'It's Almost Like a Secret Society': The Perils of Being Democrat in a Trump Town

[Nevilledog]

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Seth Cotlar
@SethCotlar
Highly recommend this story about Democrats in rural America. It's about DuBois, Pa. I grew up about 60 miles south of there in a similarly small town. I know many folks who still live there, and this account rang very true to me.

politico.com
‘It’s Almost Like a Secret Society’: The Perils of Being Democrat in a Trump Town
Rural Democrats suffer in silence, abandoned by a party that they fear has stopped fighting to win the places where they live.
9:56 AM · Mar 4, 2022

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/03/04/pennsylvania-rural-democrats-trump-neighbors-00008915

DUBOIS, Pa. — In the pandemic’s darkest days, a man living across the street from a Methodist church in this small town raised a flag in front of his house emblazoned with the words “Fuck Biden.”

Neighbors were so repulsed they brought it up with church leadership. A resident complained about the profanity to the zoning commission but never heard back. It wasn’t just that the slur offended their sense of propriety. Some here felt a sense of betrayal, too. The flag’s owner lived in a home that once belonged to pillars of the church community. They were the man’s late grandparents. And when they had gotten sick, neighbors recalled delivering them home-cooked meals. One church member urged the man to remove the flag.

For months, the man refused, and his brusque demeanor frightened some people off. He eventually decided to take the flag down, only to replace it with another one, which still hangs outside the house. It reads: “Joe and the Ho got to Go.”

“We’ve never seen this before,” says Joanne Fitzpatrick, a Democrat from DuBois, running through a tally in her head of anti-Biden signs that still cover her town and surrounding communities. “I’m not a prude by any stretch, but it’s offensive. We’ve just never seen this level of vulgarity after an election — and so long after the election at that.”

“In a civilized society,” she added, “we just don’t do that.”

*snip*

[RockCreek]

1. Thank you for posting this

I strongly considered a job in DuBois over a decade ago.
Now, I am in a blue city in a blue state surrounded by other blue states.
A few years ago I thought it would be great to move to many of the red states (Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, etc.).
Now I don't even want to vacation in them.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

2. Someone didn't get the "Feature Trumpster profiles only" memo!

[cilla4progress]

3. This is my life

As I have recounted here before, a new neighbor moved in down the road and within a month erected Fuck Biden and Trump-deSantis 2024 banners!

We arentold we are brave to erect our Dem candidate signs during election season!

I have a Black Lives Matter sign up the driveway and an American flag flying high in front.

[XacerbatedDem]

4. Even worse in Missouri

My brother had a "Go Biden" sticker on his truck and going down the highway, some guy pointed a gun at him. These people are sick.

[Boomerproud]

5. Ms. Fitzpatrick has learned that this isn't a civilized society.

😥🤬

[Jirel]

6. Democrats have to have courage.

I live in a rural, very Trumpy community. All of the things said here apply.

So. Damned. What.

I flew the Biden banner. I few the anti-Dump banner. I am vocal on local Facebook groups. So are other Dems here who have actual courage. I have no respect for anyone too cowed to do the same.

Guess what? They can bluster and scream, harangue and threaten. So can we. Was I worried about vandalism to my sign or my home? Of course. Was I willing to go kick some ass if it happened? Yes also.

As long as we whine about how hard it is to speak up in rural areas, we will LOSE every time.

Ukrainians are arming up with homemade Molotov cocktails and rifles to save their country. Poor, poor democrats - too scared to put a bumper sticker on a car.

[modrepub]

8. I Approve!

Most of these folks (what do we call them anyway?) have been living the straw-man fantasy way too long. They figure bluster and name calling will get their opponents to turn and cower. They forget that some folks are not going to take their proverbial horse sh-t.

For me, I travel the back-road areas of PA quite often. Love the mountains (just hills really). Great food and sights to see. Most folks are kind and considerate if you don't talk politics (there was a time when politics wasn't a 24/7/365 exercise).

I blame the crappy RW AM radio for starting all of this. Faux news is only a more recent phenomena. People never seem to figure out this form of entertainment only functions to make them constantly angery at perceived slights. Meanwhile the folks who keep them in a constant rage live in gated communities counting their millions and selling their listeners cheaply made Chinese trinkets.

[gab13by13]

7. I live 10 miles away,

I live among them, not afraid of them, but I choose not to talk politics with them, if they begin, I shut them down.

4 years ago I posted on a DuBois web site (chat) the owner banned me from posting because I said that Trump was a Putin puppet. I lurked and after a year I could post again but it had gotten worse so I haven't gone back, not worth the aggravation.

I used to write letters to the local newspaper, which had all kinds of Trump propaganda. The editor even called me his 'pinko commie buddy." The editor retired and the new guy started editing letters, refusing to post letters, so I dumped my subscription with a hand written letter that I handed to him.