SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A demonstrator holds a "Tax the Rich" sign during a protest in New York on June 27, 2020. (Photo: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)
It's Not Trump's Country -- Even in 'Trump Country'
Progressive ballot initiatives passed handily across the country, even in so-called red states.
Nov 14, 2020
Trump may have lost his bid for reelection, but many will still wonder: How has America turned so right-wing that a narcissistic, wannabe-dictator like Trump was even in the running?
A vocal of minority of the president's supporters may be racist, xenophobic, and misogynistic. And a bunch of uber-wealthy corporate profiteers are making a killing from his rich-man's agenda.
But if you look closer, many of Trump's rank-and-file voters aren't such right-wingers at all.
To see evidence of this, look at the multitude of overtly progressive ballot issues that won majority support on Election Day. Many were in blue states, but others came in purple states, and others deep in so-called "Trump Country."
For instance, 53 percent of Arizona voters said yes to a tax surcharge on incomes above $250,000 a year, specifically to raise teacher pay and recruit more teachers.
A whopping 78 percent of Oregon voters approved a populist proposition to put strict controls on the corrupting power of big-money corporate donations in elections.
Over 60 percent of Floridians voted to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour, a working class advance vehemently opposed by corporate giants and right-wing groups.
In Colorado, 57 percent voted yes on to require corporations to let employees earn paid time-off for medical and family needs.
Between 53 and 69 percent of voters in six states -- including in such supposedly conservative bastions as Arizona, Montana, Mississippi, and South Dakota -- approved initiatives liberalizing and even legalizing marijuana and other drug use.
Plus, there were some big symbolic victories, such as Mississippi replacing a Confederate symbol on its state flag with a magnolia blossom. And the people of Nebraska overwhelmingly voted to amend their constitution to excise an antiquated provision authorizing slavery as a punishment for certain crimes.
The hope that resides in these progressive policy positions is the prospect that a truly great American majority might yet be forged -- not around some mega-politician, but around our people's basic values of fairness and justice for all.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
This column was distributed by OtherWords.
Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the books "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow" (2008) and "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion" (1998). Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
Trump may have lost his bid for reelection, but many will still wonder: How has America turned so right-wing that a narcissistic, wannabe-dictator like Trump was even in the running?
A vocal of minority of the president's supporters may be racist, xenophobic, and misogynistic. And a bunch of uber-wealthy corporate profiteers are making a killing from his rich-man's agenda.
But if you look closer, many of Trump's rank-and-file voters aren't such right-wingers at all.
To see evidence of this, look at the multitude of overtly progressive ballot issues that won majority support on Election Day. Many were in blue states, but others came in purple states, and others deep in so-called "Trump Country."
For instance, 53 percent of Arizona voters said yes to a tax surcharge on incomes above $250,000 a year, specifically to raise teacher pay and recruit more teachers.
A whopping 78 percent of Oregon voters approved a populist proposition to put strict controls on the corrupting power of big-money corporate donations in elections.
Over 60 percent of Floridians voted to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour, a working class advance vehemently opposed by corporate giants and right-wing groups.
In Colorado, 57 percent voted yes on to require corporations to let employees earn paid time-off for medical and family needs.
Between 53 and 69 percent of voters in six states -- including in such supposedly conservative bastions as Arizona, Montana, Mississippi, and South Dakota -- approved initiatives liberalizing and even legalizing marijuana and other drug use.
Plus, there were some big symbolic victories, such as Mississippi replacing a Confederate symbol on its state flag with a magnolia blossom. And the people of Nebraska overwhelmingly voted to amend their constitution to excise an antiquated provision authorizing slavery as a punishment for certain crimes.
The hope that resides in these progressive policy positions is the prospect that a truly great American majority might yet be forged -- not around some mega-politician, but around our people's basic values of fairness and justice for all.
Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the books "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow" (2008) and "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion" (1998). Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
Trump may have lost his bid for reelection, but many will still wonder: How has America turned so right-wing that a narcissistic, wannabe-dictator like Trump was even in the running?
A vocal of minority of the president's supporters may be racist, xenophobic, and misogynistic. And a bunch of uber-wealthy corporate profiteers are making a killing from his rich-man's agenda.
But if you look closer, many of Trump's rank-and-file voters aren't such right-wingers at all.
To see evidence of this, look at the multitude of overtly progressive ballot issues that won majority support on Election Day. Many were in blue states, but others came in purple states, and others deep in so-called "Trump Country."
For instance, 53 percent of Arizona voters said yes to a tax surcharge on incomes above $250,000 a year, specifically to raise teacher pay and recruit more teachers.
A whopping 78 percent of Oregon voters approved a populist proposition to put strict controls on the corrupting power of big-money corporate donations in elections.
Over 60 percent of Floridians voted to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour, a working class advance vehemently opposed by corporate giants and right-wing groups.
In Colorado, 57 percent voted yes on to require corporations to let employees earn paid time-off for medical and family needs.
Between 53 and 69 percent of voters in six states -- including in such supposedly conservative bastions as Arizona, Montana, Mississippi, and South Dakota -- approved initiatives liberalizing and even legalizing marijuana and other drug use.
Plus, there were some big symbolic victories, such as Mississippi replacing a Confederate symbol on its state flag with a magnolia blossom. And the people of Nebraska overwhelmingly voted to amend their constitution to excise an antiquated provision authorizing slavery as a punishment for certain crimes.
The hope that resides in these progressive policy positions is the prospect that a truly great American majority might yet be forged -- not around some mega-politician, but around our people's basic values of fairness and justice for all.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.