Matthew Ferrence
Akin to the growing demographic of people without children, the overlooked value of voter relevance & influence is often dismissed by dominant political narratives. Tune in for this timely conversation with Matthew Ferrence, author of "I Hate It Here, Please Vote for Me: Essays on Rural Political Decay" (West Virginia University Press, 2024). In 2020, Matthew Ferrence ran for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, in a deeply-red district, and lost quite badly. In his newest book, he reflects on this experience to explore how American political narratives refuse to recognize the existence and value of nonconservative rural Americans, and how losing offers insight into the political morass of our nation. In "I Hate It Here, Please Vote for Me" he offers a counter-narrative to stereotypes of monolithic rural American voters and emphasizes that the ways stories are told about rural America are a source for the bitter divide between Red America and Blue America. Tune in live or on-demand to learn more about the underpinnings of the US political landscape and the value of overlooked nonconservative voters in rural America.
