What Is In This Newsletter?

• Reclaiming Education, Reclaiming Democracy
• No Kings - June 14
• BBBB
• Potpourri

Education. Our government was established with checks and balances to ensure that no branch could corrupt the will of the people. But what was not written into the Constitution is this: the greatest check on our system of government is an informed electorate. As Thomas Jefferson wrote, “A well-informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.”

Educating the electorate is Rural Americans United’s primary goal. We use our communication skills to reach newly registered voters, young people, and marginalized communities with messages that resonate and in language that is accessible.

We know the Republican Party has taken full advantage of educating the public. You may question this, since as the party has moved further right, it has increased its lies, fictions, and hate-filled rhetoric—which doesn’t sound much like education. But it is. And it has been effective.

Meanwhile, Democrats remain stuck in a 1970s version of education. Republicans have evolved—or devolved—with the times. They understood that as the public education system declined, so did Americans’ interest in engaging with complex or nuanced topics. In its place, they offered spoon-fed messages that reinforce people’s existing prejudices. By appealing to the lowest common denominator, everyone gets to feel informed, even when they’re not. It’s easy to build a web of lies when it’s full of ideas people already want to believe—and when those beliefs are echoed by everyone around them.

Democrats, on the other hand, continue to rely on academic-style explanations that often sound condescending. The desire to “explain” has diminishing value in today’s fast-moving political environment. Sound bites—true or not—land quickly and stick. Lengthy rebuttals, no matter how accurate, are tuned out.

And while that was happening, the Democratic Party abandoned rural America in favor of deep-pocketed, college-educated urban centers. It was a lazy move. It was an arrogant move. And rural Americans saw it as such.

-Published in the Yakima Republican Party Newsletter May 2025

It’s up to us—those who live in rural communities—to reeducate the American people on democratic values (which are not always the same as Democratic Party values). It is clear that Americans are hungry for strong voices, clear direction, and understandable leadership they can trust. So much so that some have become devoted to authoritarian figures with a cult-like intensity. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is faltering—and fighting internal change every step of the way. The last eight members of Congress to die in office have all been Democrats. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a warning (source: Business Insider).

So what can we do locally?

• Instead of explaining, we start conversations.
• Instead of offering stinging rebuttals, we lead the narrative.
• And we redouble our efforts to reach the communities that are shifting rightward at an alarming pace—especially Latino voters and our youth.

Now is the time to act. The stakes are too high for us to sit back and hope national strategies will fix what has been neglected. Change must begin where we live, with the people we know and the values we hold. Rural Americans United is committed to rebuilding trust, restoring democratic principles, and reigniting civic engagement in the places that have been overlooked for too long.

But we cannot do this alone.

We need your voice.

We need your commitment.

Join us. Attend a meeting. Bring a friend. Share our message. Help shape a movement that speaks with honesty, listens with humility, and leads with courage. Together, we can reclaim the promise of democracy—community by community, conversation by conversation.

No Kings!

Contact your local Democratic party organization, Indivisible group or search Facebook for the event nearest you.

BBBB

PoliticsGirl on TikTok offers one of the most insightful summaries of the Big Beautiful Budget Bill.

PoliticsGirl breaks down how the budget bill isn't just about spending—it’s also a tool used to shape what government can and cannot do. She highlights how conservative lawmakers quietly insert restrictive language that limits the enforcement powers of agencies like the DOJ or even the courts, effectively allowing certain laws to go unenforced. This creates a dangerous imbalance where only the executive branch (under a president’s control) can decide what gets enforced—paving the way for authoritarianism. She stresses that what seems like "boring fine print" can actually erode democracy if people aren’t paying attention.

Potpourri

Information provided by Angie Girrard.

If you would like meeting schedules for your county or other relevant information published, please send it over for inclusion.

Senator Patty Murray goes head-to-head with RFK Jr. in a moment that captures the chaotic state of modern politics. Like a car wreck, you can't look away—and you shouldn't. This is where we are now, and it's not good.Senator Senator Murray and RFK Jr. Modern Politics?