And I know that when most Americans think of the Midwest they think of Cleveland, St. Louis, amber waves of grain and all of those rust belt images and 1940’s propaganda posters. But, the problem is that’s the televised Midwest.
The real Midwest can be found in places like Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa. Why the difference? Unbeknownst to most people vast swaths of land in this country are still nothing but farmland, not necessarily anchored by any major city.
I just flew into Omaha, Nebraska to drive over to Des Moines, Iowa (about a two hour drive) and saw nothing. Seriously there is little or nothing out here.
I went to high school in Nebraska and I can tell you that there used to be road signs that said “Last gas for 3 hours” when you headed into the Western part of the state.
Now, this is not meant to be a nostalgic bashing of flyover country. Instead, it is a reminder that most Americans and the press we follow are very urban-centric. If it happens in a city or a surrounding suburb, the press is all over it. But, it is often overlooked that a large, if dwindling population of Americans live more than 2 hours away from a metropolitan area of a million people or more. These men and women have thoughts, dreams and hopes, as well. Consequently, whatever happens in the next 48 hours isn’t some anomaly based on some country yokels. It is actually the feeling of some folks who are still a vital part of the American fabric.
This article originally appeared online at Politic365.com.
