Warning signs loom for rural Republicans

To hear the right-wing media tell it, you'd think the Democrats are urban elites who don't do anything except sip lattes, ride around in limos, and dress up like million-dollar troopers. But I remember when the Democrats were portrayed as "golly shucks gee" rural hayseeds. I'm sure they will be again, as Tuesday's election shows serious warning signs ahead for rural Republicans.

Nationwide, rural congressional districts trended Democratic more than suburban and urban districts did - finally reversing what had been a pattern since 2000.

I also checked a few local elections and found that a Republican incumbent was defeated for Gallatin County Judge-Executive. This was completely ignored by our local media. They just cannot even conceptualize a Republican incumbent losing in rural Kentucky.

But it also happened in a few Kentucky House races in eastern Kentucky.

This rural trend back to the Democrats doesn't seem to affect places dominated by zillionaire ranchers - but it does seem to be happening in rural areas where most folks are of normal economic means and where the Democrats actually had prevailed until fairly recently. This may be a warning of what is to come. But there's a looooong way to go.

It might have helped Republicans if they hadn't let the mask slip by calling opponents a "mob."