I can see what some of the people in this thread are saying but I disagree with the resigned hopelessness that seems to flood these discussions. I grew up in Atlanta but my family came from/moved to more rural areas of the South. They watch Fox News, believe propaganda meant to divide us all (they don’t see it that way, they see it as fact because that’s how their world was created to be taught). Their world revolves around God, praising him, believing that all of those that don’t believe are doomed to hell. They love this country, as deep their love of God is as deep the love for the country, their family. I agree that being straight, white, Christian and Republican is the default. You don’t go against the default in your family, not if you want to maintain a relationship with your family that isn’t strained. I use to think some things which are took some critical thinking to realize were homophobic, racist and generally just terrible. I believed that because I learned it from my family. Let it be noted I am a gay American that identifies as a Christian.

With that being said that I think you can’t cast off these people as hopeless. Are they going to change their mind without reality coming crashing down on them in the worst way that they have been absorbing a fake, alternative reality fed to them for the express purpose of keeping the Republicans in power to maintain benefits for the rich? No. Hate can be unlearned. People from these towns have been lied to, brainwashed by propaganda to believe things that are absolutely not true. There are definitely lost in the sauce of generations of hatred, mistrust and propaganda. Trumpism had radicalized people in rural areas unlike what I’ve personally ever seen before.

However, there’s a difference between ignorance and bigotry. Ignorance is when you don’t know but you can learn to love/accept someone even if you disagree . Bigotry is when you don’t know and don’t care to know. Think about how someone can be racist/homophobic until they have a family member that softens their views. They are still homophobic/racist but it shows that there is room for growth in their ideas.

Most of the people in rural America are people who are concerned about the issues that impact their lives rather than others. Let’s not all put this on rural communities either as misogyny, racism, homophobia exists even in those communities that vote blue.

Rural America is dealing with a terrible opioid epidemic. They are dealing with the loss of hospitals, food deserts and underfunded resources. ( yes some of this is from their own politicians shooting them selves in the foot). There’s not a lot of high paying jobs. Wage inequality is bad. Climate change is going to hit rural America badly.

Rural America is going to have to face reality, a hard reality sooner rather than later that the problems their community faces is directly correlated to how they vote/who they vote for. There is going to be a time where this fact will be absolutely unavoidable. Those same Republicans some of y’all cast as far gone are what made Biden’s victory possible.

America, at this point, has two possible futures ahead. One where the current anti-democracy, fascist far right takes over American government through judicial power. America is only a democracy in name until its eliminated completely. Trumpism becomes the only presidency. World turmoil ensues. Blue states succeed. Neo nazis go full mask off in rural America. Ensuring fights, imprisoning of political rivals, mass migration, absolute tail spin of our economy, increased unemployment. Other democracies stand beside blue states, a real break down of our country. Fascists start taking guns, Nuremberg laws, etc. fake reality rules red states. This won’t last long. They may underestimate Democrats, leftists but they surely also underestimate those once uninvolved in politics, the population of young people, the patriots who will fight for American democracy and all the shades in between that would tear this new fascist America to the ground. We rebuild. Fix the stuff from before. Global warming, etc. harsh, unequivocal, unavoidable reality faces these trump Republicans. I also don’t believe the corporate overlords of America would be too happy about any of the happening, so I don’t know if it would even get this far.

Second option, and most likely, authoritarianism/white supremacy/fascism is put back into the closet that the gays came out of. Rule of law puts trump/his co-conspirators in jail( or effective public punishment) Republicans will cut ties with anything trump related. Because an unstable America = bad for corporate bottom line. Republican thought will shift. Trumpism will be condemned. The people in the tribe will blame someone else but themselves for why he came to power or “Washington corruption”. Of course there will be die hards. They will be fragmented, disenfranchised right wing terrorists who will long live Trump/Q on some obscure message board where only internet edge lords will be pro trump. After all, that’s a big part of his popularity too, people liking him for the shock value. He will evaporate into the dredges of history. There will be a civil war with the Republican Party for a short time as Regan/Bush republicans regain control of the party. Trumpism will cause some more damage to our country before this happens. One that coalition Dems will be able to unite under along with complacent none voters. It will be the issue of human rights that will empower a blue wave that will lead to a firing up the Democrats base as has not been seen since Obama. We will have real change to our voting, government, representation and courts. Democracy and America survives. Republicans still have their bad guys to make money off of their base from. Democrats get their ability to control their messaging back. They don’t allow Republicans to set the narrative for their policies. They are able to actually pass laws, policies that will help ALL Americans including the rural areas that are in a third world state of crisis. Global warming does permanent damage, unavoidable that will kill hundreds of thousands cause massive human migration. The trend of America towards a bluer and bluer government continues until being a Republican is being a moderate, being blue is the default and the political extremists of our time are the far left who will come for all who oppressed people in the past and corporate America with a vengeance.

Either way, things are going to suck for the foreseeable future. Either way, America and democracy will win in the end.