This is Jacobin Radio, I'm Suzy Weisman. On today's program Nick Bolin joins us to discuss

his new article, Jokes On Them, the Democratic Party meets rural America, which looks at

the class structure of rural America, their political attitudes, and the Democratic Party's

structural inability to appeal to them. And asks why? It's a critically important issue

that is poorly understood, and in most accounts treated all too superficially. Both parties

pandered a rural America for their votes, putting on cowboy hats and wearing the equivalent

of flannel shirts when campaigning, as if posturing authenticity is all that's required.

But why does it work better for the Republicans than for the Democrats? Nick Bolin's article

examines the historical, political, economic, and cultural complexities that help explain,

and we get his analysis, what our program returns in just a moment.

This is Jacobin Radio, I'm Suzy Weisman, and really pleased to have Nick Bolin with us for the

very first time. Nick Bolin joins us today to discuss his new article, Jokes On Them,

the Democratic Party meets rural America. It's published in the driftmag.com. The article highlights

the continued electoral failure of the Democratic Party in rural America. This is a crucial issue,

and it's not well understood, and in most accounts treated superficially in caricature.

Both parties put on cowboy hats and lean against pickup trucks when campaigning in rural America,

as if posturing authenticity is all that's required. As it works better for the Republicans

than the Democrats, and much of Nick's article looks at the historical, political, economic,

and cultural complexities that help explain why. He's a freelance writer. He's a correspondent

for High Country News. He lives in Gunnison, Colorado, and his work appears in lots of different places,

including the Atlantic, online, Mother Jones, Politico, the Nation, and the drift where I

published this article. I was really pleased at how wide-ranging, well-written, and enlightening

...