Thank you for sharing this thoughtful narrative during these perilous but exhilarating times! I see comments online from folks in various states saying -- we are a much more purple state than is apparent from vote totals or binary maps, but structural inequities like gerrymandering and other voter suppression actions greatly distort the reality.
In this section, "These academics who study books and publishing and have taught me so much:" -- the four links do not work -- with the error messages inquiring about typos.
After 2016, I started joking that Ohio has gone from “The Heart of it All” to “The Rusty Bunghole.” When the NYT started sending out reporters to seek out and interview rubes and white supremacists to prop up a narrative they see when they look out beyond the skylines, I wrote an impassioned letter to the editor at the time, who promptly blocked me on twitter (link at the end, if anyone wants to read it)
After these midterms, The Rusty Bunghole is no longer a joke. It is what Ohio has become.
I appreciated the Appalachia book as it lent to me understanding more clearly what was wrong with Vance and his narrative of the region — and Ohio. I read it twice. I recommend it to ... everybody.
I admire people like David Pepper who still have faith this state is worth saving. I’m not sure it can as the GOP has now sealed power for itself for ... decades. I know the right thing to do is pack up and leave because the math to convert this state back to a reasonable balance doesn’t add up until about 20-30 years after I am dead. I didn’t move here in ’91 to die in a pack of cruel, hateful people. Unfortunately, I have an adult daughter and two grandkids I would have to leave behind if they don’t also recognize the danger of being here.
I could go on, but I won’t. I’m still grieving from last week. Anyway, Steve Kornacki fan as well... and his Big Board! And fun fact, the twitter account for the 30RockTree is from Ohio (Matt Haze) 😁
Anne! Loved this email. As a longtime resident of Ohio, who spent the last five years in Chicago, and is now in Michigan... I've puzzled over Ohio, especially with the sudden change to the Michigan legislature. I have to say, for me, I feel like I can't underestimate the impact of having independently drawn, non-gerrymandered maps. I think if Ohio voters felt like they were represented locally, things would be different, if not immediately, in small waves of change. I don't think that swing is gone! Just hidden. (I suppose I also speak from hope.)
Thank you for sharing this thoughtful narrative during these perilous but exhilarating times! I see comments online from folks in various states saying -- we are a much more purple state than is apparent from vote totals or binary maps, but structural inequities like gerrymandering and other voter suppression actions greatly distort the reality.
In this section, "These academics who study books and publishing and have taught me so much:" -- the four links do not work -- with the error messages inquiring about typos.
After 2016, I started joking that Ohio has gone from “The Heart of it All” to “The Rusty Bunghole.” When the NYT started sending out reporters to seek out and interview rubes and white supremacists to prop up a narrative they see when they look out beyond the skylines, I wrote an impassioned letter to the editor at the time, who promptly blocked me on twitter (link at the end, if anyone wants to read it)
After these midterms, The Rusty Bunghole is no longer a joke. It is what Ohio has become.
I appreciated the Appalachia book as it lent to me understanding more clearly what was wrong with Vance and his narrative of the region — and Ohio. I read it twice. I recommend it to ... everybody.
I admire people like David Pepper who still have faith this state is worth saving. I’m not sure it can as the GOP has now sealed power for itself for ... decades. I know the right thing to do is pack up and leave because the math to convert this state back to a reasonable balance doesn’t add up until about 20-30 years after I am dead. I didn’t move here in ’91 to die in a pack of cruel, hateful people. Unfortunately, I have an adult daughter and two grandkids I would have to leave behind if they don’t also recognize the danger of being here.
I could go on, but I won’t. I’m still grieving from last week. Anyway, Steve Kornacki fan as well... and his Big Board! And fun fact, the twitter account for the 30RockTree is from Ohio (Matt Haze) 😁
The link to the letter. https://medium.com/monkey-with-a-loaded-typewriter/my-open-letter-to-marc-lacey-at-the-new-york-times-7613e0fe49a
Anne! Loved this email. As a longtime resident of Ohio, who spent the last five years in Chicago, and is now in Michigan... I've puzzled over Ohio, especially with the sudden change to the Michigan legislature. I have to say, for me, I feel like I can't underestimate the impact of having independently drawn, non-gerrymandered maps. I think if Ohio voters felt like they were represented locally, things would be different, if not immediately, in small waves of change. I don't think that swing is gone! Just hidden. (I suppose I also speak from hope.)
Yeah the gerrymandering in Ohio is insane (and illegal!).