Republicans won in rural Wisconsin again, now comes the hard part -- governing

[TexasTowelie]

In a time of overlapping crises, rural Wisconsin shifted further to the right in 2020, voting overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump by often higher margins than in 2016.

But in just over a month, President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in and the hard work of governing, amid gridlock in Congress and intransigence in the Wisconsin State Legislature, will begin. That governing will take place as many rural Wisconsinites lack adequate housing or internet access, wages in many jobs remain low and family farms are dying every day.

Rural areas across the country swung toward Trump in 2020, in what became a wave election for both Democrats and Republicans — driving turnout up across the board, according to Matt Hildreth, executive director at RuralOrganizing.org.

Hildreth’s organization works to advocate for progressive policies in rural communities across the country. He’s found that there can be a disconnect between the politicians rural voters support and the policies they want to see enacted. For example, in this election voters in Florida and South Dakota selected Trump while voting to raise the minimum wage and legalize cannabis — two causes Trump opposes.

Read more: https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2020/12/23/republicans-won-rural-wisconsin-governing/

[Midnight Writer]

1. Republicans don't need to govern. They just have to sign onto whatever ALEC puts in front of them.

[luv2fly]

2. Gerrymandering surely played a role

And virtually no progressive radio in the state.

Radio
Radio
Radio

Ya listening Dem power brokers?

[kacekwl]

3. Them rural voters have republican representation.

Let the cry to them about internet access, housing, low wages, family farm closures. Maybe then those families will stop voting republican. Talk to senator Johnson for assistance see how far they get with no $$$$ to bribe him.

[SmartVoter22]

4. Rural WIsc is changing

Many rural voters are generational voters, meaning they vote like their parents did, who voted like their parents did.
In Wisconsin, this all began after WWII, with McCarthyism and the unfortunate fact that rural voters are poorly educated.
They believed commies were everywhere. Millions of them, embedded in every single branch of government, every single business and every single school. This is when 'distrust' put 'science & fact' into the opinion category. The Tea Party nuts embraced even more conspiracies. Facts & scientific proof are just opinions. There are now 7 Million laws of gravity in Wisconsin?
Now, decades later, we see what the Walker 'gerrymander plot' created. Even a pandemic could not get the GOP to hold Legislative sessions.
I do think we will see a shift in rural voters toward the center, because Wisc agribusiness must go 'green' to survive.

Younger rural voters are far more intelligent than previous generations. They do have more 'inquisitiveness' to find facts, find out about the 'outside' world and; instead of simply leaving the farms... realize they can re-invent agriculture as a 21st century industry.
Cows can be 'green' and younger Wisc farmers will accomplish that goal. Carbon neutral farming.
When the younger generations inherit the farms, the agriculture industries and are given decision making control, they will create the 'green economy'.
And they will do that in the state that invented 'green' and 'ecology' and 'earth day'. Simple concepts created when the Dems ruled.

[kacekwl]

5. I hope you're correct. I hear about projects like you describe.

It will take many more forward thinking people to effect change. If the trump era didn't sway them I don't know what will.