The Great Backlash was a surge in conservatism that arrived onto the national stage in response to the liberal environment of the 1960s. The backlash continues today and mobilizes voters with controversial social issues that are attached to pro-business economic policies, i.e. cultural anger is used to achieve economic gains. By focusing on issues like abortion, the Republican party can create financial benefits for the affluent -like tax cuts and union busting- because the single issue voters will accept anything that coincides with their dominant issue. Since there’s a strong rhetoric in the GOP that the elite, wealthy, and well connected are actually making the decisions and working against traditional social beliefs, working class voters
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However, despite this, Kansas is still able to present itself as an aristocrat of commonness within American politics. Even if a politician is from Mission Hills, they can still peg themselves as an authentic, rugged American. Kansas votes Republican consistently, which is an interesting juxtaposition to a century ago, when it was considered a radical area. After the Summer of Life in 1991, the dynamic became not between Democrats and Republicans, but traditional, moderate Republicans (“Mods”) and more conservative, Pro-Choice Republicans (“Cons”). Among these two branches lies a stark difference in economic status. The Cons tend to live on the impoverished side of Johnson County, working blue-collar jobs, with a staunch Christian background. The Mods exist within the other side of Johnson County, full of country clubs, mansions, and top-tier bussniessmen. The distance between the two classes is magnified in each position’s primary focus. The Cons are fixated on social issues, with pro-choice essentially their entire foundation, along with other ideas about the destruction of American culture. The Mods focus on the economic aspect of the GOP, described as “socially liberal, fiscally conservative” and concentrating on tax cuts and deregulation. This creates a rift, …show more content…
Johnson County is split along class lines. If you look within the US and its voting demographics, you can see where this split in Kansas is represented within the country. Take, for instance, New York in the recent election, the white-collar areas around New York City’s voting decisions juxtaposed to upstate, shows a stark difference. Few counties outside of the city voted for the Democratic ticket. As the working class continues to feel that they’re victims who have been silenced, the US is being driven apart by a widening class gap. If the Democratic party continues to ignore their once fundamental coalition, then the working class will continue to reelect the same Republican candidates, littered with social demagoguery that is dropped in favor of economic policies as soon as they step into
However, despite this, Kansas is still able to present itself as an aristocrat of commonness within American politics. Even if a politician is from Mission Hills, they can still peg themselves as an authentic, rugged American. Kansas votes Republican consistently, which is an interesting juxtaposition to a century ago, when it was considered a radical area. After the Summer of Life in 1991, the dynamic became not between Democrats and Republicans, but traditional, moderate Republicans (“Mods”) and more conservative, Pro-Choice Republicans (“Cons”). Among these two branches lies a stark difference in economic status. The Cons tend to live on the impoverished side of Johnson County, working blue-collar jobs, with a staunch Christian background. The Mods exist within the other side of Johnson County, full of country clubs, mansions, and top-tier bussniessmen. The distance between the two classes is magnified in each position’s primary focus. The Cons are fixated on social issues, with pro-choice essentially their entire foundation, along with other ideas about the destruction of American culture. The Mods focus on the economic aspect of the GOP, described as “socially liberal, fiscally conservative” and concentrating on tax cuts and deregulation. This creates a rift, …show more content…
Johnson County is split along class lines. If you look within the US and its voting demographics, you can see where this split in Kansas is represented within the country. Take, for instance, New York in the recent election, the white-collar areas around New York City’s voting decisions juxtaposed to upstate, shows a stark difference. Few counties outside of the city voted for the Democratic ticket. As the working class continues to feel that they’re victims who have been silenced, the US is being driven apart by a widening class gap. If the Democratic party continues to ignore their once fundamental coalition, then the working class will continue to reelect the same Republican candidates, littered with social demagoguery that is dropped in favor of economic policies as soon as they step into