I found this story on Talking Points Memo, though it originated at Pro Publica. It’s the story of Taylor Sappington, a native of Nelsonville, OH who would seem to be the perfect Democratic candidate for Red States, especially in small towns and rural areas that Dems are having increasingly hard time reaching.
Nelsonville is part of an OH district that voted for Obama twice, then went for Trump but by much less than many places. Sappington, who is part of the City Council, but who has to work other jobs because City Council pays so little, thought he could win the district back for Democrats under the slogan: “Healthcare, Infrastructure, Integrity,” exactly the kind of message that worked for Democrats in so much of the country—and by seemingly the right kind of home grown messenger. Sappington was even endorsed by President Obama, but he got no aid from the OH Democratic Party and no support from the Unions—who made nice to his opponent in hopes for his support against “right to work” laws.
Sappington lost. Democratic leaders and the Unions hedged their bets—and created a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If we wonder why places that used to be quintessentially swing states and swing districts—in OH, MO, and, perhaps, even FL, part of the answer will be the gerrymanders of 2010’s Project Red Map—that were so effective it took a Blue Wave for us to win back the U. S. House. Part of the answer will be that education rates declined in OH & MO while growing elsewhere and union strength has ebbed. But part of the answer is that we aren’t supporting the kinds of candidates who could begin to change all that.
