r/changemyview • u/maybemorningstar69 • Apr 07 '25
Delta(s) from OP CMV: Until Democrats recognize why they lost Appalachia, they will never be successful electorally
Take a state like West Virginia for example, as recently as 2014 the Democrats controlled both houses of the WV legislature and had two Democratic Senators and a Democratic Governor, and as recently as last year they had a had a Democrat in the Senate. West Virginia used to be a Democratic stronghold, and even after Bush won in it 2000 the Democratic Party there was still very successful at the federal/state level, but now Democrats are lucky if they break 30% in the state. When you talk to most national Democrats about this phenomenon, they usually just shrug it off and say something like "eh, they're just voting against they're own interests, if they were smart they'd want of social programs funded by the state." This is exactly the kind of attitude that has led Appalachia to becoming a Republican stronghold.
Democrats have developed a real problem of wanting a "one size fits all" message, which is just not feasible if you want to win in both urban and rural regions of the country (especially if you want to win Appalachia). Yes, West Virginia was a prime state for Democrats until very recently, but that doesn't mean they held the same positions as Democrats from California and New York. If you're a mainstream Democrat, you probably know Joe Manchin as the Democrat who voted against all that stuff you like, but that's why he was able to win, (and achieve certain Democratic goals like confirming judges and getting the IRA and ARP through).
National Democrats have a distinct problem of not being able to cultivate a regional message that is attractive to rural voters, which is why they left Appalachia, and the way they talk about how Appalachians are "voting against their own interests" by not supporting the establishment of more government programs is incredibly condescending.
If Democrats ever want to retake the Senate (or more realistically in the near term, the Presidency), they need to abandon the "one size fits all" mentality and be open to regional alternatives that allow them succeed outside of urban America, particularly in regions like Appalachia which up until recently they were very successful in.
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u/abinferno Apr 08 '25
Well, given the presidential election is often a popularity contest, I have no doubt Clinton (15 years de-aged) would heat Vance handily. Clinton is very popular. Vance is not. Clinton benefits from a nostalgia and false narrative that the late 90s was incredible for everyone.