Paul Waldman, professor of political science at the University of Maryland, and journalist Tom Schaller appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe to promote their new book “White Rural Rage” giving MSNBC the perfect platform to continue demonizing the white non-metropolitan working class.
Co-host Mika Brzezinski asked the pair, “Why are white rural voters a threat to democracy at this point? You would think, looking at Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s background, that the opposite would be true.” Watch the astonishingly hate-fueled answer:
MSNBC says white rural voters are a threat to democracy.
— Brandon Straka (@BrandonStraka) February 29, 2024
Serious question: how can a legal registered voter be a threat to democracy? pic.twitter.com/tmTBgT99Dl
Asked why “white, rural voters” are a “threat to democracy,” Schaller said “they are the most racist, xenophobic, anti-immigrant, anti-gay geo-demographic group in the country.”
But Schaller wasn’t finished yet. Not nearly. “Second, they are the most conspiracist,” he continued. “Q-Anon supporters and subscribers, election denialism, Covid denialism, scientific skepticism, Obama birtherism.”
And he still wasn’t finished. “Third, anti-democratic sentiments. They don’t believe in an independent press, free speech, they are most likely to say the president should be able to act unilaterally without any checks from Congress, or the courts, or the bureaucracy. They are also most strongly nationalist and Christian nationalism.”
Getting the point yet? Schaller still wasn’t finished. “Fourth, they are most likely to excuse or justify violence as an acceptable alternative to peaceful public discourse…”
Schaller argued that this is the case due to the “problematic education systems,” “poorer infrastructure” and “a lack of economic opportunity” in rural areas of the country.
“That kind of left them open to someone like Donald Trump who would come along and tell them something that was true, that there is a system that has not served them well,” Schaller said.
“They’re pissed off,” Waldman chimed in.