Opposing Political Views In Vance's 'Hillbilly Elegy'

Political views are important in society and important for voting. Throughout life, political views are something learned and or taught by surrounding environments, people, etc. Opposing views have separated relationships and friendships simply because of the difference. Though political views vary a lot of the time, people of the lower class and or lower middle class tend to vote left-leaning or democratic while the upper class and or the rich more than likely tend to vote red or republican. A lot of the time it is said that the Democrats vote that way because that party supports the “working man” while the Republicans simply support the rich. Political affiliations depend on a person’s economic status, geographical region, as well as social

Vance also talks about the struggle of the white working class and the setbacks they put on “themselves”. A large part of the text deals with the movement of the hill people to other places in search of jobs, including his grandparents. He talks about the struggle his grandparents went through trying to assimilate into the new suburban lifestyle while still having the hillbilly mindset. He mentioned how this also affected him and the way he viewed certain things and politics. In “Hillbilly Elegy” Vance shows how social status affects the way people vote, the perception of people, and political views. The Hillbilly Elegy tunes in on the voting status in the United States. Throughout the entire text, Vance mentions the impact that social status has on the direction of the people's vote. Vance’s grandparents did not come from a lot, they came from a really poor region in Kentucky’s Appalachian region. Vance’s grandparents, when a part of a lower class, very often voted Democrat as they were for the “working class” (Vance 51). That is all a lot of people vote for in that region. There is a notion behind the democrat party that they fight for the

Studies in the Regional Change and Continuity report says, “The South has been more Republican than the country as a whole in three of the last four presidential contests. In 1984, Reagan exceeded his national share of the popular vote in every one of the eleven former confederate states. And in two of the last four presidential elections the Democrats did not win a single electoral vote in the region” ( Robert P. Steed ). This evidence shows how political loyalty runs deep in regions where it is common for a person to share the same political views as the ones in their society, rather than what they think. Social status is so important when it comes to political status. This is because sometimes it’s not about what the opinion truly is, but more about what will keep that status as its most respected honor and value. When at a high social status, the political opinion is now made to appease others to keep the value of that status. Organizational political affiliations and job seekers: If I don’t identify with your party, am I still attracted? Roth, Philip L., et al. It states, “In recent years, organizations have entered the world of politics. One way is by contributing money to political