Understanding Trump Voters and American Populism. Salena Zito

Let's Find Common Ground

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future

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5 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 30 September 2021

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Unlike the vast majority of journalists who cover U.S. politics, columnist Salena Zito lives far away from the centers of power and wealth. Twice a year she leaves her home in western Pennsylvania and drives thousands of miles across the country on back roads, visiting towns and rural communities that are often ignored by the national media. In this episode, we learn about the perspectives of voters who support Donald Trump and the populist coalition that reshaped the Republican Party. Selena, a columnist for the Washington Examiner and the New York Post is the author of "The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics”. She previously wrote for The Atlantic and Pittsburgh Tribune Review. While on the road, Zito goes to high school football games, attends church services, and eats at local diners. "One of the things that makes my reporting different is that I try to treat each story that I write as though I am from the locality," she tells us. Hear some of the insights and views of those who live in what Salena calls 'the middle of somewhere.'

Transcript

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0:00.0	Unlike the vast majority of journalists who cover American politics,
0:04.8	Selina Zito lives far away from the centers of power and wealth.
0:10.0	Some would argue she lives in the middle of nowhere.
0:13.2	But Selina says, this is America.
0:16.3	Everywhere is the middle of somewhere.
0:19.8	This is Let's Find Common Ground.
0:22.8	I'm Richard Davies.
0:29.7	And I'm Ashley Nontite.
0:31.6	Twice a year, Selina Zito leaves her home in Western Pennsylvania and drives thousands
0:36.0	of miles across the country on back roads, visiting towns and rural communities
0:40.7	often ignored by the national media.
0:43.1	In this episode, we learn more about those towns and communities,
0:46.6	as well as those who supported Donald Trump and the populist coalition
0:51.2	that reshaped the Republican Party.
0:54.5	Selina writes columns on politics for the Washington Examiner and the New York Post.
0:58.9	She's the author of The Great Revolt, inside the populist coalition reshaping American politics.
1:05.4	Richard, you get the first question.
1:07.8	Selina, you write commentary and report on politics from a different perspective than most
1:14.0	journalists. What do you say is distinctive about your writing?
1:18.8	Well, I think a couple things are distinctive.
1:21.2	I don't live in the center of power and wealth.
1:25.1	That's where the biggest newsrooms are in this country.
	...

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