How nostalgia for white Christian America drove so many Americans to vote for Trump

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. — From a perch on Main Street, the home town of actor Andy Griffith looks this day like it was plucked right out of the television show that bears his name. And it was.

Residents and tourists from far-flung states mill along the thoroughfare, past the quaint low-slung shops made of Mount Airy’s famous white granite and named, like Floyd’s City Barber Shop, for references in “The Andy Griffith Show,” the folksy comedy set in the idyllic fictional small town of Mayberry that first aired in 1960.

And yet even as this city of about 10,000 nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains fills its coffers by selling nostalgia, many of its residents would agree with the now-popular saying “We’re not in Mayberry anymore.”

If only the real Mount Airy, which has experienced decades of economic and social decline, were like the Mayberry facade, muses Mayor David Rowe. If only his city and the rest of America could return to the 1950s again.

“Now it’s about secular progressivism, not the values you get out of this book,” such as honesty and hard work, said Rowe, 72, jabbing his finger at the leather Bible on his office desk.

But as Donald Trump prepares to move into the White House, Rowe and many of his constituents are hoping for a return to the past.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/how-nostalgia-for-white-christian-america-drove-so-many-americans-to-vote-for-trump/2017/01/04/4ef6d686-b033-11e6-be1c-8cec35b1ad25_story.html?utm_term=.0e3e87153a9d&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1#comments

So Trump exemplifies Christian values? Give me a fucking break.

[2naSalit]

1. Bullsh*t...

This is not accounting for the hacking and assumes that all votes were counted in accordance with tradition and law.

[putitinD]

3. +1

[HAB911]

2. Yep

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028441529

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

4. Well yeah it is a part of the whole story - I asked my elderly mom about why a good catholic

woman like here would EVER vote for a multiple-divorced, sexist pig like DJT and she started talking about respecting the flag and how when she was growing up there used to be parades.... speechless... what could I say, aside from trying to reassure her that we still had parades and flags and stuff.

[jmowreader]

8. I don't think she'll like the parades we'll have under Trump

[brush]

5. It was all about trump's slogan. "Make America white . . . er, ah . . . great again"

Not that complicated.

[Different Drummer]

9. This. n/t

[Dawson Leery]

6. If the mayor were honest, he would join the KKK.

[Initech]

7. God these people are stupid! Once again we get the "Christianity is under attack" bullshit!

Last edited Sat Jan 7, 2017, 07:53 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't want to go back to the 1950s, it's 2017! We should pay attention to modern times, not past ones!

Oh and by the way, Trump is the least religious president we've ever elected!

[raccoon]

15. 2017. nt

[Different Drummer]

10. It's not that Trump himself exemplifies Christian values.

Years ago, the GOP made itself the party of Christian fundamentalists, so any political candidate with an R by their name (in this case, Trump) is automatically representative by association of Christian values.

[wcast]

11. Excellent article and should be required reading for all of those on DU who say Dems need to change!

No matter what we Democrats do, the people who voted for Trump will continue to vote for republicans for the reasons stated in the article. Below are several quotes from townsfolk, who are no different from the townsfolk in the small, rural part of PA in which I reside. These people are afraid of how America is changing, and no amount of messaging from Democrats will get them to see the truth. These people will believe the hype until their dying breath.

"If only the real Mount Airy, which has experienced decades of economic and social decline, were like the Mayberry facade, muses Mayor David Rowe. If only his city and the rest of America could return to the 1950s again."

"At the same time, he said, African Americans often bring hardship on themselves. Asked to explain what he meant, he amended the statement to mean young blacks." “When you’re my age and you see an African American boy with pants at their knees, you can’t appreciate them,” he said, noting that he would never employ someone who dressed that way. “I’m worried about when a person chooses to dresses like that, what kind of effect will that person have on society.” He noted that the Hispanics he has hired to work at his construction company are hard workers. He doesn’t encounter people who aren’t white in social settings much because folks tend to self-segregate, he said. - Town's Mayor

“I think black people think they’re owed something,” she said. “I think if they acted differently, people would be apt to help them.” - Local preachers wife.

"As for Trump, Jessup believes his “Make America Great Again” slogan was code for “take America back again,” and a reaction to President Obama’s election." - Local retired black principal who grew up when strict codes were placed on minorities.

Outside of the racial component, Democrats get no credit for the recovery in America.

“We’re losing control of our freedoms,” Staples said. “The government was taking away our rights. Taxes are higher, our jobs are gone, and it just feels less Christian.”

"Thomas, who blames the loss of his $75,000-a-year factory job on Obama, now makes $18,000 working in his friend’s gun store and pawnshop. He is hopeful Trump will bring jobs back. "

[JI7]

22. I think black people think theyre owed something,

and people want to continue saying it has nothing to do with race .

in fact race is THE BIGGEST reason they vote republican.

[gulliver]

12. Even Republicans don't want to live in Mayberry.

They just want to watch it on TV. There's nothing stopping Republicans from moving back to Mayberry now and simply forswearing all of the modern economic and social forces that make Mayberry impossible. Republicans, if they wanted to, could become the new Amish.

They don't want that. They like modern materialism as much as anyone. Maybe even more.

I will have to agree that the Andy Griffith show did demonstrate people generally behaving at their best, notwithstanding say Ernest T. Bass and maybe Otis.

Personally, I think we could have a happy modern society with less coarseness, contempt, despair, etc., without trying to get "back" to a place that never existed. Stopping the Drug War, for example, would eliminate a huge flow of toxins into our collective soul.

[Maru Kitteh]

13. That town was creepy in the 90's when

Mr. Maru and I ended up there accidentally. I gather it's not improved.

[n2doc]

14. People justify their votes

They know saying "I want dumb white males to control everything again" doesn't sound quite acceptable to America, so they use euphemisms.

They won't care so long as the eggheads and minorities get slammed.

[hatrack]

16. Know what? FUCK These People. FUCK THEM! Smug, closed-minded, self-righteous assholes.

Because they're the only goddamned people in the history of the country who EVER busted a sweat or who EVER paid a dollar in taxes. Yeah, whatever.

Y'know what, Mayor Fuckstick? I'm one of those secular progressives, and I got my first job when I was 12 years old, a paper route. I washed dishes, flipped burgers, worked in a warehouse, baled hay, mowed lawns, you name it. I worked full-time waiting tables to pay my own way through university while going to school full-time.

I know, BFD, plenty of people have had it one hell of a lot harder than me. But you know what I wasn't doing while I was working and studying? I wasn't stealing money from my employer, or cheating on my wife. I wasn't judging the people I worked with, and treating them according to my assessment of how closely they followed Biblical morality. Somehow, I managed to remain a decent human being AND a secular, liberal Democrat. Shocking, huh?

And you know what I never, ever spent time on? I never spent a moment pissing and moaning about how a fucking TV show from the 1950s no longer accurately represented all those small-town values I was supposed to treasure - values that you and you alone apparently possess.

Key takeaways:

A - It was a freaking television show, not the Mosaic Code, though you seem to be having some difficulty separating the two.

B - Grow the fuck up, you self-righteous twat.

[Initech]

21. There were a lot of scary things in that article. Like this:

Thomas, who blames the loss of his $75,000-a-year factory job on Obama, now makes $18,000 working in his friend’s gun store and pawnshop. He is hopeful Trump will bring jobs back.

You know - the republicans can talk all the shit they want about jobs, but they never talk about wages. That's the problem - it's the wages, not the jobs! That's how the billionaires keep getting richer!

Many Mount Airy residents applauded the president-elect’s promise to revoke the Johnson Amendment, which effectively bars pastors from endorsing a candidate from the pulpit, Rowe said. They were heartened by his suggestion that Christians will be able to once again see “Merry Christmas” signs in department stores.

Seriously? You see Christmas every fucking where!!! Costco has had Christmas up since last August! Christmas has not gone away. If anything, it's the department stores that are going away. Limited is closing, Sears is closing, Macy's is closing. The shit has hit the fan when it comes to retail and things are only going to get worse.

“When you’re my age and you see an African American boy with pants at their knees, you can’t appreciate them,” he said, noting that he would never employ someone who dressed that way. “I’m worried about when a person chooses to dresses like that, what kind of effect will that person have on society.” He noted that the Hispanics he has hired to work at his construction company are hard workers. He doesn’t encounter people who aren’t white in social settings much because folks tend to self-segregate, he said. Mount Airy is 84 percent white, 8.2 percent black and 6.7 percent Hispanic, according to 2010 census data.

That shit went out of style 20 years ago. Get with the times. You're a racist!

“I think black people think they’re owed something,” she said. “I think if they acted differently, people would be apt to help them.” She later added that some white people expect handouts, too.

“I believe Trump will get people back to working,” she said.

Wow, that is some serious racist shit! And Trump will get people back to working - just look at what he did to Carrier! Ships over half the jobs to Mexico, and Carrier gets nice tax incentives. Expect this to continue!

David Tucker said people resent it when the government tries to supplant the role of local ministries in helping those in need. “Don’t try to change us into something like New York,” he said. “All we really want is for the government to leave us alone and to worship the way we want to.”

Dude, we're not saying you have to be New York. Just don't expect the clergy to reign supreme.

Even so, as the man he voted for is about to take office, Rowe is a bit wary. For one thing, he said, he does not want to have to defend Trump for the next four years.

“If I’ve learned anything while being a mayor,” he said, “you have to think before you speak. I’m not sure Donald Trump has learned that.”

If Trump does manage to “make America great again,” Rowe said it will involve preventing the government from encroaching on religion.

Clergy is not above the government, jackass. You are not better than the government, and we don't want a government run by the clergy!

[Jacob Boehme]

17. And here's where those white Christian Americas believe they are!

[JI7]

18. Sometimes we use Christianity when its convenient for what we want,

<“Sometimes we use Christianity when it’s convenient for what we want,” Jessup said. “You can’t allow someone to have racist remarks and then go to church and talk about Jesus as the center of your life.”>

[JI7]

19. these people are racists . it's all complaints about black people

the "again" was key to getting the support that trump got with his "make america great again" crap.

and they complain about divorce and new york. look at what these dumbass racist assholes voted for .

[JI7]

20. the Andy Griffith part was interesting. he said the show was not

representative of the actual town and moved to some coastal area to where he lived the rest of his life.

he also said the intent of the show when it started was nostalgia for the 30s. when you think of the civil rights movement you can kind of understand this.

griffith himself was a liberal and loved obama .

[Raine]

23. If you watch the Andy Griffith show closely you will see that even TV Mayberry was a mean

nasty little town full of intolerance, gossips and bullies. The town was often hostile to strangers who came to settle in what they thought was a nice friendly town and finding it wasn't. Several episodes poor Barney was made fun of, bullied and badgered by the citizens who were supposed to be his friends. It took Andy to shame those "good" people into being sorry about their nasty behavior. Even Andy's teacher girlfriend Helen had nasty gossip spread about her that almost cost her her job. NO THANKS to living in that kind of place for me!

[pstokely]

24. easier to spread gossip in a small town than big city

nt