In the week after the 2024 election I was having dinner with long time friends and two of their children. One of them is an elected legislator in a red state and the other worked for a democratic candidate in a different red state. The former was sanguine about the results, noting the inflation economy is a predictable barrier to overcome, but the other was adamant that we need to understand why people voted for an outspoken racist who is clearly out for both revenge and personal gain.
This book seeks to answer some of those questions. He spent a lot of time in Kentucky in areas that have diminished opportunities, especially for those without an education beyond high school, poverty, and that are predominantly (94%) white. He talked to mostly white men and found that they have pretty fragile senses of self-worth. The availability of good paying jobs (mostly mining jobs) was a source of pride for them, and as coal's star is setting, the lack of adequate paying jobs is a source of shame for them. Then comes the hard to fix part--they do not blame corporations for this shift, or climate change, but rather seemingly they fix their anger on whoever the GOP tells them is to blame. So while making a massive effort to engage this population that votes against their self interest makes sense, it seems like the appeal to their injured masculine pride has won the day. This is age old, but worsening as the economy shifts and substance abuse worsens, and those who support candidates who would help change the tide have zero interest in them because of their voting record. That is the damage done, though, with no insights on how to repair it.
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