In southeast Missouri's Trump Country, a manufacturer wrestles with the negative side of Trump's tar

[pstokely]

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/in-southeast-missouri-s-trump-country-a-manufacturer-wrestles-with/article_4b231618-f068-541f-8d79-d0e95c39c419.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=dlvr

"For Poplar Bluff, a poverty-wracked town of 17,000 deep in southeastern Missouri, this wasn’t how Trump’s economic cavalry was supposed to arrive.

In the 2016 election, Trump won surrounding Butler County with almost 80 percent of the vote; Hillary Clinton didn’t break 18 percent. Trump’s promise to “Make America Great Again” hit home for many in a town whose empty downtown storefronts stand as mocking relics of better times.

About a quarter of the area’s residents live below the poverty level, a receptive audience for a campaign that warned its followers they were being neglected and vowed to fix it. The region’s congressman, Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, routinely tweets out fervent backing of Trump and his policies — including early support of Trump’s long-promised trade war with the rest of the world.

But instead of providing the economic lift Trump supporters here believed would come from it, that trade war has knocked one of the region’s biggest manufacturers — and the biggest American nail maker in the country — back on its heels."

[msongs]

1. when they lose their food stamps and subsidies they will be in MAGAt heaven nt

[pstokely]

3. and most of them will be blaming who their told to blame

without question

[roamer65]

2. I wish these people from that nail company would shut the fuck up.

They voted for this POS. Quit whining for God’s sake. U deserve it.

[DFW]

4. This still doesn't help us

If Trump were to order them all burned at the stake, they would blame Hillary for lighting the flames.

[pstokely]

5. or Maxine Walters

nt

[DFW]

7. True--it's Democratic flavor of them month for them.

ONE of us is always responsible for whatever ails them. Since all they watch is Fox Noise, and they believe every word they hear, they could all take cyanide on Sean Hannity's say-so, and then blame a Democrat for the high fatality rate. One reason Hannity is always so smug is because he knows this to be true.

[Tatiana]

6. Sounds like these "wonderful" midwestern folk got exactly what they voted for.

Let them choke on it.

[DFW]

8. It's worse than just that

They are truly bewildered at their bad fortune, and are convinced the cause of it is anything BUT what the true cause is.

It's as if Fox Noise told them all to jump into a lake without being able to swim, and they then blame Democrats because they are drowning. After all, Fox Noise wouldn't lead them astray, would they? Showing people like this that Fox lies to them is like showing them their Bibles contain no more truth than Grimm's Fairy Tales. Their discouragement would be so utterly complete that they would rather drown than have something they have believed all their lives shown to be just so much nonsense.

[Tatiana]

12. I agree. But they need to suffer the consequences of their actions.

Now they want McCaskill to bail the nail factory out. While they will continue to vote for Republicans that destroy their lives.

We need to stop being mommy and daddy running in and saving the village idiots from themselves. They them experience the natural consequences of their actions and then remind them that they voted for those consequences.

[moose966]

9. We can get these folks

In the 1970s I worked 2 years in nearby town of New Madrid, Mo building a power plant that is still there. I can tell you this area as well as the rest of Missouri was big time democratic country. For Christ sake the whole state loved Harry Truman. I don't know what happened but these are people the Dems need to and should be able to get back. I hope we are trying. Obama tried to win the state in 2008 but I don't think Hillary or John Kerry tried at all.

[SWBTATTReg]

11. A lot of rural areas across the country are fighting long term demographics in that ...

it's not worth moving into a rural area anymore, w/ the lack of infrastructure, lack of educated population (because most of the ones that got educated moved away already, no jobs for them there after they graduated from college). Rural voters blamed democrats for their problems (when in reality, its location, location, location that's the issue). They (rural voters) will blame republicans before too long, for any tax cuts/tax laws/etc. that get passed will not tickle down to the rural areas fast enough to make a difference, at least in the short run. Most of the money will stay in developed areas already (money stays w/ money).

It takes time, and a carefully considered plan of redevelopment in rural areas to attract workers, businesses (as well as businesses that come along w/ growth such as housing etc.).

Indeed the whole state loved Harry Truman! I remember seeing him go for his daily walk around the square in Independence MO when I went to elementary school there in Independence (Alton Elementary), and we would all wave at Harry as he walked around the square (he would wave back too). Every time a president would come and visit Harry, they would let us out of school for the event, so it was nice, I got to see quite a few presidents this way, just visiting Harry. Simple times back then.

[duforsure]

10. As they realize ...

... they were lied too by trump , and all their health care is gone, all their bonuses which most never got is gone, and the programs , Medicaid , Medicare, and Social Security are being destroyed by the gop and trump , maybe they'll learn the truth, he's doing the opposite of the what he claimed, and has done this for a long time to con people with. They were conned and played, and now they have to live with it. Many rural area's to also be hit the worse with all heath care being destroyed and Social Security being destroyed. Seniors will soon see they screwed up trusting anything trump said or claimed, when he lied to them on purpose , again. He's done this over and over in business also.