Sanders statement about America being like Scandinavia reminded me of an article on rural liberals

[HereSince1628]

https://jaymans.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/rural-white-liberals/

This group isn't what most people think of when they think of the contemporary Democratic party which is dominated by urban areas.

If you browse through that article you find a map of 3 regions with 'anomalous liberal concentrations outside of cities (I'm not quite convinced these are the only such rural but liberal areas).

One of these regions is composed to the Northeast, from N New York across Vermont, and into western and northern Maine

Another area spreads across eastern Iowa, SE Mn, NW Illinois and into west central and sw Wi.

The third is composed of and the northeastern region of N Dakota, N Mn, NW WI.

One of the interesting things about these distributions is they are areas with large populations descended from Finnish, Norwegian and/or Swedish immigrants.

These areas have political heritages that come down from the politics of Scandinavia. And they are areas of interesting rural social populist politics. Which would take too much space to delve into in a single post...which really is a question about the openness these 3 areas might have to democratic socialism.

The "Grange Movement" a political movement that was organizec to promote social and educational causes and to fight gainst corporate business abuses in rural areas during the post civil war era. The movement grew strong enough to pass "Grange Laws" that capped railroad freight rates sought by the robber-barons. Although the movement has essentially faded from political importance it long held on in the Northeast especially among people of Finnish heritage.

The industrial boom in iron and copper mining regions of Mn, Wi and the UP of Michigan attracted large population of Scandinavians, including many Finns seeking escape from Russian repression of the nationalist interests. To unite the half of million Finnish immigrants who worked not only in rural areas but industrial areas in MI, OH, and Penn they created the Finnish Socialist Federation providing Finnish newspapers that not only provided access to news, but which also pushed socialist workers agendas...including the support of Eugene Debs, the founder of American Socialism, as a presidential candidate.

As a kid, in a labor union family I heard Mn's Mesabi range spoken of as a stronghold of worker's socialism.

Political ideas pass among family members, social mores, and expectations are first acquired at home...so I wonder...those three anomalous regions of white rural liberals... Do those places have a political heritage/legacy that while recently democratic, nonetheless represent regions that will be more sensitive and accepting of Sanders and his democratic socialism than urban areas? Although I expect urban, suburban and rural dems to be divided between dem primary candidates, are these three anomalous areas going to produce a larger swing toward Sanders than we see among metropolitan dems?

[Brickbat]

1. "Do those places have a political heritage/legacy that while recently democratic, nonetheless

represent regions that will be more sensitive and accepting of Sanders and his democratic socialism that urban areas?"

As someone who lives in NE MN, I can tell you that few beyond local party leadership are thinking about any kind of primary right now.

[HereSince1628]

2. I think that's true across most of the US, my question isn't where they are today

it's whether those areas represent regions that will break toward Sanders...to some extent will these states produce a rural-urban divide between Sanders and more dem establishment candidates?

[Bjorn Against]

3. I can tell you that embracing Scandinavian countries will be popular here in Minnesota

We have lots of people of Scandinavian descent here, I myself am 100% Swedish. If Bernie's opponents try to demonize Scandinavia it will not go over well in this state.

[HereSince1628]

4. I think Sanders primary competitors wouldn't do that.

I have no doubt there are American nativists that will be perturbed by suggesting America could be improved by emulating aspects of other nations.

[Bjorn Against]

5. The Republicans will

I don't suspect Hillary will take up that line of attack herself, although a few of her supporters already have. I think the Republicans will be bashing Scandinavia a lot if Bernie can remain in the spotlight however, and in doing so they will make it much more difficult for themselves to win this state.

[HereSince1628]

6. Yes, but it has less to do with Scandinavia and Scandinavians than it is nativist pride.

I think Sanders dealt with it handily...embracing not the superiority of Scandinavian nations, but rather pushing a progressive notion: this nation can be and deserves to be improved

[Bjorn Against]

7. I agree, people who think we should not learn from other countries are very ignorant

[jwirr]

8. Absolutely. I am in NE MN and I see it here. Many of them still have relatives in the countries

they came from. They know what is going on over there.