One small data point in my red town in

[Bettie]

a red county in Iowa.

Today, I was looking at Facebook...yes, I use Facebook, now that we're past that, there was a post on one of the forums for people in our town.

It is filled, usually, with right wing bullshit. ETA: It is also the spot for local information, so that's why I go there.

Today, there was a post about SNAP and people not getting it.

I read it and was ready to see the right wingers get all exercised about SNAP even existing.

I was shocked. There was one guy who is always an assclown and he was at his baseline, but the rest....white, conservative men, talking about how the governor is at fault for this and how our Republican congress person (Hinson) won't help at all. It devolved into a discussion (with people I know are Republicans) talking about how we need to change course and maybe consider voting for Democrats.

Just one data point. Just a discussion, but I think it's a tiny little light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

[BlueGreenLady]

1. Hello from another Blue Dot in small town, Iowa!

Glad to hear you are seeing some left-ward leaning in your Red area. I'm seeing fewer Trump flags and signs but some are still proudly waving out there in my red county. On a positive note, I also hear more independent red state Women upset about cuts to SNAP and SS and environmental protections. Hope red state women get repulsed by Republican cuts to basic human life needs.

[Bettie]

2. Maybe people are getting it

finally.

I hate what has happened to this state while I've lived here (22 years now).

[nuxvomica]

3. It's good to know this sort of change in thinking exists

If it can happen in your red town, it could be happening elsewhere too.

[KS Toronado]

4. Been a good year and 1/2 since I've seen any tsf stuff posted in my red town.

In my way of thinking that should tell us Der orange Fuhrer is on his way out. We beat him by 8 million
votes last time, this time will be double or triple that.

[et tu]

7. yes- unite and vote nt

[ForgedCrank]

5. I've brought

this point up before as well. I am smack in the middle of MAGA land, I'm a member of the hopeless Democratic minority around here.
I hear this stuff all of the time. Don't get me wrong, they are all hard core Pro-Trump, but they are also very dissatisfied with the Republican party overall. They see Trump as the answer to regaining the representation that they feel the Republicans aren't addressing. They are upset that the Republicans are "too far left" and have even said they would rather vote Democratic than re-elect a Republican who has betrayed them. I'm not convinced they would actually do it, but that is the complaint.
MAGA is nothing more than an expanded and evolved version of what we once called the Tea Party people.
As far as public assistance, they are all convinced by the media that most people who use programs like SNAP really don't deserve it and are abusing the system at their expense. And then, they are first in line to apply for assistance when they need it, so I just don't understand that disconnect with them.

[Joinfortmill]

9. They are illogical

[TeamProg]

6. Even big farms run by GOP'ers want food stamps because it means more money in their FOOD growing

Last edited Tue Mar 26, 2024, 12:19 PM - Edit history (1)

hands.

It’s generally NOT about charity.

Iowa=corn.

[Bettie]

11. They also don't want to see

people they know, that they have known most of their lives, whose stories they know, in hardship.

It is a lot harder to deny the humanity of someone who you know well and see regularly.

[Joinfortmill]

8. Love hearing this. The tide is turning.

[Niagara]

10. I also use Facebook. It can be a valuable tool.

We had a local election a few years back and there was a person who was running on the Democratic ticket.


The problem was that this person running on the Democratic ticket was posting extremely Trumpian memes and was a self-admitted " I'm not a Democrat" on their Facebook page.


I ended up not voting for anyone that was running for that specific position. The other person was a Republican and I sure wasn't voting for them either.


Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

[progressoid]

12. Who's running in IAs 2nd district?

Sorry, I haven't kept up. I hope we can win back a couple seats in IA.

[Bettie]

13. Sarah Corkery

Here's her website...I've met her a few times. I think she can win and would be a good congressperson.

https://www.corkeryforcongress.com/

[progressoid]

14. Excellent.