You've also missed my point. The only voices we're hearing are fundamentalist. The left is being accused of attacking who you call "traditional folks" that just want to be able to go to work everyday, get paid enough to buy a home in which to raise a family, send their kids to a good school, worship when and where they choose, and be able to keep their family safe. Well here's a news flash, the left wants the same things. What's being viewed by the left are the beer-bellied, confederate flag waving, KKK joining, mysognistic, racist, camoflage wearing militia member that wants to get liquored up while taking aim at FBI agents. Those people are your fundamentalists, they exist and you can't deny it, and there's no way they will accept, or even listen to, any progressive ideas. It's the rest democrats need to reconnect with, and thats where I disagree with the author. Sure it would be helpful if they understood the global dynamics that are affecting their lives, but all they know is the mill in their town closed down and they're out of a job. Those people are desperate. So desperate in fact that they were willing to vote for a guy who paid Russian hookers to pee on him because he promised to bring their jobs back.

Having said that the republicans do the same thing by attacking immigrants, the poor, the disabled, and now the elderly. I can't tell you the number of times they've been referred to as welfare queens, lazy, hippy protester, drug addicted, criminal elements, and snowflakes right in this forum. The party that is willing to ignore the fundamentalists in their party wil be the ones who win.

There are not enough of the folks you are describing to put Trump into office. Hell there is not enough of those folks to fill a trailer park in any county that I know of.  Seriously.  Dude, I am country.  I am from the country, I live in the country. Seriously.  I don't know ANYONE

who condones the KKK or any activity of that sort at all.   Yet somehow you seem to think that there is this HUGE block within the republican party. It doesn't surprise me that you don't seem to be hearing from others...that is exactly what the election of Trump was all about. Many driving the political narrative painted Trump supporters the same way you seem intent on doing here... In fact it was the very top of the Dem party that did so and continue to do so even today.  Yet you wonder why you don't here more moderate voices? Sure, stand up and participate in a discussion and be ridiculed, labeled and slandered.... Regular folks wont do that.

Yesterday we had a racial incident in our neighborhood.  Someone (obviously a teenage miscreant) spray painted anti-Semitic, anti-cop and satanic crap in our neighborhood park. An officer of the home owners association asked me to speak on camera about it for a neighborhood perspective.  It was obviously kids because they had spray painted other juvenile (penises and such) in other areas outside the park.  I got crap messages this morning BECAUSE I said "...even if it was juveniles, the behavior is still completely unacceptable."  To some I was obviously downplaying a serious incident as a juvenile prank instead of a felony.  Seriously. The message is clear....you must answer the questions exactly how we want them or we will hammer you! 

We have people that don't participate on this board (or other boards that I moderate/admin) because they don't want the s#!tstorm of conflict and viscously terse tone commonly exhibited here.  Just because we do it or can tolerate it doesn't mean that others will...nor does their lack of participation because of such make their perspective any less valuable or valid or make them pussies.  The very same applies to the public at large, yet you still wonder why you don't here those voices.

Well then, here is your news flash for ya, Chief: They spoke up loud and clear on November the 8th.   And it was far from a few spray painting racist miscreants...it was millions of folks who were not inspired to come out and vote for your candidate and several dozens counties in each swing state that voted for Obama twice (not sure how those are considered racist, KKK Nazi white supremacist types). It is obvious that you don't hear those voices because they don't fit your mantra and if they did speak up, the same would likely happen to them that happened with me just this a.m.  In fact, some would argue that this is exactly what was happening.... 

BTW, I saw it and stated so and was soundly and often brutally ridiculed on this very board for it FOR MONTHS.  I said Trump could get up to 310.  Man did I take a beating over that...just for having an opinion.  Maybe I was just a blind squirrel.  Maybe not. I've never asked for an apology, nor has anyone offered one or even acknowledge such.  Normal people won't take that. But I love coming here, if nothing more than to find out first hand what the pissed off hornet's nest of the Left is melting down over each day.  You guys do a great job of informing on such matters. I seriously love the passion folks exhibit.  Lots of very smart people, most of which I don't agree with, but those are the ones you can learn the most from.

But hey man, you do and think as you please.  Ain't nobody gonna tell the Lava how it is.....