I can't help but think, at least among the people interviewed for this article, that some see the impending destruction of "American culture" as a reflection of their own mortality.
41
It's not as if we "need" more proof that Trump is leading a cult, but evidence is evidence. The really funny thing is, the Vasquezes and Hernandezes are more concerned with making a living and with the welfare of their families AND of their neighbors' families, regardless of their color, than is Trump.
Here's a little factoid for the Trumpites, Trumpistas or what identifying label is used: Cult leaders do not care --repeat: Do. Not. Care-- a whit about the welfare of those in their thrall. Your sole purpose, as far as he is concerned is to build up and to stroke his ego. And your reward for doing his wishes? He will tell you anything you want to hear.
Anything you want to hear. That is his commitment to you. That, and only that.
109
This article should have mentioned that Mr. Scavo lost by almost the exact same percentage as the Republican candidates in the last several elections. I don't see how it is news that a candidate was unable to improve on the record of other politicians in his party for a state office race.
29
I'm a voter in the 114th who knocked on doors for Bridget Malloy Kosierowski. She is a working nurse who ran a well-organized campaign backed by the Democratic party, unions and progressive community groups putting forward issues such as improved healthcare and education with reasonable views on minimum wage increases and improved property taxes. Scavo did not. And he was given little support from the Republican party. This was a special election held out of the normal election cycle due to the death of a well liked Democrat, Sid Kavulich, so getting any turnout was a challenge. Bridget did the job effectively and won decisively. Pennsylvania also gained three Democratic Congressional seats in 2018(helped by court redistricting ruling) and elected four women to Congress. There is a groundswell of progressive activism in Pennsylvania, including in Old Forge. You can't just attend the loser's event to get a true picture of the area.
140
The challenge for those of us who hope for a less-fractured nation is to acknowledge that their fears *aren't* entirely baseless, in that the US *will* look very different in another 30 years -- but what they don't understand is that the US would look very different even if every face were white, because change occurs in every society, for various reasons. For ex., white-majority England was very different in 1947 than it had been in 1911, which in turn was very different from 1870 England, and so on.
I can't think of anyone who doesn't fear living in a world where they can't earn a living and where they no longer feel valued -- and, technology has sped up change to a degree that it makes many middle-agers very anxious. These voters are right to assume that the coming world will be inhospitable to them (*if* we don't get a handle on income inequality), but they're wrong in thinking that brown and black immigrants are the agents of change, or are forces to fear.
44
I have been white all of my 68 1/2 years and I still have no idea what “white culture” is. I have a hard time thinking of any type of culture in terms of race. Is there anything specifically what about Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony? If so, how is it that the Japanese have responded to it with such intelligent and dedicated love? How is it the conservative African intellectuals find much to appreciate in the works of the English statesman Edmund Burke? How can I find the Tale of Genji to be compelling?
It seems that the products of culture that we most cherish - that move us mostly deeply — are exactly the ones that appeal to people of all races.
93
Having immigrated from Cuba in 1961 I have lived, worked, and PAID TAXES practically all of my life. From my experience, of not only Cuban immigrants but other nationalities as well, immigrants are hard-working and law abiding, and share the universal desire to live their lives in peace and with the opportunity to make a decent living. These are American values, are they not?
Personally, I have never felt discriminated against, but on the contrary, have been welcomed and offered friendship wherever I have lived. So it saddens me to hear so much hatred coming from, what I believe, a minority.
Mr. Scavo is quoted as saying that America was a product of “Western Civilization”. It reminds me of the time Gandhi replied “it’s a good idea” when asked what he thought of Western Civilization.
No doubt Western Civilization, in particular, science and the enlightenment, is responsible for the great advances of the last few centuries. But what about the Inquisition, or the holocaust, or the colonization and exploitation of the “third world”, or the genocide and enslavement of native peoples of the new world? And what about the atom bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?, the two biggest instances of single-event mass murder in history, in my opinion. Are these not also part of “Western Civilization”?
With the current destruction of the natural world, it remains to be seen if we are going to grow up in time to avoid our own extinction or continue to squabble like children.
66
While there seems to be no shortage of stories about Republican voters who are vocal in their racial prejudice and animosity, it should be noted that in the special election in Pennsylvania's 114th District (i.e., where some of the people profiled in this article live and vote), Bridget Kosierowski won by a sizable margin:
114th Legislative District County Breakdown
KOSIEROWSKI, BRIDGET
(DEM) 62.44%
Votes: 6,714
(REP) SCAVO, FRANK J III
37.56%
Votes: 4,038
I get it. There are a large number of angry white voters who love Trump, see him as a victim, and view anyone with names like Vasquez or Omar as invaders. But "Grievance Politics" lost by a big margin in this district (and in a special election). To me, that says the people profiled in this article are outliers who are consumed by their fear of a Big Bad of immigrants who will supposedly "replace" their "white American culture." This is hardly a new thing in American history. Since the founding, there's always been a fear of immigrants -- an ironic sentiment in a country founded by immigrants. And for folks with names like Scavo, Bolus, Kokinda, their grandparents were probably vilified as an invading horde back in the early part of the 20th century. So while the irony of the descendants of immigrants expressing their xenophobia makes for good copy, I think the vote totals tell a different story -- and one that's probably far less politically polarizing.
113
Karma says that these people will come back as the ones they hate. The debt must be paid. If only they new.
26
Regardless of who is running for what office, there should be no “dissing” of anybody. It is counterproductive, slanderous and interrupts the focus on what the candidates can do for their constituents.
9
“It should be ‘police shoots citizen who resisted arrest or had a gun,’ but it’s usually portrayed as ‘white police officer shoots black male’ and that’s stirring the pot,” Mr. Griffin said.
This should actually be "cop murders innocent person," with the follow up stories, "killer cop and fellow officers covers it up," "pba blames victim for needing to be murdered," "cop gets away with it anyway," "killer cop let go after outcry, but finds job in next town over," and "cop murder rate tops 1000 again this year."
47
“We may be far away from the border, but they’re here and they’re coming here,” Ms. Huddy said, initially refusing to define “they.”
And then Ms. Huddy leaned in.
“I’ll give you a hint,” she said, whispering, “They have names like Vasquez and Hernandez.”
Can't help but think that when the Pilgrims landed and met the local inhabitants, one of the locals whispered to another, "There goes the neighborhood."
58
Mr. Scavo has a reputation of being a reactionary, when being a Republican, let alone a reactionary Republican in NEPA, would doom one to failure. The damage he endured was his own, whether the local media reported it or not. His challenger, a surgical nurse with the correct (maiden) surname, deep pockets, and the blessings of the local Democrats (also with the correct surnames), is a political neophyte with truly zero political experience. The folks in these parts still see shades of black and white, less of greys. So, no matter what Scavo's gut told him to do, there's not a whole lot that would have helped him. At 58, I see myself as a centrist who has seen the polarizing effects of the media ravage this country. Perhaps dormant interests may have laid dormant, had it not been for the lines drawn in the media. But, history tends to repeat - in this instance, several times for Frank Scavo. The correct candidate won, even if she's completely inexperienced.
19
What is wrong with these people?
Do they not know that President Obama is biracial? His mother is caucasian? He was raised by her caucasian parents and only saw his father a few times?
Didn't they comprehend that Henry Louis Gates was trying to get into his OWN home because the door was jammed when the police were called by an onlooker?
A police sergeant responded from a 9-1-1 caller's report of men breaking and entering the residence. It was Mr. Gates and his driver!
I've had to crawl in one of my front windows once when I didn't have the security door key but no one called the police to report me....maybe because I'm white? One of my boys had to do the same thing in daylight...no one called 911 on him either and we've had teens breaking into houses before.
Anyone who says Obama has a racial bias against white people is lying and looking for excuses to hide their own racial bias against him.
It's mind boggling that so many of these people are paranoid racist themselves and should take responsibility for that but prefer to remain clueless and entitled because they're white.
Being white shouldn't entitled people to stay stupid and blame their lack of humanity on others.
116
@sandi Some people just love to hate. It is in their DNA, past down from generation to generation. Remember, racism is a family value. I was born in 1955 and I was fortunate to have parents who railed against bigotry and income equality as far back as I can remember, even though we were upper middle class. And I raised my son the same way. Some of us are just luckier than others.
37
I think Northeastern PA suffers with the rest of the country when it comes to people who support Trump and their total incomprehensible attitude and words. This is not a current coal region and if anything the 67% vote total this candidate won by was justified by her appeal and the lack of appeal of the current GOP.
27
Interesting that on their Facebook page they show photos of at least one holiday in Mexico. I guess the Velasquez and Garcias of the world are OK as long as they stay home and serve them drinks.
43
So this guy gets 4,040 votes in an election where less than a quarter of the registered voters turned out, he loses this special election by 25 points, (https://www.lackawannacounty.org/index.php/results), and we're supposed to care what these people think because ... why exactly?
28
We should care because they are 80% of the Republican Party supporters and Republican politicians are afraid of them.
20
"Ms. Huddy said preserving “our culture” was her biggest issue — regardless of whether President Trump is in office."
Susan Blackmore's work on memes as social viruses feels especially potent to me after reading this. From a Meme Theory lens, this article highlights how the Trump phenomenon is really a communications operation (a meme) that has succinctly distilled total distortions of (1) historical events/implications, and (2) a suite of psychotic-but-interlocking views on contemporary issues, into a single transmittable virus, and some groups are more vulnerable because they have no concept of discernment in what kinds of ideas they ingest (cultural/education/lack of exposure etc). They are not inoculated against these ideas
Are people like Carol Huddy who say they want to "protect our culture" are curable? (a separate conversation), or are they straight bigots? Probably some of both. Either way, they are currently infected and will continue to transmit the virus to others who are not inoculated against it-- via facebook or at McDonalds / church etc.
Also- the NYT tends to fetishize these folksy political tales of isolated retired white people who think MS-13 (or whatever other component of the virus) is the most pressing national concern, because it's kind of shocking and almost gory in its depiction of utter stupidity (at least for a lot of the broader readership). I get that it's important to be aware of the changing landscape... but like, DONT SPREAD THE SPORES
29
This article needs to be read in the context of the general narrative white nationalists and white supremacists have developed. It is not a new narrative, it is very old.
The shooter at the synagogue last year believed that Jews were directly behind the "invasion" of Latino refugees.
The shooters down in NZ today believed the exact same narrative.
Some politics is local. This politics is global, and it represents a fascist and white supremacist "grievance."
We ignore the force this horrific and grotesque ideology heralds at our own peril. According to this narrative, brown people, Muslims, Jews, and anyone who does not hate them (Democrats, RINO's) are a threat.
Today is a terrible day. And too many of these stories are piling up. And at the center of it is Donald Trump, who goes wherever the applause is, and he has found the best applause comes from the rising tide of fascist racists in our midst.
Republicans? Hello? Are you there? Is this some game to you? Or.... do you actually hew to this same sick trajectory that is well underway now?
53
That’s really interesting. On one hand you have the openly pro-Trump people. He did get elected! On the other hand, you have the really rich, mostly white people buying access to elite schools. Which I believe is followed by access to more money and positions of power. Then you have those white nationalist murdering a bunch of non-white people. And the chronic harassment of non-whites via police, prolifers, etc.
Interesting values.
12
When you sleep with dogs, you get fleas. I guess the Republicans are starting to realize they're on the coattails of someone the Majority doesn't want. As in a 3 Million vote count for Hillary over Donald. The only fake news comes from Russia and FoxNews. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid GOP!
24
Democrats didn't elect Ms. Kosierowski. District voters did. And like Americans throughout the country, they are turned off by the white-supremacist GOP.
So let the Republicans keep on spouting bigotry. Good and loud. That way, everyone will take notice.
30
Bigotry in the U.S. is "not about Trump" in the same way that anti-Semitism in Germany was not about Hitler. The archetype Ms. Huddy represents has always had a problem with Vasquez and Hernandez, but now she dares to whisper her hatred because Trump has given her permission. If he is re-elected, she won't hesitate to yell it from the rooftop.
54
The false nostalgia for European immigrants and the current paranoia about being "replaced" by non-whites and non-Christians is ahistorical as well as deplorable -- and hypocritical: bigots who know their bigotry is wrong and are reluctant even to admit whom they mean when they talk about "those people."
If only all the American racists and nativists and Christianists were in their 70s, we might hope that they'd eventually die off. But they're training up a new generation who need to be stopped from polluting our democracy with their irrational hatred.
27
Meanwhile the Graduate School English Department at CUNY is having a forum March 22nd about “the crucial problem of whiteness in the department and how to combat it in academia.”
Does anybody else find this much more unsettling than the relatively powerless people this article spotlights?
6
@Moderate White supremacist ideas are prevalent partly because powerful institutions like academia, government and law enforcement continue to be dominated by whites. Changing the demographics of the institutions so they reflect the population is important. So is the examination of cultural and racial biases within them, so for me I’m not bothered at all by what is happening at CUNY. Myfellow citizens described in the article believing the current administrations propaganda is deeply discouraging to me.
19
President Punk(no typo), the product of ignorance elected by ignorance, will be removed from office by caring Americans on November 3, 2020. On that day our country will close the door on the darkest four years in U.S. history. That day can’t come soon enough.
21
@Tom Augaitis
Then you better work hard to make sure it happens, because I do not think it is a given. If you take that approach, you could be setting yourself for great disappointment. Be vigilant and never underestimate the opposition. If you take them lightly we will end with 2016 all over again.
Fight as if every single counts. Fight as if your last breath depends on it.
31
Who re-introduced the concept that identify politics, that is that the color of one's skin as opposed to one's character is what matters, is an acceptable way of thinking? That would be the "progressive" democrats. And now the liberal New York Times is upset to learn that Caucasians have followed their lead? Frankly, I'm surprised any these people would talk to your reporter. I won't have. The resulting story is precisely what anyone who reads your propagandistic paper would predict.
4
@Ed Kiernan
Sorry, but Donnie and his ilk have been around for a long time. They just never had to fight as hard as now to assert their identity, which at one time was a given.
4
@Ed Kiernan
Identity politics is a republican thing ever since they adopted the southern strategy when nixon was running. And they have continued to use the dog whistles about race in elections ever since.
And trump used a bullhorn about identity politics when he announced his candidacies by saying mexicans are rapists and murderers.Then went after muslims and every other minority.
Trying to protect minorities from the bigotry and hatred of republicans is not using identity politics, it's called giving equal rights to everyone, something the republicans have been fighting against for many decades.
4
I'll run right out and tell all those invaders, even the ones who say they're born in the USA, that they're not welcome here. That would include anyone of Italian ancestry. Mr Scavo can take the next flight back to Roma. Real Americans will be glad that he did.
5
They have another problem, all those white women procreating with black and other minority men. Most of these kids are considered black, biracial or mixed raced bit not white. What are they going to do about that?
1
A case study in ignorance.
8
Scavo. What an ALL AMERICAN name. His ancestors must have came over on the Mayflower, and he certainly has no association to those filthy, Southern Europeans whom the WASP founders so detested and didn’t want over here polluting American blood. Lord. Save us from people who are so ignorant of the basic history of our, actually, great country.
14
Old enough to remember the NIXON and his war cronies were the reason all was wrong VS the silent majority. The cultural and racial divide present , BUT, thousand were dying in a foreign war.
Other than 24 hour cycle hype just why are the passions so hot? Jobs are strongest in 50 years, no gas or food shortages, haven't heard of any recent plagues.....why all the mishegas? Does it really devolve to crazeeee old folks raging against 'These (brown) kids today....."?? ....What will historians call this period ?
1
@Kevin K
Recent plagues? The anti-vaxer movement have brought measles back to the US. We have an opioid crisis. An Ebola threat is somewhere lurking. What about Zika? With all the rain and flooding taking place in recent years, this makes a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. While they may not technically be plagues, they certainly can be considered a health crisis.
There may no food (questionable) or gas shortages, but their prices have risen.
You must be living in a happy little denial bubble.
2
Please stop giving these people oxygen, NYT. They are the lunatic fringe, which is neither new nor getting stronger. They were pushed back hard last November, and that push is just going to increase. If they have a problem with people who don't look like them, tough. If they have a problem with the truth - tough! The real world is here, always has been and always will be. And if that's too much for the little snowflakes to bear, well - TOUGH!
6
Kudos to your photographer. That picture of Ms. Huddy is a classic.
10
I'm an old white guy and find the so-called grievances of these people ridiculous. They need to embrace Latinx, Afro-American and Asian culture. It's fun and enriching. These fearful complainers need less anxiety and more outreach. There are things about white Anglo-Saxon culture to celebrate but we aren't the only or the best people in the world. The people in this article are being played by some on the right who are making a ton of money peddling these trashy ideas.
19
The states with the most Mexican immigrants are Texas and California. They sustain the agriculture industries there. It has only been recently that Mexicans have started finding work in places like the Midwest. If you look at where the border wall is most or least desired you will find that the places with a large percentage of Mexican and other Latino immigrants are the ones the least in favor of the wall. People like the ones in the story above have just seen their first 5 Mexicans and are trembling with fear.
9
@PADonald The Hispanic population here in California does far more than just sustain those parts of our agricultural industry that is highly labor intensive and physically demanding. They are also mechanics, welders, bricklayer, roofers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, nurses, nurses-aides, tteachers, doctors, lawyers, policemen, members of our armed forces, truck drivers, an infinitem. They work hard, pay taxes, have close families, love their children and love our country. Enough said.
6
Old Forge is just north of me. There's a lot of 'white rage' in NE PA. Fortunately, there are a lot of people who are stepping up and supporting more representative government at all levels and calling out authoritarian, bigoted behavivor whenever it is exposed.
11
What western culture are these people defending? If it's eating egg mcmuffins in a sweatsuit and complaining about people with foreign last names, let the culture die.
10
I am disappointed that the NYT did not do more than a superficial inquiry to backgrounds of these sexagenarians. What did they do for a living and how far in school did they go? Are they retired, and if so are they still working part time? Do they have pensions, and health care coverage? Knowing the environment of a bigot is the first step to showing them how false is the narrative they have accepted. Moreover, why did you not ask them to explain why they think the system is not rigged in the favor of the 1%.
6
"The POWER of NIGHTMARES." Instead of dreams of a better world, today's politicians only promise to protect us from nightmares. The most frightening is the threat of an international terror network. The nightmare is an illusion -- a myth that has spread unquestioned through politics and international media -- a fantasy that restored the power and authority of politicians in a disillusioned age. 3 hrs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTg4qnyUGxg
1
The best and most pertinent statement in this is article is:
"he was trounced by the democrat" who also happened to be a woman.
As this president continues to incite hatred and violence, we should not be surprised to see these groups of what are basically white supremacists become further entrenched in their views.
5
They sounds nice.
2
I am not suprised by the attitudes and prejudices expressed by some people in Old Forge, PA. While the north didn't have Jim Crow, it certainly has many racist people. I've certainly have seen it first hand an personally.
And why not?
Racism and white supremacy are as American as apple pie. There is a direct thread that runs through American history. Starting with 3/5th a man, to the Dred Scott Decision, to the first Klux Klux Klan, to Jim Crow, to the Chinese Exclusion Act, to the 1924 'Whites Only' Immigration Act and New Klan reformed Klan of the 1920's, to eugenics laws, to States Rights movement of the 1950's and 60's, to David Duke, and finally today with the Aryan Nation, and the resurgence of 'White Nationalism'. White supremacy was national policy from 1776 to 1940 when NAZI Germany showed the logical conclusion of the ideology with their death camps.
Trump's words and actions have only given the racists permission to come out of the closet. But he didn't create them.
11
@Godzilla De Tukwila - Thank you - history does indeed repeat itself. Sad in this case. I would add the "Tea Party" supporting ideologues to your list.
3
It seems that none of Scavo's supporters were born after 1960. They are the prime audience for Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. To the extent that demographics are destiny, they represent a rear guard, declining faction who have very little of substance to add to the national political conversation and appear to be in a state of anxiety regarding changes in the country that they cannot control.
Their political relevance declines ever day.
6
Had the forebears of the Scavos indeed assimilated, we would have a country filled with Episcopalians and Lutherans, not Catholics, who ate bratwurst and meatloaf, not spaghetti and pizza.
1
Scavo "was trounced by a Democratic newcomer, Bridget Malloy Kosierowski."
How about an article about the people who voted for Kosierowski?
7
This article provides some basis for linking white supremacy politics with trump’s base. In light of the New Zealand killings it is deeply troubling. But the NYT needs to go much deeper. How widespread are these beliefs? Are they likely to increase with the demographic shifts underway, or they solely a reflection of elderly white bitterness, which is likely to gradually decrease with time? Identity politics cuts both ways, white and nonwhite, and over the next 16 months this form of racial polarization reported from Northeastern Pennsylvania could metastasize.
5
Don’t cry about Socialism, Pennsylvania, when you deal with your Medicare cuts. They’re coming and you will be the populous that will suffer.
11
1. Frank did BETTER than he normally would have because of the prejudicial posts. Never doubt this. But that is because this district was drawn to contain older, white, RURAL voters.
2. You interviewed many people who are routinely derided around here for their extremist views. There is a balance and anti-Trump moderates are plentiful in this county.
3. Laureen Cummings is pretty much viewed as a right-wing lunatic who hates bike paths, is intolerant of minorities, thinks gummi bears contain marijuana, and blows apart county budgets with her Democratic co-conspirator under the guise of "tax advocate".
4. Bridget won because she (a) smiled a lot, (b) the district votes Democratic, (c) she had a LOT more money, (d) her father was a prominent doctor and (e) Frank runs for everything and she was a fresh face. There was no substance in her campaign but a freshman minority-party legislator in the PA House has less to say than the maintenance staff.
5. Most of the "foreigners" who move into the county assimilate very quickly with jobs and schools. The only issue is being able to communicate in English, and the kids adapt quickly. These people forget their grandparents never really got a good grasp of English, either--they just never left their little towns, and those were primarily settled on the basis of origin so communicating was not as difficult.
6. These older, whiter, rural narrow-minded people will simply gradually lose power and influence, and eventually die out.
15
It’s sad to watch scared people behave badly. Being guided by Race in any issue is a difficult position to defend. Very sad state we are in...
7
This article clearly articulated why I personally was terrified that despite the poll numbers, Trump was going to win. It was not only the few people who switched from Obama to Trump; rather it was people who were ashamed to admit they were going for Trump, because they recognized that 8 years of public civility would make them seem like the whining boorish bigots they are, and they knew enough to shut up about it. Of course, the Russians and 3rd party candidates did not help, and the MSM, including the NYT repeating and repeating innuendo about Secretary Clinton instead of debunking it before they put it on the front page above the fold. Of course Trump has given permission for every one of his supporters to claim they don't like him but they like the wall, people named Vasquez don't belong in the US, and they are fighting to preserve their "culture." I don't think they actually have a culture to preserve, unless the fetish of false victimhood can be called a culture.
12
Bridget Kosierowski's win is more indicative of what is in the hearts and minds of Northeastern Pennsylvanians.
8
"In Old Forge, ...best known for the unique rectangular pizza slices it developed..."
In Chicago that's called "party cut". It's how we eat pizza. Please with the "unique".
3
Great, but scary, insight into the mindsets of this district
4
This article is a perfect example of the future of the GOP: Older, whiter, poorly educated, lower income, rural and weakening.
5
From this article it would seem these Republicans are the very ones who have been hiding since the Civil Rights Era. They are afraid of being branded as bigots, but still hold those values to heart.
The only good thing is that they are old.
5
These numerous snapshots of Trump America make me envision what it would've been like if reporters traveled to 1964 Mississippi to get reactions from opponents to the newly passed Civil Rights Act.
These people's story is both infuriating and sad in a way, but bottom line: They are on the wrong side of history. We should never stop extending them a hand to join us, but sooner or later the march of progress will put them out of arm's reach. And that's on them.
6
The GOP has always been the party of white nationalists, at least since Nixon's southern strategy. While prior GOP national politicians gave dog whistle to their base, Trump overtly pays homage to them and it is the only reason he was elected president.
5
I always thought that the white culture means hard work, honesty, family values and defend the constitution. Now, Trump and the Republicans are adopting quite opposite of laziness, corruption, adultry and breaking up the constitution. Is the white culture is redefined to the latest practice of Republicans? Which definition of white culture these rural folks are supporting? If neither of them, then it may be racism opposing immigrants of color.
3
Have to protect all that great culture up there. You know, McDonald's food, generic clothing, and poor language skills. The REAL American culture.
6
"Like others, he mentioned a 2009 incident in which Mr. Obama took issue with the police conduct in the arrest of the Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, who is black. Mr. Bolus said it was a turning point in his personal politics."
With a quote like that, it would have been helpful to provide some context by pointing out that Mr. Gates was arrested on his own property, on his front porch, trying to get into his own home, and that the trumped up false charges against him were dismissed. Mr. Gates was arrested for "entering my own home while black."
I have to say I have zero sympathy, empathy or tolerance for Mr.Bolus and his ilk. It is witless to pretend like this is anything but racism with a fresh coat of varnish.
We cannot compromise with racists in America. It's akin to requesting that we compromise with Nazism. It is not in our national DNA to compromise about the subject; that issue was settled in April 1865 at Appommatox Courthouse, and it was not a compromise.
We should have zero tolerance for these intolerant folks, who judge and despise persons having a different skin color or worshiping differently then themselves.
The way to deal with this species of hate and intolerance is to stick with our principles and overwhelm these human anachronisms at the ballot box.
20
"Far from the power centers of Washington, the early 2020 primary states or the money-rich coastal cities that fund many national campaigns, a shift in the political winds is growing stronger." Where's the data to back up this contention? The reporter talked to some fed-up old folks in a corner of Pennsylvania--whose candidate lost!--and cited a few tales from elsewhere in the nation. Case: not proven. Not even established. Next time do some real reporting.
5
There's nothing new about these racist feelings. One could trace it all the way back to Reconstruction.
These people's views on race are so backwards and undeveloped that they conflate any discussion of race in this country with racism itself. They don't want to talk about race because it makes them uncomfortable, which it should; any conversation about race in this country must implicitly factor in the reality that whites have actively oppressed non-whites for most of this country's history. These people hate being called racist, but instead of taking the time to learn about their own implicit biases and have a constructive dialogue, they would rather double down on hate. Why? Because it's easier that way.
It sounds harsh, but at this point, my generation is just waiting for these racist Boomers to die off so we can finally start to undo the damage they've done. We tried having conversations with them about race, we tried explaining police brutality, etc. But once a black man got elected to the White House, they got so scared that they forgot to keep pretending that they think racism is bad.
5
At the end of the day, these people in Pa. & others like them around the country are a small minority, older & less educated, and frankly will begin to die off rather soon. The change they fear is happening & will continue to happen irrespective of them, Trump or the Republican Party. Furthermore, the newer immigrants ARE assimilating, in ways that Mr. Scavo’s immigrant forebears probably never did. This is a tempest in a teapot.
15
@Miguel Cernichiari - If Republicans manage to eliminate their health care they will die off sooner.
4
This article neglects to address the fact that many in the region would argue that Old Forge has yet to assimilate but rather clings to an ethnic Italian culture from long ago.
The mine owners deliberately imported workers from different regions to hinder unionization and built national churches, schools etc. to hinder assimilation.
Ask many in the region what is their nationality and they will respond with their ethnic background: Irish, Italian, Polish etc.
I love the region but it appears many have a great desire to pull the immigration ladder up behind them. No more immigrants please should be the slogan. Sad.
9
I am looking forward to the day in which the Times and so many other major media outlets figure out that it's important to stop giving so much free press to these individuals. I agree that it's important to shine light on their misbehavior. By the same token, this constant repetition of their grievances, and how those grievances make people think the far right is going to overwhelm our country, is not helpful. We don't need to hear the 55 millionth repetition of drunken bar conversations to know that this hate exists and at some point it simply helps to reinforce it rather than to combat it. I would hope that the Times and other outlets start giving far more attention to the efforts being made by people to counteract such hate and what are some of the strategies that we as Americans can use to counteract this kind of hate - and to give a lot more press and attention to those strategies, rather than these seductive articles about the extremities of the hate itself. That would make a bigger difference in my opinion. One of the reasons I feel strongly about this is also because I think that over the course of the last 10 to 20 years, all the extra attention given by the media to the growth of movements like the Tea Party only served to add to their strength. These folks love this kind of coverage. They wear it as a badge of honor. It suits their interests perfectly. Our media needs to start recognizing this dynamic - and to shift its paradigm of coverage of the far right.
13
This part of Pennsylvania was the heart of the hard coal industry and the origins of the United Mine Workers Union which went on strike as early as the Theodore Roosevelt administration. The mines drew a mix of Irish, Slavic, Hungarian and Italian workers and their families. All faced discrimination from the "white culture" and most voted Democratic and pro-labor. Somehow this legacy seems ancient history. The Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018 was Lou Barletta, former mayor of Hazleton who is outspokenly anti-immigrant. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey trounced him. The folks in this story seem to forget that as well.
14
A pretty grim reminder of my teenage years in Pennsylvania.
The majority of voters must have thought Scavo to be supremely terrible by rural PA standards, to lose to someone who offers an alternative to the usual racism and conspiracy theories that would get most candidates elected outside Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
I'd love to learn more about her campaign and how she won, and hear about the brighter future her election might offer her constituents, rather than about these old dead-enders who add nothing to society, who complain about "socialism" while cashing disability checks.
12
I would't count on the passing of this older generation to see an improvement.
Recently, white millennials voted for Romney (51-44 percent) and trump (48-42 percent). They're not much different from their parents politically, except maybe on LGBT equality.
Young voters are far from a monolith. Democrats only win that group thanks to its greater diversity and nonwhite millenials voting overwhelmingly democratic.
Donald Trump can't be blamed on divine royal sanctioned selection nor an armed uniformed military coup.
Donald Trump is President of the United States because among the 63 million Americans who voted for him was 58% of the white voting majority. A majority that included 62 % of white men and 54% of white women. The Republican Party Presidential candidates in 2008 and 2012 won 57 % and 59% of the white vote.
Rather than a leader Donald Trump is a symptom of an underlying partisan political reality. The party of Abraham Lincoln and U.S. Grant has become the party of Jefferson Davis and R.E Lee.
12
@Blackmamba History says you are correct. Unfortunately, many people have the mistaken belief that the Republican Party is still the Party of Lincoln. A complete role reversal has taken place - most of us realize that. Some do not. When Cadet Bone Spurs convenes his fantastic 4th of July parade and rally at the Lincoln Memorial - I fully expect to see tears flow from the eyes of the beautiful Lincoln statue.
2
Not to get all ageist here (I'm 62 myself) but it seems like every person quoted here is either retired or on the verge thereof. They decry impending (and largely illusory) "socialism" but surely will be first in line to collect their social security checks and Medicare cards. Moreover, the article underscores the fact that the grievance politics voters tend to skew older and--and I'm including my own Lefty self here--are fairly irrelevant to the future of the US.
13
I encourage Republicans to continue their current course. It will ensure the demise of their party and ideology.
6
May I suggest to all writers in the future to say "claims to have voted for Obama" as opposed to "voted for Obama". Based on their beliefs, it is truly hard to imagine that they in fact actually voted for Obama.
6
The sentiments that these people harbor are in no way new. They are part of a long strain going back even before the Civil War to the Know-Nothings and the slavers. What is new is the way that Trump has been mobilizing them, and that the force of demographics and the arc of history are wearing them down. They accurately perceive that their world is disintegrating, and they are very fearful and angry. And dangerous, until they die off.
I am of the same age as many of these people. I
once had the experience of being told by a younger person (who was suffering from a fit of candor) that this country will be better off when my generation leaves the scene. As I considered the differences in racial and social attitudes between his generation and mine, I found myself largely in agreement with him. However, some of us do still remember the better aspects of JFK, including his citation that “change is the law of life.“
6
Trump = Fear
People who are fear-driven, love Trump.
Perhaps we have nothing to fear, but fear itself?
5
I play online video games as part of a gaming community of internet friends. People I’ve met only online but never in real life. I’ve met people from all over the country and the world, and we talk about all sorts of things, politics included. There’s one man in particular, older, a corrections officer on disability from the Texas panhandle who is extremely friendly but has some very strident views on certain minority groups. I’ve explained to him where I disagree, why I disagree, given him statistics and research supporting my points. He listens, but refuses to give up his long-held beliefs. He is utterly immovable in his opinions, and this is someone with whom I have a friendly rapport. If such a person can’t be convinced to turn their back on intolerance, I don’t see how even more hostile people can be.
4
@Thad From my mother - now deceased - a wonderful and intelligent woman. "When you make a mistake, admit it, correct it!". She was right.
Gee, hard to imagine why anyone wouldn't want to assimilate with such a friendly, non-judgmental bunch...
193
The title in the headline section is "... a new brand of grievance politics is growing stronger." But there is nothing in the article to support this claim. What's changed there in the last two years? And Scavo lost by a large margin. Looks like the title was chosen to stir people up to get clicks. Hmm... fake news?
22
@Champness Jack Be careful how you throw around the term "fake news". There are no lies in the article. It was reported accurately. It was meant for you to understand what groups of white people are thinking, have been thinking, and are not about to change their thinking.
7
Let's hear about the winner. How about an in depth story as to why she won. That is what I want to read about.
176
Thank you for this article, but I think this is one of those pieces that makes liberals and progressives throw up their hands and say 'we can't talk to these people'. I think that is wrong.
The conservative movement has been built around enemies for a long time, and it's finally reached its logical conclusion with Trump. But I think that a simple, strong economic message and moderation on social policies would win over a significant number of conservatives. Most conservatives are not as far gone as these folks!
23
@DALE1102
No today most of the GOP voters are too far gone.
They support GOP policies that are detrimental to our democracy in their never ending goal of power.
It's the GOP that needs to change. Not Democrats.
5
@DALE1102 Unfortunately, their "middle" is not "the middle".
2
@DALE1102 Bravo! A voice of reason and a pragmatic approach. But have you read the other comments (even accounting for GOP sock puppets posing as progressives) treating these folks with unrestrained contempt?
How dare people in the states we need to win are not in sync with Portlandia. How dare they not have a Whole Foods shopping bag like we upper middle class in our gated communities, or apts. in an urban hipster/yuppie gentrified neighborhood. The electoral college and the Senate need to be won. Do not write off any persuadable voter.
2
Culture is not a static or fixed characteristic and never has been. Over time language changes, recipes change, and fashion changes. Culture can also vary between geographies and from generation to generation. Do these people really think the "culture" they came of age in and were used to was just going to remain static forever and ever? Many cultural changes spanning centuries have preceded you and many will come after you, no matter how much you embellish your memories of "the good old days". I'm sorry to say this but many Americans can hardly preserve the authenticity and traditions of home cooking from the countries of their ancestors who came only a couple generations ago, but these same people want to save "Western Civilization"? Get over it and embrace the changes. Every American who came before you lived through constant cultural change too, and those who resisted now look quite silly in retrospect.
67
@Chi-Town Guy These people are living in their own community, and aren't breaking any laws, so, what gives you the right to tell them what to think or do?
@Chi-Town Guy - Excellent perspective. Thank you very much.
7
One can see the Christian values overflowing in this group.....love your neighbor as thy self, do unto others as you would want them to do unto you. Such a heart-warming scene. Makes a person want to go and move there immediately in order to share in all that love and harmony.
137
I'd love to hear some examples of the U.S. culture these people keep referring to.
90
@DR Well...how about guns and religion? That's their "culture" in a nutshell. Obama had it just right.
14
Just another entry in the NYT’s long running endless exhaustive series on the need to understand the aggrieved Trump supporter. If we get out and vote we can stop these.
48
@George Tafelski
GT, essentially roberts supreme fundamentalists have (citizens united) placed $$$$ at center of politics. Perhaps you missed the part whereby fossil fuel industry tripled fortunes under obama?? U.S. features 3 political "parties" today, if counting that $$$$. Libertarians (fossil fuel) intend spend your money against your interests-specifically tax write-off phony "philanthropy", $1 trillion, 2020. Those written off taxes come out of everyone's taxes:
Jane Mayer / The Koch Brothers and the Weaponizing of Philanthropy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFaSCOqumpM
@George Tafelski Did you miss the part where a few of them said they voted for the local Democrat in 2018, after Trump in 2016? It is quite rich for posters hailing from NYC, Chicago or Portland OR. to talk about turning out the vote. Who is "we"? These states (PA., WIS., MI., IA.) are not overflowing with hipsters, activists, educated yuppies or the type of people in the cities I mentioned.
Appealing to moderates or persuadable voters does not mean Trump 's base, it means voters who switch back and forth, and have not totally abandoned the Democrats.
1
Subtitle this one, "When you've got nothing much to offer apart from pale skin and an Anglo last name." (Then, yeah, those things probably seem real important to you.)
21
@A Scavo is hardly an "Anglo last name." Don't the descendants of immigrants, who in their time were reviled as the enemies of "American" culture realize from whence they came?
32
@A Do other people have a right to their own values and thoughts?
@A
Scavo doesn't sound very Anglo to me...
2
it's difficult to miss the fact that everyone in that article, except Scavo's son, is over 60 and some are over 70. It would be interesting to see if their children and grandchildren still live in the same county or vote the same way. I'm sure some do. But I suspect the story will mostly be about people who have moved away.
Democrats have been counting on a demographic hail mary pass for a while now, and this article is an example of why. There will be fewer of these voters every year. The crucial question is will their children follow them into xenophobia and racism. History suggests that yes, they will. I wish it were otherwise.
91
@momalle3
I grew up in a similar area and live surrounded by others. The determining factor I've observed is whether the children stay there or leave. The ones who stay are more likely to inherit their parents' views and the ones who leave, perhaps to college or a larger city with true diversity, tend to rebel against them.
13
@momalle3 I live in a similar area, and the 'children' who are now in the 40 to 50 ages, are likely to be on the opioid train, and living off of either their parents social security checks or someone else's in town. They don't bother to vote, don't drive legally, and have adopted victimhood as an excuse for everything.
15
“I’m scared for our children because of what’s coming with socialism. We’re a big country, but we’re being swallowed by people coming in,” said Thomas Bremer, a 67-year-old.
Others in the story: Bob Bolus, a 76-year-old; Lynne Kokinda, 62-year-old; Gregory Griffin, a 64-year-old; Carol Huddy, a 71-year-old.
I’m scared for our children because these folks, who will be dead and gone, are creating a future that is bleak.
They all grew up in a time when education was affordable, jobs were plentiful, retirements were more secure, medical care didn’t cost a fortune, and the idea of having a life better than their parents was achievable.
Perhaps they should ask their children what they are scared about. I’m guessing it is not immigrants or socialism.
192
@A Paul Nelson Flagged for ageism.
I would add that it was their beloved Republican party that has taken it all away.
17
@A Paul Nelson
And they probably receive Social Security and Medicare benefits. But those aren't socialism to them!
16
The voters quoted in this story are all over 60. It would have been interesting to hear what younger voters had to say.
25
@Kate
White millenials mostly voted for Romney (51-44%) and trump (48-42%). They're not that much different from their parents politically, except maybe on LGBT equality.
Don't get your hopes up too high.
1
This is scary, post-apocalyptic stuff. I actually have one of the last names they fear. I really hope these folks are gone by the time my children are grown up.
46
@Osito The Times found what remains of the Republican Party in this county--a right-wing fringe group made up of older rural white folks who are just always angry that Eisenhower is out of office. It's not apocalyptic because nobody around here really takes them seriously.
6
...national Republicans, who have wrestled with how to deal with such overt appeals to white identity, particularly in the era of Mr. Trump.
===========
Pretty clear they've all embraced Trump and his approach. It was the GOP racist dog whistle since Richard M. Nixon, and Trump turned it into a foghorn. With the help and encouragement of FOX News, etc.
~
27
Some people in Lackawanna County seems to be lacking -- sadly lacking -- in both reasoning skills and a respect for the truth. It's sad that a changing and shifting population demographic in the U.S. can be so threatening to any group of people that it becomes unhinged from reality. What is saddest of all is that Donald Trump, the Republican Party, and the right wing media have decided that the path to holding on to power should lie in exploiting the gullibility and lack of education of these citizens.
45
There is only one reason Mr. Scavo lost. It's that his policies make no sense to anyone who is under the age of 65 and still employed. I mean, "no property taxes?" For real? Do these people not realize that taxes pay for things like roads, schools, police, and hospitals? That so long as no one contributes to the pot, the pot will remain empty?
For real, I'm starting to wonder if the voting age should be capped at 55.
91
By why do those roads, teachers, cops and hospitals have to cost do much? Why are we so accepting that it costs $50,000/yr to fill potholes, that cops are highly paid due to the supposed danger they face yet the majority make it to retirement (apparently not so dangerous, certainly not enough to justify much over minimum wage), that teachers should have million dollar pensions when most taxpayers don’t even have a 401k? I grew up in a low income part of Queens not far from the neighborhood that elected AOC. I’ll be forever grateful that unlike my parents and grandparents, I got to finish high school then enlisted in the Army. Yet kids there today believe they’re entitled to free college and a good salary afterwards.
@AJ Garcia No, it's because he runs every six months for something and people are getting tired of him. High, unaffordable property taxes are a real issue with older voters on a fixed income.
1
@AJ Garcia Flagged for hate speech against seniors.
1
Different versions of Lackawanna County residents exist elsewhere in this country, not malevolent but ignorant with little in the way of critical reasoning skills.
I'm glad that Speaker Pelosi is refraining from impeachment talk until the case can be made with sufficient clarity and obviousness that even many of these hapless folks will accept reality. At least I hope the Trump supporters will drop below thirty percent of the country.
22
These people are a distinct minority, and clearly very odd. The only positive thing I see about them is that they are all 60 years or older, meaning that time will take care of their little political movement if nothing else will.
Sadly, they have children and grandchildren. Still, we do make progress -- in 1904, a mere 115 years ago, crowds of thousands stood and cheered in Taxes while a black man was tortured to death in public with red-hot irons, then burned at the stake.
Those thousands are all dead, but the children, grand children and others they raised live on and -- obviously -- carry the doctrine forward, however much time has mitigated it.
These people hate and fear to see their "culture" change, but the hate and racism shown by that crowd in 1904 is one aspect of white culture in this country that can't go away soon enough.
8
@Charles Trentelman Until such time as they die off they will continue to dominate politics and elections in their districts. And with republicans raising gerrymandering to a fine art, and the anachronism of the electoral college, these poorly educated reactionary racists will continue to be disproportionately represented in both state and federal government offices. Our country truly is threatened, but not bot by the people these people fear. If they really want know who presents a clear and present danger to the country, all they need do is look in the mirror.
1
@Charles Trentelman So, avoid rural PA and move to Baltimore.
Wow. I had long suspected that people who held racist beliefs were a dwindling number, but it seems as though those who quietly harbored bigotry have been liberated by the current occupant of the White House.
The demons have been unleashed (again). I remember when people would be embarrassed by acting in a narrow minded, hateful way. Not anymore, apparently.
SAD!!!
33
Media touted the election of Barack Obama as "the end of racism" in America. But in the core of the voting public that voted against him there were perhaps 40% of voters who cast there ballots on the basis of race. Some were a little bit racist but a lot of them were deeply racist, especially among older white voters. When was this country NOT racist? The armed forces were segregated until Truman's presidency. Sports were segregated well into the 1960s. Everyone that lives in the south knows why there are three restroom doors in every public building (though in some enlightened areas the third one has been converted to handicapped or family). The recent college admissions scandal has exposed just how bent toward wealthy, white candidates the process is, yet there still remains deep resentment of affirmative action. America has a long, terrible history of racism that we must somehow address and get past if we are to avoid injustice and violence on the streets, in our schools in government and business.
21
As a country, we certainly don't have a lock on ignorance and racism. It abounds in all parts of the world. However, that doesn't make it any less repulsive to read of it detailed in all it's pathetic glory. How miserable it must be to live life constantly aggrieved at the thought of all the other people out there that don't look the same!
15
I am wondering exactly how liberals should reach out to these people and find a middle ground as some believe we should.
It looks like President Obama fueled the divide between the races by having the audacity to be black.
Many of the people killed by police officers were children or adults who did not have guns.
26
Perhaps they’d be amenable to some compromise if Democrats weren’t running unabashed socialists (Sanders) and communists (AOC) under their banner. If Obama hadn’t been so anti-business. If the ACA wasn’t shoved down our throats and if it weren’t the first step in a headlong rush to Medicare for All. If FDR hadn’t burdened the economy with Social Security which is eating up an ever larger share of GDP. If LBJ hadn’t initiated spending trillions on poverty only to move the poverty rate by 2%.
2
@From Where I Sit
Where are the Republican alternatives to the "ills" you cite here? Didn't Trump promise us an alternative to the ACA? Even after governing with a Republican House and Senate for two years, we saw nothing.
5
@Mike Edwards
Granted, Trump made promises that haven’t come true. But there is no place in a capitalist economy for socialist solutions. There is no place in a free society for nanny state government. We’ve become so risk adverse that as a people, we are a shadow of our former selves. We are largely willling to not only pay for everyone to complete high school, but to take four years of college courses. At taxpayer expense. Whether they need it or not. Including the 10% of the workforce that works in retail where they jobs can be performed satisfactorily with an eighth grade education. We have oil change “technicians” with high school diplomas when all they need is a sixth grade education. My grandfather was pulled from school in the sixth grade in the WV coal company town where he grew up to work in a factory. At that time he had more than enough education to do the jobs that needed workers. The company knew that it would be a waste of their money to allow him to stay in school any longer. We no longer have that fortitude.
Okay, so Trump promotes white supremacy which galvanizes his base. Not exactly 'man bites dog' news.
3
This article is frightening. Completely transparent crackpot conspiracy theorism (e.g. Pizzagate), bigotry, and racism. The only silver lining is their age: 67, 76, 62, 64, and 71.
12
"I'll give you a hint", she said, whispering, "They have names like Vasquez and Hernandez."
Far better to have names like Oswald, McVeigh, Harris, Klebold, Lanza, Ray, Kaczynski, Roof, Bowers, Manson.
112
I’ll give you people in Pennsylvania a hint: you have names like Scavo and Kokinda. No one on the Mayflower had Italian or Eastern European surnames,FYI. These people helped America become great, not again, just great. As did my ancestors,who arrived in Watertown Massachusetts in 1635. Or the ones that only spoke Irish and toiled on the railroad.So will many of the Latinos and their children. I have to admit I am reveling in a bit of schadenfreude that this article is about the extreme right wing ABOVE the Mason Dixon line.
23
These people spend way too much time being angry and hateful of others. It's important to ask, and answer, why?
16
Republican voters and politicians are now far more overt about their racism. Regan was subtle. One could argue that Bush ended badly with Republicans because he didn't push hatred. It's ideal for Democrats that the Republicans are openly bigoted, which spurs new Democrat voters. I love the powerful image and quote from Carol Huddy which is so helpful to Democrats. Thanks for your service Carol!
11
Everything you do, say, post, or tweet will be held against you at the ballot box. They sound like a bunch of bullies whining about the consequences they got for getting busted being annoying.
6
This is my district, the winner is Bridget Malloy Kozierowski. She campaigned on a platform of expanding healthcare and education funding. She won decisively over an opponent caught out for his openly racist intolerance who also campaigned on eliminating property taxes. He was soundly rejected by the voters.
Perhaps there ought to be a more in depth analysis of what voters want than this constant hand wringing over the Trump supporting bigots. Northeast PA is as diversive as everywhere else, many from the New York area buy homes here.
To say the area never changes is wrong. There is still much to be done but this election result is a good example of the will that exists to work towards progress.
279
@MG Agreed. Why does the NYT keep on focusing on these obvious bigots? I'd rather hear about the winner of this election, and how she won the votes. Time to move on from stories about hate politics.
22
What unites these supporters, evident after a few beers, is a kind of paranoia. The belief that "they" are coming and will change "our" culture in unforeseeable ways. Certain politicians (and certain ostensibly-news sources) profit mightily by stirring it up. It doesn't work on those of us who live in more diverse areas, or who have the opportunity to travel more, since we know the others as our neighbors and friends. Nor does it work on the young, who are not so naturally fearful, nor on those who have studied history and recognize this as the oldest and lamest trick on the political book, and who know exactly where it leads.
Perhaps what we need is a travel program to help everyone live somewhere new for a while. Around different people, different kinds of people. Fear evaporates with familiarity.
40
Frank Scavo Jr. has a rosy view of his immigrant ancestor’s experiences. No, assimilation didn’t come right away for immigrants not speaking English. They stayed in their communities. Poles and Italians were two groups that consistantly formed neighborhoods, societies, ethnic stores for their groups. Frank thinks they all rushed to the grocery store (where they were unfamiliar with most products) for white bread and American cheese? Too many of us remember history as we want it to have been, not the reality. Need I go on as to local prohibitions about letting many of these groups buy or rent into other neohborhoods, name calling in school, even in the 50’s and 60’s?
146
@ellie k. You are so right. My grandparents left southern Italy and lived in the US for more than 40 years, but barely spoke English. They didn't have to - their Boston neighborhood had Italian groceries, Italian-speaking priests in Italian churches, Italian social clubs, restaurants, clothing stores. Their block was populated by paisans from Calabria; everyone was related, or said they were. The next generation went out into the world and learned English, and two generations later we cook Italian, and claim we're Italian, but we are not; we are Americans. How is this different from the Dominican families who are now my neighbors? The parents speak Spanish, the children are bilingual, and their children are likely to be less fluent in Spanish, if they speak it at all. These PA folks are isolated from the real world, and even their own history; they are scared of what they don't know. But little has changed since their grandparents arrived, except maybe the countries of origin.
26
Black Lives Matter promoted and canonized identity politics, Democrats ran with it, so now that's what we have. People identifying with their group.
As Herndon demonizes PA citizen he/she may consider that their response is both reactive and predictable.
4
@Kai - Democrats have stood up for every group that Republicans have demonized and oppressed, women, people of color, gay people etc.
Republicans are the ones that keep making laws to limit voting rights, access to health care, the ability to marry and so on.
29
@Kai
Fox News and right wing talk radio pioneered identity politics under a different name. They appealed directly to a white, christian, working class identity against a nebulous other ("The mainstream liberal media, the coastal elites") and it worked wonders for them. So please don't try and blame Democrats for something Republicans started.
5
Black Lives Matter came to be because police all over the country behaved as though Black lives did not matter. People who codified the distinction between black and white were overwhelmingly white people. The ones who made the laws that determined where Black people could go to school, shop, eat, work, live...were white. Even when those laws were no longer on the books, white people continued to try to enforce them in other ways. Poor people of all races have grievances, but it's poor whites who feel particularly aggrieved and put upon - mostly by other poor people. They are misguided, as is your comment.
2
Interesting that the youngest person quoted here is 62 and the average age is about mid-60s. That speaks volumes.
40
These people would not recognize Western Civilization if they stepped in it. Of course, what they mean is some kind of mix of whiteness and patriarchy which is what they are used to. Increasingly, this syndrome seems to be more psychological than sociological, in that it represents some deep fear of personal inadequacy when confronted with advances by women, immigrants, and people of color. Why so many women seem comfortable with this narrowness and oppression is even more puzzling.
75
@arp: Why do women seem comfortable with the narrowness and oppression? Because it's all they know and going along to get along is easier than critically thinking.
6
@arp Do other people have a right to their own opinions and feelings?
In my grandparents' world in the early 1900s, nobody with the last name "Scavo" would have been considered to be truly "white." Our definitions of who is acceptable in groups changes over time as new groups come. Race and ethnicity are moving targets in social acceptability. Chances are that the ancestors of many of the non-whites Mr. Scavo and his supporters are demonizing have been in the Americas longer than their ancestors.
46
There was a time when conservatives (a virtually extinct species today) were known as people who would scold those who "didn't take responsibility for their own actions!" Today, folks, like those featured in this article are truly pathetic adults. For them, it's always someone else who is causing their problems. This snippet from the article sums it up:
"But the most common reflection of Mr. Trump’s brand of grievance politics — and the reason Mr. Scavo’s loss was treated as an existential threat in that Old Forge banquet hall — was the pervasive belief that the country is being undermined by undeserving outsiders and the Democrats who represent them."
Could it be that the U.S. isn't just "their country?" And could it be that their endless list of "grievances" are based on their own mental sloth? When one is a member of a cult, it's hard to think or act rationally. It leads to an unconditional belief con men like Trump.
41
Perhaps if these people of Lackawanna county on are so terrified that “...they’re here. They’re coming,” these Lackawannas - and rest of us - would be better off if they were going and gone. Given their age and likely bad health, they will soon be gone.
As a point aside, as someone who grew up just west of this county, I still like to believe that the people mentioned this article are a small and vanishing minority and that their narrow-minded views, hateful beliefs, absence of personal responsibility and their otherwise pathetic sense of self and country do not reflect the good people of Pennsylvania.
2
@mrfreeze6
Conservatives never had a problem with welfare and “entitlements” until minorities started benefiting from it too.
6
America was founded on a single principle - we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. Some people are Americans, some people become Americans, and some people, even some that live here, will never be Americans because they just don't get it.
43
Well said, W.A. Spitzer.
8
Isolation plus fearing otherness equals bigotry.
18
"We're a big country but we're being swallowed by people coming in."
Wrong.
Just wrong.
And, wrong ain't right.
For us to be "swallowed" our country of about 330 million would have to see millions of people coming in each month.
So, what do we do against Trump's fairy tales (lies) that paint an inaccurate picture of reality that some folks pick up as gospel?
Well, it's called consistent counter messaging.
At every opportunity, with every microphone, on every show or tweet or online post.
Some will always believe him but there are millions in the middle who are persuadeable and who view him skeptically anyway.
These are the ones who need to hear truth and who are open to it.
Also, Republicans who still dwell in reality, who speak truth and believe it when they hear it. They are open.
Non-stop narrative of truth.
But, if we want to play the fear game, try this:
Does anyone think Trump and his administration could handle a dire economic or military crisis?
If you value the stability of your lifestyle, imagine it is on the line and all that stands between it and chaos is Donald J. Trump.
One major economic downturn like 2008 with these jokers and half of us would be living in our cars!
Paint him as the ongoing threat to the stability of families…the nation.
Lay it on thick and scare people.
Fear, with reality behind it, is a great thing.
28
All of the people quoted in this article are in their 60's or 70's, all of whom drank the Trump kool-aid. They need to wake up and realize that their more pressing concern should be that their president, despite all his happy talk, wants to severely cut social security and medicare, which I'm sure these people depend on now or will depend on in a few years. They actually believe that Trump cares about them. Amazing.
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@MRO Trump has said he would NOT cut SS and Medicare, and in fact, Obama DID try to cut both. He tried to reduce the SS COLA, which is a SS cut, and he created the IPAB board which would have cut off Medicare benefits at a certain point.
@me
"Trump has said he would NOT cut SS and Medicare"
You must have missed Trump's latest budget proposal ... he is proposing reductions in both. Once again Trump has lied.
8
@me
Trump's budget has cuts in SS and medicare. Where have you been?
7
The really disturbing aspect of all this is the obvious delusional nature of these people's "fear." Virtually none of what is talked about in this article is true, or is significant in terms of "replacing" a culture. Indeed, less than 14% of the population is foreign-born - not exactly a "replacement."
And many of these people have forgotten that their immigrant ancestors were seen as "lower" and "sub-culture" when they came - Polish, Irish, Italian -all subjected to racial hatred by the existing population that had immigrated earlier. Unfortunately,this is exactly the kind of delusional thinking that fuels ignorant demagogues like Trump.
And the delusions of the economic aspect is no different. My extended family comes from northern Minnesota. Their unemployment is very low due to many manufacturing plants - so much so that they bus workers in from 50 miles around. Yet they still vote Trump and complain about "immigrants." Even though black or brown people are so rare you can go days without seeing any.
These people used to just be the few malcontents who whined to their local paper. Now, with the internet they can find each other and reinforce their hysteria to levels that they see as significant, even though they are still outliers in the grand scheme of things. I guess it's just human nature, but too bad more people cannot see their own delusions.
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My heart breaks a little hearing Mr. Scavo's followers presented here. Their comments echo Fox News points designed to gin up fear, confusion, and hate of the other. Who has personally hurt them? The immigrants picking the fruit and vegetables...working in the slaughter house--helping to keep their food affordable? The immigrant doctors and nurses willing to invest their U.S. medical educations and pay off loans by working in rural communities? Yes, steel industry and other jobs have gone and that is a concern to all Americans, but does demonizing others help? Aren't we better than this?
16
Not sure what the solution is, but as long as the Republican party is perceived as the party of white people, and the Democratic party is seen as the party of minorities, we are going to be in a lot of trouble in this country. I thought that latino voters would end up joining the Republicans in large numbers but Trump seems to have brought an end or at least a very long delay to that becoming a reality.
6
@Brian Brennan - Most of the Democrats I know are white. Democrats reflect the true America, a mix of ethnicities, sexual orientations, ages etc.
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@DR i agree! Thats why I said perception. In truth Democrats have a lot to offer working white people and Republicans will generally only help the richest people, regardless of their color.
3
@Brian Brennan
America: 60% white, 40% minority
Democratic Party: 59% white, 41% minority
GOP: 91% white, 9% minority
I think we all know which party mirrors America’s demographics.
7
Any resemblance between the sentiments expressed by these staunch adherents of the patented Trump/Fox News brand of politics and the rise of nativist fascism and anti-Semitism in Germany in the 1930s is purely coincidental. There are good people on both sides. They are entitled to their opinions and we must respect those opinions.
Or so we’ve been told.
21
It is WAY past the time when the Fairness in Media Doctrine should have been reinstated and updated for the 21st century.
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@KKnorp
100% AGREE!
10
". . . this was not a race-blind anxiety, but a conscious fear around what they see as the replacement of traditional, white American culture. The message was constantly amplified by ominous reporting and commentary from conservative, pro-Trump media outlets."
Pretty much the textbook definition of racism, no?
25
@Mike M, I keep wondering why some of these people keep calling their psychological status a culture? I grew up in "traditional white American culture" and the only thing we had going was that we stole the Blues and R&B from its black inventors, which made my life worth living. Otherwise, I thought I was going to lose my mind until quit college and ran after my boyfriend who had just been sent to Ghana with the Peace Corps. The only "culture" worth remembering was the Polish culture of my paternal grandparents, who spoke Polish at home, and we kids learning to make noodles the old way on a wooden board and the flour in a pile--no bowl. And Polish wedding receptions, and the food. I still bring sausage casings and marianka here, and make Polish sausage with friends, and their kids take turns to crank the stuffer just like mine did. That is culture. Whining about how "those people that the Democrats like" are coming to ruin your life is not a constructive psychological process, and it certainly is not a culture, as I see it.
5
Bigotry is alive and well in Pennsylvania and a lot of other places.
These people who are so sure of their righteousness and values should look in the newspaper archives, circa 1900, 1925, of their own hometowns.
They will likely see articles sounding the alarm about all the "southern Europeans" (i.e. Italians and Greeks) and other "foreigners" (i.e. Catholics, Jews, Poles and Slovaks) who "don't speak our language, have too many children, and worship the Pope, not our President."
Their forefathers and mothers used to be the very same "grave threat to America" that they see in America's newest immigrants. How can people so fearful and ignorant of their own history call themselves "good Americans?" Shame on them.
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@Avenue Be
While driving from Philly to Pittsburgh, I saw more confederate flags than even in rural Virginia.
They don’t call that region “Pennsyltucky” by accident.
6
The discovery of Mr. Scavo’s anti-Muslim Facebook posts was the work of the “fake news media.” The federal bureaucracy is the scheming “deep state.” -- So, is Mr. Scavo claiming he never wrote those facebook posts? Or that even if he did, the content shouldn't have been aired? Or that if it was aired, it shouldn't be considered as part of his ideology?
And this Carol Huddy, so afraid of losing "our culture" -- what does she mean by this? Who is the "our" in that statement?
Maybe she needs to ask local farmers and dairy farmers if they can do without people with names like Vasquez and Hernandez.
30
I am legitimately frightened about the prospect of what happens in a serious economic recession where this disenfranchised element of the country faces severe economic hardship and how that behavior will manifest - overlaid by the (very likely) removal of their figurehead leader (either by Rule of Law or by 2020 election) and how all that anger will lash out. The willful ignorance running through this white nationalism movement reflects how our country's education system has failed to arm us with the deductive tools to understand each other and have constructive debate, and it's all laid out plainly here. I appreciate the Times' efforts to chronicle what's happening out there and hope the reporting hunts for examples of the divided country finding common ground... if such overlaps even exist.
16
Robert Legg, is currently embroiled in scandal after he posted on Facebook that the 3 elected officials are treasonous and should be shot. I do not understand how an ELECTED offiical thinks it is OK to remove the opposition through violence and actually advocates violence....This man should be removed and replaced by someone who recognizes and enforces the US Constitution which last time I looked did not condone political assassination==an act of terrorism.
32
In a sense I'm torn. Obviously, part of me wants to dismiss them as loons. Yet, I, a young white man of as Euro-American a heritage as is out there, wants their culture to die. A culture of fear, of exclusion, of conformity, of my way or the high way. A culture of pride in things they'd never achieve, yet instantly dismissive of anyone else. Superioirity for it's own sake. Innacountability, blame. Let it die, it won't be missed.
22
The people featured in this article are my age. I'm a 13th generation white American and don't understand them at all! When did they start allowing the amount of melanin in someone's skin cells decide on the character of a person?
We don't watch Fox News in our home, is this where their minds are being poisoned? Do they not care that Trump has told more then 9,100 lies (per Washington Post) since taking office? That he wants to cut their medicare and social security?
I do hope that their children and grandchildren can look past someone's skin color and actually see a human being.
33
Many people want to be the last ones in - all others coming after need not apply. This occurs on the national, state and local levels. The melting pot theory, where people at least believe in some form of unity, is fast disappearing, being replaced by what can be best described as tribalism.
20
And it occurs on the left too, though not nearly to the same degree. Many anti-gentrification advocates are gentrifiers who want to shut the door behind them.
3
Frank Scavo Jr. says, “There was assimilation happening. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.” I agree.
But I disagree with the assumption that allows him to believe it isn’t happening now.
In my high school classroom, I watched its relentless effects on the sons and daughters of immigrants. They were children, or grandchildren, of immigrants, but they obviously, and likely to the chagrin of their parents and grandparents, were in most ways decidedly not allowing themselves to be limited by the culture of their sources. They were Americans in ways those parents and grandparents were not.
American culture is, for good or ill, relentlessly seductive. It has always been a powerful enticement that has wooed generation after generation of immigrant children. It is an inescapable force, a behemoth. We should not be too fearful of its demise.
There is too little space here to analyze why this is true, other than to speculate that it has something to do with our foundational aspiration to believe, however accurately it has been implemented, that all men are created equal. How well we have or have not lived up to that belief, the mere fact that we have that as our aspiration, sets us apart.
Assimilation is happening now. Just don’t expect that its effects are instantaneous in 1st generation immigrants.
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@Marshall Doris I agree with you -- assimilation is happening and will happen whether anybody likes it or not. To be sure, the result of the assimilation may be to change America a little, it will not be the America of the 1920's. This would have happened (from the effects of a globalized culture, for example) regardless of the presence of immigrants as time does not stand still, but the nature of the change may have been different.
I don't know that American culture is seductive because of its emphasis on equality. What is definitely appealing is the resounding bass note of "freedom". This is a call that is absolutely impossible for most of us to resist -- license to cast off beliefs and standards of behavior that are suffocating and in any case irrelevant in our birth-country, America, which may be half a world away from that of our parents and grandparents. My nieces and nephews who were born here are Asian Indian in their names and appearance (sometimes!), but in no other way that I can tell!
17
@Marshall Doris: "Assimilation", but assimilation to what? The immigrants of the 19th century didn't assimilate to the American culture of the 18th century, they participated in the creation of the new American culture of the 20th century. American culture is constantly changing, and at any point there are a dozen versions in operation: I doubt if much of America is really very "assimilated" to Scavo's narrow version of American culture. The kids all want broadband.
20
@Marshall Doris The assimilation comment struck me as well, since it's so clearly not reflective of reality. If the European immigrants assimilated so quickly, why are there still neighborhoods today where people of various Euro ethnicities grouped once they arrived in this country, where their cultural background can still be observed generations later? Even upstate, you have various communities with a strong Polish or Italian or German background that is still very obvious to this day. Assimilation doesn't happen overnight, it takes generations. America does not have a monoculture, there is room for living differently than your neighbors.
Mr. Scavo is nothing more than an old-fashioned racist. He's against Muslims and Latinx people now, and a hundred years ago he would have been railing against "papist Irishmen" or "scheming Jews" or "dirty Italians".
13
It's important to know what even a minority of voters are thinking. "All politics is local" is true, and it's in small groups like these Old Forge people that Republicans hope to gain control of a majority of local governments.
34
What a strange article. Frank Scavo lost decisively (62.4 to 37.6 according to Ballotpedia). Close to 2/3rds of voters voted AGAINST him. Why doesn't this story highlight the fact that these people are a distinct minority? That in rural PA, the people DON'T like Trump? Why does this story continue to put the focus on the minority Trump voter and not the majority of people who reject his brand of politics?
416
@John Smith I agree completely.
16
@John Smith
I agree. My first reaction was this level of bigotry requires victimhood and a failure to lead or make one's own life better -- because hate, fear and finger-pointing is a lot easier.
If "white culture" -- whatever that is -- is under fire, perhaps it's because it embraces stereotypes and un-merited preservation of white privilege. All of which crumbles under a more diverse and representative America.
The bottom line is that the majority -- which rejects Scavo's sick mentality -- must vote overwhelmingly for American principles, not coddling of victimhood-obsessed bigots.
And BTW, why is the mayor who advocates the murder of elected officials and civilians not under arrest for his public call for assassinations?
78
@John Smith
Why the majority of people reject Trump's brand of politics isn't a mystery, so putting the focus on them isn't useful. Putting the focus on Trump isn't useful either; it's what he craves and just encourages him.
Also, bear in mind that the majority of people rejected Trump in 2016 but because of the Electoral College he won anyway, by appealing to people like these. They are never going to change their views but their children and grandchildren may be more persuadable. They and others of their generations in the states that Trump won or lost narrowly are the key to the 2020 election. Democrats should concentrate on understanding their views and appealing to them.
22
Having spent four years in Lackawanna County for college, these folks pretty much stay the same generation after generation.
It's amazing for all the pulling by your bootstraps talk, there's always someone else to blame...the liberals, the immigrants, the media. In other words, everyone but themselves.
292
@Mike instead of falling back on stereotypes and prejudices you might want to ask yourself what "these folks" fear and why they feel left out by the more enlightened parts of the country. That might be more productive than simply writing large swaths of your fellow citizens off as backwater bigots. Maybe you didn't learn as much about rural America as you think you did in the four years you spend in exile.
5
Amen, Mike
11
My deceased parents resided in Lackawanna County. These deeply unhappy but generous people have been left behind, their children departed, and they are thoroughly disoriented. However, most have not attempted to think through their circumstances. They blame an invisible otherness. Newcomers appreciate the amenities of rural life, start businesses, and build communities. Who are the makers and who are the takers?
16