‘The brand is so toxic’: Dems fear extinction in rural US

By STEVE PEOPLES
AP National Politics Writer

SMETHPORT, Pa. (AP) — The Democratic Party’s brand is so toxic in some parts of rural America that liberals are removing bumper stickers and refusing to acknowledge their party affiliation publicly. The political climate is symptomatic of a larger problem threatening the Democratic Party ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Democrats have been effectively ostracized from many parts of rural America, leaving party leaders with few options to reverse a cultural trend that is redefining the nation’s political landscape. That presents acute challenges for Democratic candidates across Ohio, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania — states that will help decide the Senate majority in November, and the White House two years after that.