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That guy is a lunatic lol, did you see his campaign ad for the Ohio Senate last year?
I did not, but my brother and/or my brother's friend follow him on Twitter for the lols and were telling me about it at some point. In his book he professes a more reasonable brand of Republican ideology...still wouldn't be someone I'd vote for, but at that time he was not so obviously unhinged. As stated previously, the book was a great read. In making the transition he's made, he's merely reflected larger trends in this diseased nation.
Re: your question about Appalachia, it's a fair question, especially given the survival of 'Appalachia' as somewhat of a distinct subculture...but I'd say there's been enough assimilation where it wouldn't be a deal-breaker (in terms of making any given Ohio city ineligible for the coveted 'most average' designation, heh). I could be underestimating the present-day prevalence of 'hillbillies' in JD Vance parlance though....
So, if you could pick a county, or a few counties, in the US that:
* Has average income and average cost of living
* Not too urban, not too rural either
* Balanced politics
Essentially, a slice that you could pick to represent the country on avg.
My final answer is Des Moines, Iowa.
Demographically it is very close to the national average and on top of that, it lacks the industrialization of the east, the aridness of the west, the Nordic influences of the far north, and has virtually no southern influence whatsoever.
Des Moines has very similar racial demographics to the USA. About 60% white, 12% black, 15% hispanic and 7% Asian. It also has almost exactly the same foreign born population at about 15% foreign born(not bad at all for a city in the Midwest). Has an ok mix of neighborhoods and a fast growing ring of suburbs. Things like crime rates in the city proper are also close to the national average.
As stated previously, the book was a great read. In making the transition he's made, he's merely reflected larger trends in this diseased nation.
I can tell you for a fact it's not just the US that's diseased, the whole of the western world has gone insane with politcal polarization. It's even worse when you live in a smaller country with a large population, such as the UK, where I live.
Des Moines has very similar racial demographics to the USA. About 60% white, 12% black, 15% hispanic and 7% Asian. It also has almost exactly the same foreign born population at about 15% foreign born(not bad at all for a city in the Midwest). Has an ok mix of neighborhoods and a fast growing ring of suburbs. Things like crime rates in the city proper are also close to the national average.
Good pick. I did not realize Des Moines was quite that diverse. If you take all of Polk County, you'd have a good mix of rural/suburban/urban as well. The county leans a bit Democratic relative to the rest of the country, but it isn't deep blue.
Des Moines has very similar racial demographics to the USA. About 60% white, 12% black, 15% hispanic and 7% Asian. It also has almost exactly the same foreign born population at about 15% foreign born(not bad at all for a city in the Midwest). Has an ok mix of neighborhoods and a fast growing ring of suburbs. Things like crime rates in the city proper are also close to the national average.
Are you saying this because you agree with what I said, or you just happened to have the same opinion?
Peoria (IL) used to be used as shorthand for 'Middle America'. Columbus OH used to be a marketing laboratory (and may still be one, for all I know) for various companies who wanted to see how their product would play in America at large, because it was considered the most generic, average city in existence.
Used to be shorthand for Middle America, but these days it's shorthand for how to get yourself killed.
Really? Demise of Peoria eh?
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