Rural America speaks loudly
“Hillary lost rural America 3 to 1,” a Democrat inside the Clinton campaign told Politico. “If she lost rural America 2 to 1, it would have broken differently.” Now, many in Washington D.C. are shocked, confused and second-guessing everything they believed about campaigns, donors, polling, pundits and all that went into the circus that was Election 2016. Even though President-Elect Donald Trump never issued any specific rural policy agenda, somehow he tapped into deep-rooted frustrations of many in rural America, causing astonishingly high voter turnout. Twenty percent of the nation lives in rural America, and this year, according to exit polls, rural voters made up 17 percent of the electorate. No matter what side of the political aisle you sit on, now (with the national media and the politically powerful paying attention to rural), is the time to make our rural voice heard. As the country begins discussions on how to reinvigorate economic development and infrastructure across the nation, it’s imperative that we remind our leaders that rural health care is the critical component to a vibrant rural economy. You can’t have a healthy rural economy without a healthy rural community. Quality rural health care saves lives, provides skilled jobs, attracts businesses, and reinvests millions back into rural communities. Let your rural voice be heard. Join NRHA in D.C. February 7-9 for the most important Policy Institute to date. Washington’s listening.