The thing that strikes me about it, is how severe the reaction to those agrievements are. As I said in this post it is both understandable in an intellectual sense but incredibly scary in a sociological and historical sense.------------------------------------------------
Which is the much discussed "normalization" of Don Trump's level of demeanor and crudeness. THAT.....is a legitimate fear, that that coarseness will more widely infect our social contracts.
I have a foot in rural America with our farms. I have a foot in urban America with our pied-à-terre in a large city. I spend maybe 70% of my time at the farms, the rest I enjoy the city-life of culture, and ready access to perceived needs. In short, I hear from, live with, and thoroughly enjoy the habitants of both worlds. They are different and they perceive some thing differently. ALL have one disgruntlement or another. But, my rural neighbors....good, honest, helpful, earnest people......hold more noticeable aggrievements towards societal elements. Meaning, minorities, immigrants, taxes, perceived "big government", and so on. There is, in my view, a very real 'chip-on-their-shoulder- vibe to many of them. That doesn't mean they are unpleasant to be around, or act like Don Trump (very very few of them speak in the manner he does). Nor is that to say my city neighbors are all Mr.Rogers-types.
But, I can confirm that in my generalized and admittedly soda-straw view of the rural citizens around my Midwest grain farms, well, most definitely have a less optimistic view of America than my urban neighbors.
It's one thing to recognize something. But if that something you recognize is a pattern of political behavior that has historically led to some pretty dark places, and you have no idea how to stop it, it's disheartening.