Thom Hartmann: Why Almost All Rural White's are In Poverty

[thomhartmann]

Carlos L. Curbelo, Candidate for Congress (R-FL), joins Thom Hartmann. A new study shows that Republican policies have been disastrous for rural white America. So - is the GOP ready to apologize to the people who've made up its base for the past 40 plus years?

The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann on RT TV & FSTV "live" 9pm and 11pm check www.thomhartmann.com/tv for local listings

[DFW]

1. You could douse a Republican with water and he'd still claim he wasn't wet

But please don't mimic Republicans by making plurals with an apostrophe.

Thom, you hang around these guys too much--it's contagious!

[maddiemom]

3. I'll second you on the misuse of the apostrophe.

It drives this former English teacher crazy.

[DFW]

6. If you look at Republican boards, or comments sections where Republican trolls abound

(e.g. the Washington Post's comments boards)

The Republican boors CONSTANTLY use the apostrophe to form plurals. It's a literary uniform they wear, almost as diagnostic as the use of "Democrat" where they should have said "Democratic."

I can only assume Thom Hartmann's studio got a little polluted by this Republican's hot air, and he got temporarily infected--a curable condition, I'm sure. Ten minutes on the phone with his friend Bernie Sanders, and I'm sure his English will revert back to its usual scholarly self.

[maddiemom]

8. My favorite example was the destination sign on our local buses. For nearly a year it read "Mall's.

Finally they corrected it; not through my complaints, as I'd already given it up.

[IrishAyes]

2. From what I've seen of rural whites

at least here in good ol' RedNeckLand where I could afford to retire, the poorer Republicans make them, the more they blame and hate the liberals for their condition. They're partly the victim of their own fear-driven xenophobia. If there's anyone on earth they hate, it's 'that man' in their WH. So if a GOP politician literally held a gun to their heads, they'd still blame 'us'.

[maddiemom]

9. My mom, one of the few active Democrats in our heavily Republican

town, had a theory about so many local people who were voting Republican against their best interests. She observed that many she came into contact with KNEW that the Republicans were "the party of the rich and locally influential," but felt that supporting Republicans gave them "status." True or not, this was in the fifties and sixties, before the Repubs needed to rely so heavily on their divisive methods regarding skin color, the dreaded Socialism (Communism was regarded as the real threat) and like scare tactics.

[IrishAyes]

10. I'm sure your Mom was on to something there.

It's a study in sociopathy, that's for sure. "I'm being robbed blind and I know who's doing it, but they're so rich and powerful that everybody worships them so maybe if I do too, some of the status will rub off on me. After all, there's nothing lower than a godless Democrat, and if I starve to death in the dark, at least I'll still be better than them."

[maddiemom]

11. So true. I don't think my father ever voted for a Republican in his life

(not even Ike). He always REGISTERED Republican, however, and mostly stayed away from political discussions beyond admitting he was registered Republican. He was convinced his job depended on it.

[antigop]

4. thom, don't kid yourself. The corporate Dems are responsible, too. nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

5. This guy is such a parrot.

[Turbineguy]

7. Reagan claimed that Homeless People were homeless because

they liked fresh air. Maybe rural whites love poverty.