To add to the political problems, this misguided approach to energy policy is all being done in the name of fighting climate change, which is not a high-salience issue for most voters. That is, climate change, while having very, very high salience for Democratic elites, has low salience for ordinary voters, particularly working class voters. Surveys have also showed that, while voters mostly acknowledge climate change is ongoing, are at least somewhat concerned about it and think there should be more climate-oriented action, the issue is not so salient that they are willing to sacrifice much to support such action.
Groundwater is the lifeblood of the rural Southwest, but just as the Colorado River Basin is in crisis, aquifers are rapidly depleting from decades of overuse, worsening drought and rampant agricultural growth.
Now frustration is growing in Arizona’s La Paz County, as shallower wells run dry amid the Southwest’s worst drought in 1,200 years. Much of the frustration is pointed at the area’s huge, foreign-owned farms growing thirsty crops like alfalfa, which ultimately get shipped to feed cattle and other livestock overseas.
But I was wrong about that in large part because this year’s campaigns weren’t against Glenn Youngkin. Biden’s message is one about there being different kinds of Republicans — the regular ones that he’s worked with in Washington for decades, and this new breed of dangerous nutjobs who you simply can’t elect. And all around the country we saw voters making that distinction too. Republicans nominated a lot of candidates who were extreme and/or bizarre, often at Trump’s behest, and those candidates underperformed. A key fraction of voters even showed a preference: voting for some Republicans and on the same ballot, rejecting those “MAGA” candidates.
Progressive readers may have difficulty understanding this, but for much of the country (and I’m not just talking about Trump fans), far-left ideas and activists are more troubling than the crazy candidates and conspiracies on the right.
Despite the constant invocations of male power and dominance in the workplace, the past several decades have seen a sharp drop in the number of men participating in the labor force at all. One in three men without a high school diploma is out of the workforce. Even before COVID, there were 9 million prime-age men (between 25 and 54 years old) who were not employed. Bear in mind that this category is separate from those who were counted as “unemployed” during this period. The “missing men” were simply out of the workforce altogether. They weren’t laid off. They weren’t looking for work. At the same time, women’s labor force participation has steadily increased (though fluctuating in response to recessions and COVID).
Most of these blogs are excuses for progressive-bashing, one of your favorite pursuits.
I'll save readers time by summing up the thesis on each:
1. Democrats pay too much attention to climate change. It just won't ever be that big of a deal.
2. Interesting, well-researched article on how foreign investment is aggravating the drought and hurting agriculture in Western states.
3. Democrats are too (something, and Biden shouldn't have ( something the writer doesn't like) The rest is behind a paywall, which I won't broach.
4. Punch the hippie! Democrats are too extreme left, and Biden shouldn't have paid attention to crazy progressive ideas like student loan forgiveness. If they had listened to this writer, they would be winning elections.
5. Patriarchy doesn't exist, women are not really oppressed anymore, and those darn feminists should be devoting time and money to helping hapless males catch up.