Trump's Democrats. Stephanie Muravchik
who has lived in Johnston since the early 1970, whether he was surprised by the outcome, his response was unequivocal: “Wow! Didn’t think it would ever be possible [in Johnston].” Similarly, a town employee who deals with the public every day was very surprised—and dismayed—by Trump’s victory: “I don’t know what Johnston was thinking [when they elected Trump].”
These sentiments were frequently expressed. One longtime resident of Ottumwa, a Republican, told us he “was stunned.… I woke up the next morning and went, no way, Wapello County, no way. No way. I don’t believe it.” Meanwhile, a Democrat who manages a hotel in town was “confident” that Clinton would win Ottumwa. “I was stunned when the results were coming in.” In Elliott County, some thought Trump had a chance to win, but few imagined he could do so by such a large margin. A poll worker told us, “Nobody thought Trump would carry Elliott county like he did. He carried it big.” Given such a widespread reluctance to express support for a Republican in that area, it is little wonder that so many were surprised by Trump’s margin of victory. Only after the election, when this taboo softened, did locals really take a better measure of a county they thought they knew.
Although many traditional Republican voters across the nation disliked Trump, we were struck by how many of our interviewees were excited to vote for him. One citizen echoed many others when she told us that, for the first time, she “felt like my vote made a difference.” Another man enthused, “He’s special. He’s just got a light about him.” Often, in fact, many people said that they were more excited to vote for Trump than any prior presidential candidate. Trump was compared favorably to revered Democrats, especially JFK. On occasion, Republicans also said that they were more inspired by Trump than past GOP candidates—a fact that suggests Trump’s appeal tapped into shared cultural sensibilities in these communities.
Many of the people we spoke with were so enthusiastic about Trump that it prompted us to rethink our project almost as soon as it began. Initially, we planned to study one community, returning every year over the course of the Trump administration. We assumed that citizens would likely reassess his presidency, especially since populist candidates tend ultimately to make poor public servants. But shortly after our fieldwork began in Johnston, we started to doubt this assumption, which, in retrospect, seems naïve.
We did so because we met too many citizens like Danny. Prior to the presidential contest in 2016, Danny took little interest in national politics. He could not recall much about the Bush era, despite the partisan passions it generated in so many American communities. Nor did he pay much attention to the Tea Party or Occupy movements that followed, both of which seemed far removed from the needs and concerns of his community. There was also little need to pay much attention to national politics, since Danny’s preferences for presidential candidates were always simplified by his loyalty to the local Democratic machine. “I would usually pull one handle,” he told us. But Trump’s bid for the White House shook Danny’s political allegiances. “For some reason, I really got excited with Trump, and I saw it in people around me, too.” It was a new experience for Danny, one that took him by surprise. “I was looking forward to going to vote—that’s how excited I was. It was like I couldn’t wait to vote.” The chapters that follow are an attempt to understand citizens like Danny.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.