Why Democrats Can’t Write Off the Rural Vote
On this episode of See How They Run, Jane Kleeb, Anthony Flaccavento, and Sarah Taber on how the party can win in small-town America.

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While Danny looks after his gold assets, Always at War’s Alex Jordan once again helps Derek bring you headlines from around the globe. This week: the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moves the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight (0:54); the Trump administration renews threats against Iran while demanding a new deal that would eliminate uranium enrichment, missile programs, and regional proxies (3:47); Syria’s government and the SDF agree to a ceasefire extension following more violence in the northeast (12:58); in Gaza, Israel recovers the remains of the final Israeli captive tied to Phase One of the ceasefire, partially reopens the Rafah crossing, and advances plans for large camps in Rafah (16:28); Myanmar’s military completes a staged election delivering the expected victory for the junta-backed party (27:24); China faces fresh turbulence in its military leadership as a senior PLA figure is investigated (30:07); Sudan sees reported new fighting in Blue Nile and claimed gains in Kordofan (34:28); the government of South Sudan launches a campaign against rebels (38:04); there are reports of clashes between government and Tigrayan forces in Ethiopia (40:53); talks involving the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine fail to produce progress (44:02); the EU and India announce a major free trade agreement (47:00); Trump threatens sweeping tariffs against Canada over trade and China policy, amid diplomatic friction and reports of contacts with Alberta separatists (49:32); the U.S. moves toward reopening its embassy in Venezuela as reporting points to CIA interest in establishing a permanent presence (54:07); and a new U.S. National Defense Strategy emphasizes dominance in the Western Hemisphere while maintaining preparations for potential conflict with China (58:20).
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US Vice President Kamala Harris helps prepare hygiene related care packages at a health clinic where the N.C. Counts Coalition non-profit is preparing then delivering them to victims of Hurrricane Helene in Charlotte, North Carolina, on October 5, 2024.
(Logan Cyrus / AFP)Few questions have bedeviled Democrats as much as the question of how—or even whether—to reverse their decline in rural and blue-collar America. Long gone are the days when the party was seen as the natural home of the working class. Now, the dominant narrative goes, Democrats are a haven for urban, highly educated elites, while the Trump-led GOP makes inroads among working-class voters of all races, thus imperiling the coalition that has sustained Democrats for decades.
With states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan on a knife-edge this November, the Democrats need every vote they can get. So on today’s episode, we’re kicking the tires on the party’s relationship to rural voters. We have three guests who live and breathe rural America—and who are adamant that, far from being a lost cause for Democrats, many rural and working-class voters could be up for grabs if the party made a serious effort to win them over.
Jane Kleeb is the chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party and the author of Harvest the Vote: How Democrats Can Win Again in Rural America. Anthony Flaccavento is an organic farmer, co-chair of the Rural Urban Bridge initiative, and the co-author of The Nation’s Rethinking Rural column.
And, in a special bonus segment, we spoke to Sarah Taber, the Democratic candidate for North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture, about her campaign and how she is trying to bring urban and rural residents in her state together.

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.
On this final episode of The Nation's election coverage podcast, See How They Run, D.D. Guttenplan is joined by John Nichols and Jeet Heer to discuss lessons learned from the 2024 Presidential races.
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