "yes." Giving in to their list of demands would be morally reprehensible and, ultimately, horrible for the entire nation. Yet it seems they will be satisfied with nothing else and our weird form of democracy has given them an outsized amount of political clout.

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