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So let's talk about Zapata County.
It's super working-class in its identity. It generally resists change and is sorta controlled by an oligarchy.
More than that, however, it's a world to its own. It's a similar story across the RGV, but from Zapata, everything is 50 miles away
It's super working-class in its identity. It generally resists change and is sorta controlled by an oligarchy.
More than that, however, it's a world to its own. It's a similar story across the RGV, but from Zapata, everything is 50 miles away
This is not a town where politics has generally mattered except in Democratic primaries - where the candidates all are Democrats and were policy has nothing to do with campaign - it's generally mudslinging and family ties.
This is also an INCREDIBLY masculine place. It is a place where men, because they are the ones that work in the gas rigs and in construction outside of it, control the culture of the town. Masculinity is prized and while there is a small sphere that values intelligence...
they aren't the majority. In general, people in this town treat politics as something that happens to them - without much real hope to influence. Campaigns would really struggle to get them to vote for Democrats because well, they don't really see governments as capable.
Not like the 'conservatives think government is incapable' bit, but more like, it's just not relevant. These also folks that are incredibly proud, particularly the men. And they've largely constructed a world outside of white folks - they don't really exist in town.
If they do, they are the professional class that can sort of be ignored by the good ol' boys. I have a ton else I can talk about, including the obsession with HS football, but my sort of theory of the case is this...
Democrats struggle to show these people that they are kinda like them - proud and badass. Which sort of makes sense given our DNA. Trump really memeifies masculinity and pride and being to tell people off. And when you don't expect much from govt (though you hope for more energy
production), then why do you care about the other stuff. Particularly since, let's face it, nobody is really deporting folks out Zapata TX. The immigration issues feel abstract there because ICE + Customs isn't really there. And so your cousin that might be undocumented
that isn't super important to you. Anyway, I have a lot of other thoughts, including how I do think pro-cop, anti-BLM attitudes manifest (but really, can you stop it with these peopole want to be white? They don't!)
The point being, you gotta spend some time in the RGV to understand it. Funny enough, I also can't imagine another Republican getting the vote out like Trump did amongst this group, at least in the short run. That doesn't mean they'd vote for a Dem - they just wouldn't at all
