Introduction: Left in the Middle

It is tiresome to keep debating why Hillary Clinton lost to a man who has become the most despicable and dangerous president in our lifetimes. But if we hope to build a majoritarian left in this country, it remains essential to understand the people, of all backgrounds and political persuasions, who live in what we now call Red America but which used to go by the less partisan name of "middle America." Of course, a racial hierarchy endures and this is a key reason why white people in red states vote consistently and overwhelmingly Republican. Still, the injuries of class are more routine and fester longer there. The good news is that a left does exist in Red America—and, amid the failures of the Trump administration, appears to be growing.