White Rural Rage Audiobook By Tom Schaller, Paul Waldman cover art

White Rural Rage

The Threat to American Democracy

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White Rural Rage

By: Tom Schaller, Paul Waldman
Narrated by: Ray Porter
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About this listen

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A searing portrait and damning takedown of America’s proudest citizens—who are also the least likely to defend its core principles

“This is an important book that ought to be read by anyone who wants to understand politics in the perilous Age of Trump.”—David Corn, New York Times bestselling author of American Psychosis

White rural voters hold the greatest electoral sway of any demographic group in the United States, yet rural communities suffer from poor healthcare access, failing infrastructure, and severe manufacturing and farming job losses. Rural voters believe our nation has betrayed them, and to some degree, they’re right. In White Rural Rage, Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman explore why rural Whites have failed to reap the benefits from their outsize political power and why, as a result, they are the most likely group to abandon democratic norms and traditions. Their rage—stoked daily by Republican politicians and the conservative media—now poses an existential threat to the United States.

Schaller and Waldman show how vulnerable U.S. democracy has become to rural Whites who, despite legitimate grievances, are increasingly inclined to hold racist and xenophobic beliefs, to believe in conspiracy theories, to accept violence as a legitimate course of political action, and to exhibit antidemocratic tendencies. Rural White Americans’ attitude might best be described as “I love my country, but not our country,” Schaller and Waldman argue. This phenomenon is the patriot paradox of rural America: The citizens who take such pride in their patriotism are also the least likely to defend core American principles. And by stoking rural Whites’ anger rather than addressing the hard problems they face, conservative politicians and talking heads create a feedback loop of resentments that are undermining American democracy.

Schaller and Waldman provocatively critique both the structures that permit rural Whites’ disproportionate influence over American governance and the prospects for creating a pluralist, inclusive democracy that delivers policy solutions that benefit rural communities. They conclude with a political reimagining that offers a better future for both rural people and the rest of America.

©2024 Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman (P)2024 Random House Audio
Politics & Government Sociology Village United States Rage
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Critic reviews

“Someone write a new elegy for the bilious hillbilly, because these authors went for his jugular . . . Next to their characterizations, ‘basket of deplorables’ sounds almost quaint, and many readers may find guilty satisfaction in that.”—The Washington Post

“[Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman] persuasively argue that most of the negative stereotypes liberals hold about rural Americans are actually true. They do not mince words about what this means for the future of democracy in America. . . . And Schaller and Waldman bring receipts.”—The Daily Beast

“America’s seemingly most patriotic citizens—rural Americans—are losing their faith in democracy because both the Democratic and Republican parties have long ignored their needs. This important book argues that the survival of our democracy depends on our willingness to strengthen the heartland economically, rather than exploit its fears.”—Barbara F. Walter, New York Times bestselling author of How Civil Wars Start

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Finally Don’t Make Excuses For Anti-Democracy Rural Voters

This was a a refreshing read. It correctly demonstrates that the majority of rural voters are irrationally unreachable to politicians who actually are willing to help them. By electing hard right Republicans they let big business destroy their communities and then blame the liberal Democratic politicians who most oppose the dominance of big business in their communities . If they keep electing these types of Republicans it will continue to get worse.

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Lots to address

Good book to start a conversation. A lot of thoughts and reactions that may challenge the authors', but it's a solid starting point. put on your critical thinking caps, and get ready to learn, consider, and question.

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A Good Summary of What to Expect from a Future Trump Administration and his Supporters

Not much new here, but a good summary of the ways in which our country will be destroyed by a future Trump administration and his sadistic supporters.

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Fantastic

Exposes the pure hypocrisy of the MAGA GOP and how it is destroying America. The potential they have, wasted.

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Insightful

I've been attempting to understand why Republicans continue to back representatives who seemingly make no substantial contributions to their well-being. This has brought me closer to grasping the situation. However, I'm concerned that many are so entrenched in their positions that altering our current trajectory might be nearly impossible.

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Racist white people vote against own issues to spite brown and black people

A really good discussion on the topic of rural America being manipulated using racism to vote against own interests and receiving even more political power for doing so

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A must read !!!

What a phantastic book.
I wished everybody would listen/read this one to understand how much is at stake and how brainwashed people are.
Sadly I know so many of the people that should read this to understand what would make there lives better and how mislead they really are
will never hear about this book and will never have the oportunity to find there way out of this vicious cicle of downfall and lies.
Thank you to the authors Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman for writing this important book, to Random House Audio and a big thank you to Ray Porter for the fantastic narration.

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Very informative

It was complicated. I actually had to buy a hard copy for reference. Not like reading a novel unfortunately.

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White Rural Rage

Great book! A must have for any serious personal library. The research and data points are powerful. Hope it doesn’t get pulled off the shelf and banned!!

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Understanding White Rural Rage

I appreciated the data used to support the ideas presented in the book.Also, I feel more knowledgeable about the electoral vote process and how they work in rural areas.
This book was mentioned in a Time magazine article and I recommend reading it.

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