The Politics of Small-Town America

4_212019_beltway-2-5-2017-be8201_c0-21-950-574_s885x516I may have mentioned that I tutor at the local high school here, which, among other things, gives me the occasional opportunity to speak with faculty.

Of course, discussion of sensitive subjects, e.g., religion and politics, can be tricky, and especially around here.  The City of Santa Barbara itself is known for its well educated, liberal-minded people,  but the inland suburbs tend to be quite “God and country”–a few MAGA hats, lots of U.S. flags flown 365 days per year, and diners sporting pictures of John Wayne and Ronald Reagan.

Still, I try to get a sense for where people are coming from.  I ran into a special needs teacher the other day who put it like this, “If you’re a rancher, a real estate salesman, a plumber, or a bar-tender around here, you might be a Trump supporter.  But if you’re an educator and you see Trump’s Secretary of Education, a woman who knows nothing whatsoever about public education, and is actively trying to destroy it; that just doesn’t work.”

Well put.

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One comment on “The Politics of Small-Town America
  1. marcopolo says:

    Craig,

    Let’s see,…if you are a person who works for living, you support Trump, the implication being such people, ranchers, a real estate salespeople,plumbers, or bar-tenders, are mere deplorables with a lack of educations.

    On the other hand if you work for the government, you are one of the chosen elite, educated and righteous, in which cases you loathe the President.

    Got it!