The search for answers and solutions regarding the growing rifts between political mindsets tends to focus on the adjective. But what if, at its core, the polarity isn't nearly as much a function of politics as it is of mindsets? And not merely mindsets (broadly defined), but the result of highly unequal changes in American mindsets based primarily on locality?
One singular distinction has always existed among We the People: the vast lifestyle chasm between urban (city-dwellers) and rural (non-metro) populations. For most of the country's history, the chasm persisted; what changed was the percentage of Americans in each camp.
But in the last 50 years, the nation has seen dramatic social, cultural and technological changes at work, with widely disparate effects between the camps.
Consider a day in the life of a typical New Yorker in 1968. He didn't own a car; there were 12,000 yellow taxis zooming around the paved streets, as well as the subway beneath them. He had thousands of eateries and restaurants from which to choose, plus countless shops and boutiques, as well as ready access to all forms of sports and entertainment. The city lights were bright, and had been since Edison. The marvel of indoor plumbing was ubiquitous; 99.3 percent of all Empire State residents had either sewer service or a septic tank; in the city the percentage approached 100.
Now, think about a typical NYC resident in 2018.
It's very much the same. About 12,000 yellow cabs still roll the streets (and Uber vehicles in even greater numbers), plus the subways, so carless households remain common. There are still restaurants and shopping galore, and even more sports and entertainment. Except for modern conveniences on the fringes (barking into Bluetooth devices while walking), the past 50 years has brought precious little change to the basic social life habits in the Big Apple.
Bring your imagination 1,000 miles or so westward and 50 years backward to the Natural State, focusing on the smaller towns and rural areas, and consider the life of a typical Arkansan in 1968.
Almost 20 percent of state roads--nearly 2,400 miles--were gravel. People living in rural communities might go to "town" only once or twice per week, where mercantile and dining options were limited and infrequently utilized. Rural families were only one generation removed from no electricity and a time when two out of three households had no flush toilet.
Life in a New York City borough and life on the outskirts of Bono, Ark., in 1968 involved two different ways of living so dissimilar as to be essentially incomparable. Thus while the change in a NYC day-life has been only incremental over the past half-century, for much of rural and small-town Arkansas, it's been fully magnitudinal.
Automobile advancements and enhancements--meaningless to non-car-owners in New York--have tremendously transformed the mobility and daily routine of rural populations in 2018.
Thanks to pervasive food franchises, a guy living on a dusty county road can eat out as frequently as a Manhattan resident. Residents in remote areas need only drive an hour or two--in remarkable comfort afforded by today's vehicles--to enjoy fine dining that rivals far-off metro chefs of lore and legend. With the power of the Internet, he can shop for the same products, listen to the same music, and watch the same TV programs as his urban counterpart.
In short, many people in Arkansas--and all other low-population-density states--are able now to do many things they could never do before, and know stuff they could never know before.
That kind of leap-frog gain in behavioral capacity and general sophistication constitutes such a stark departure from the past that it's a mind-opening form of liberation: a sweeping newfound access accompanied by newfound assessments, scrutiny and expectations.
Suddenly, a kid in the sticks with a smartphone gets introduced to a Taylor Swift song at precisely the same time a kid in NYC or LA does. That changes things not only for the young rural fan and her lifestyle, but also for the musician and her marketing.
It's a mindset metamorphosis, essentially egalitarian and wholly revolutionary.
Gone with the wind are the days of urban radio stations or music critics on both coasts wielding authority over an artist's next hit song. And music labels trying to cling to that old model will struggle to connect, relate and sell to the new audience.
The same dynamics are reshaping business-consumer relationships and interactions all over. Consumer Reports maintains relevance, but meaningful reviews are everywhere online, oftentimes with more timely information from what consumers consider a more authentic source.
Part of what is seen as political divisiveness is elitist pundits and party leaders refusing to recognize this change as it applies to the broader electorate, who are basically political consumers, with free-market monopoly protection afforded via federalism and the electoral college.
The rapid rate of change in the mindsets of rural and smaller-state voters is so great, compared to urban populations, that paradigms are in peril. Traditional political instincts are now liabilities (witness the Democrats' loony leftward tilt).
Interesting times, indeed.
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Dana D. Kelley is a freelance writer from Jonesboro.
Editorial on 07/27/2018