While Democratic presidential hopefuls pander to voters across the nation, California’s Democratic Regional Party Director David Atkins is letting Americans know exactly what the party thinks of voters in flyover country.
In a recent Twitter rant, Atkins described white Americans who live in rural areas as being bigoted, entitled, stupid, and ungrateful for what the federal government does for them. He then claims that these same voters are “heavily subsidized” and “drowning in federal largesse”, only to contradict himself a few minutes later and say that these same voters are really hurting.
It’s hard to see just how white Americans living in rural areas are “drowning in federal largesse.” Sure, some of them probably get welfare, food stamps, and other government benefits, but the same can be said of poor African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics and other ethnicities. At the same time, many rural whites earn their living by growing the food that America depends on to eat, and it’s definitely not an easy job.
Of course, Atkins represents a party that likes to market itself as the epitome of inclusivity. But, that didn’t stop him from going on the bizarre rant below:
You know who is not grateful enough? Rural white Americans.
They are heavily subsidized, drowning in federal largesse, blessed with political affirmative action & overrepresentation, have all their bills paid by cities and blue states, but they whine and yell constantly.
— David Atkins (@DavidOAtkins) July 19, 2019
So, there you have it: Atkins believes that rural white voters simply owe him and other Democrats something. But, the numbers don’t exactly support that…
Recent statistics show that there are about two million farming businesses in the United States, and more than 60% of these businesses do not receive government subsidies. What is more, the recent United States-China trade war has hurt farmers across the nation, as has the 2019 Midwestern floods which have affected states such as Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa. Property damage from these floods is estimated to be at nearly $3 billion and farmers have been struggling to get crops planted in a timely manner.
At the same time, the labor market in many of these states has been progressively worsening, exacerbating problems such as opioid addiction and a high suicide rate. Naturally, people who live in rural areas will have different priorities and points of view than those who live in large cities along the west or east coast. However, that doesn’t mean these people are inherently racist and dumb.
So…where is this “entitlement” coming from?
Atkins is showing the same contempt for working class whites that Hillary Clinton did during her failed 2016 presidential campaign. Granted, Atkins isn’t running for president, but the fact that he is part of the Democratic Party’s leadership shows what sort of mindset is governing the party.
When Clinton uttered the infamous “basket of deplorables” phrase, she drastically decreased her odds of winning the presidency. Rural voters who weren’t all that enthusiastic about then-candidate Donald Trump before were alienated by her statement and opted to either vote for Trump or stay home on election day. The exact same scenario could very well play out on election day in 2020. Rural white voters who are being openly mocked by the Democratic Party can’t be expected to vote for one of its candidates. This doesn’t mean these voters are bigoted dummies; rather, they are regular human beings who aren’t inclined to vote for an entitled candidate who treats them like dirt.
