Notes From The Epicenter, Election 2024
I live in eastern Pennsl-tucky, that rural stretch between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It’s the beginning of Flyover Country, that great expanse of the country that has more farms than shopping centers and more land than people.
Yesterday, I made my two-mile trek to the local Community Church to cast my ballot. I’ve been following this routine since I moved here many years ago. After all these years, I know what to expect, and I like that.
The Democrats, with their familiar umbrellas, welcomed everyone who walked by. The Republicans also offered donuts and coffee from Dunkin Donuts if you cared to indulge. Both campaign groups were the prescribed distance from the actual poll so as not to violate Pennsylvania Law.
But as I walked to the poll, I could already tell that this year, something was different. Oh, the usual neighbor greeting neighbor is always there: people who haven’t seen each other catching up: “How’s the family?” “Did you see the Jones’ new horse barn?” That sort of thing.
But there was also an earnestness that I hadn’t seen before. People wanted to ensure that everything was copacetic — that this election did not have any of the skulduggery of 2020.
The people of Pennsl-Tucky were well aware of the scandals surrounding Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. While many of those accusations of vote fraud were never proven, people in this part of the state would ensure that this election was above reproach.
So everyone was on their toes, and you could almost feel it in the atmosphere. Everyone concentrated on doing their very best.
This was especially true for the young mother ahead of me in line. With her three small children in tow, she got last-minute instructions from the poll watcher on how to fill out the ballot.
“Now, fill in each “bubble” completely, or the machine won’t read your ballot. Oh, and you cannot just vote on a party line. You must vote for each candidate individually.” She thanked him, picked up her daughter, and headed to the main room.
Tension seemed to increase as people silently picked up their ballots and headed across the room to mark them. The young mom leaned over to the poll monitor. “ It’s my first time voting,” she said.
“Oh, today’s the first time for many people,” said the poll worker. “We just had a couple in their 80s vote for the first time ever.” That was my first indication that the Amish and the Mennonite communities were coming to vote.
I grew up in a religious tradition that thought “worldly” pursuits, like voting, should be avoided. But here was vivid proof that tradition was being overcome. The Pennsylvania religious communities saw that the stakes in this election were too high to ignore. They were voting to bring America back on track, a track that included fundamental Christian values.
Increasingly, it felt like the entire national election was playing out here, in a few small miles of Pennsylvania. The day before the election, Donald Trump held his last campaign rally at Santander Arena, just a short drive away in Reading.
With fewer than 100,000 residents, Reading may be the nation’s smallest “big” city. Its population represents almost all of the country’s minority communities: Black, Hispanic, Arab, and Asian. Many of the big brands of consumer products come to Reading to test-market their latest offerings.
So, it was no accident that President Trump chose Reading for his final campaign stop. As I’m writing this article, the Pennsylvania Election website shows Trump winning Berks Country (Reading’s home) with 56% of the vote. An overwhelming victory. And one powered by Pennsl-tucky’s urban voters.
Twenty-seven years ago, I moved from California to this part of the country. It’s rural yet close to many of the major urban centers. It’s an area that’s easy to overlook, flyover country. And yet, I’ve found that this is the home for a proud people, steeped in tradition and anxious to leave a lasting legacy of freedom.
The past four years have been difficult ones for Pennsl-tucky. Money has been hard to come by, as rising prices have impacted all the local small businesses and farmers. Their core values have been denigrated. The long arm of government regulation is an ever-present threat.
By nature, these are quiet people. You’ll not see them on social media or speaking at the local service club. They stay to themselves and never, never proselytize. They only seek the freedom to live as they choose.
That’s why Pennsl-Tucky came out to vote.
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