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Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold Hardcover – January 26, 2021

4.4 out of 5 stars 31 ratings

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After Ross Benes left Nebraska for New York, he witnessed his polite home state become synonymous with “Trump country.” Long dismissed as “flyover” land, the area where he was born and raised suddenly became the subject of TV features and frequent opinion columns. With the rural-urban divide overtaking the national conversation, Benes knew what he had to do: go home.

In
Rural Rebellion, Benes explores Nebraska’s shifting political landscape to better understand what’s plaguing America. He clarifies how Nebraska defies red-state stereotypes while offering readers insights into how a frontier state with a tradition of nonpartisanship succumbed to the hardened right. Extensive interviews with US senators, representatives, governors, state lawmakers, and other power brokers illustrate how local disputes over health-care coverage and education funding became microcosms for our current national crisis.

Rural Rebellion is also the story of one man coming to terms with both his past and present. Benes writes about the dissonance of moving from the most rural and conservative region of the country to its most liberal and urban centers as they grow further apart at a critical moment in history. He seeks to bridge America's current political divides by contrasting the conservative values he learned growing up in a town of three hundred with those of his liberal acquaintances in New York City, where he now lives.

At a time when social and political differences are too often portrayed in stark binary terms, and people in the Trump-supporting heartland are depicted in reductive, one-dimensional ways, Benes tells real-life stories to add depth and nuance to our understanding of rural Americans’ attitudes about abortion, immigration, big government, and other contentious issues. His argument and conclusion are simple but powerful: that Americans in disparate places would be less hostile to one another if they just knew each other a little better. Part memoir, journalism, and social science,
Rural Rebellion is a book for our times.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"State and local politics are worth of meaningful and rigorous exploration, whether it be in relation to Nebraska, Iowa, or other midwestern states."—Annals of Iowa

“A quick and enjoyable read, written with a light touch.”—Front Porch Republic

Rural Rebellion is informative whether or not you agree with the author’s political views. . . . Benes does a good job connecting past and present, and he asks many of the questions that historians are likely to ask when they look back on the early twenty-first century.”—Nebraska History

“An insightful and useful book. Benes is a splendid writer who has added prodigious research to his personal experiences to help readers understand how Nebraska (and by extension other red states) became a Republican stronghold.”—Bookpleasures.com



“At a time when social and political differences tend to be portrayed in stark binary terms, Ross Benes adds depth to our understanding of rural Americans’ attitudes about abortion, immigration, big government, and other issues of contention. And while Nebraska shares plenty of cultural and geographic characteristics with its neighbors, Benes suggests that each state in this often-stereotyped region has its own story to tell. Folks who don’t have relatives and friends in Nebraska can thank Benes for lending us his.”—C.J. Janovy, author of No Place Like Home: Lessons in Activism from LGBT Kansas

“Raised as I was in Kansas, I’ve entertained theories of how my neighboring state—where Willa Cather once lived and Warren Buffett still lives—became such a bastion of Trump support. This engaging book by a writer who knows Nebraska firsthand explains why, and in so doing enriches our understanding of rural America.”—Robert Wuthnow, Gerhard R. Andlinger ’52 Professor of Sociology, Princeton University

“Ross writes interesting sentences and takes stories down paths the reader wouldn𔃣t or couldn’t travel without him. He knows this Nebraska because he’s lived it and processed it, as a kid, a wannabe rock star, a college student, a football fan, a social scientist, and more. Now he translates it, and he does it all with an intellect that forces us to rethink our suppositions about each other. A great read no matter where you are on the rural-urban or red-blue divides.”—Scott Winter, associate professor of journalism, Bethel University, and author of Nebrasketball: Coach Tim Miles and a Big Ten Team on the Rise

“In Rural Rebellion, Ross Benes provides a deeply personal look at how the Nebraska we both know and love has taken a hard right turn over the past quarter century, turning the state and its neighbors in flyover country into a no-fly zone for Democrats. How Nebraska went from being a notoriously independent and bipartisan state into a place governed by the most conservative elements of a conservative party is a complete mystery to most liberals—and one that Benes decodes adroitly. Must reading for anyone who wants to know how we got where we are and how to chart a roadmap out of the great divide in American politics.”—Jack Todd, author of Sun Going Down: A Novel

“This is a story of a young man trying to make sense of both his past and present—how the place he came from shaped him and why that place ceased to exist. This is more than a coming-of-age story, more than a nostalgic look back to a simpler time when we know that no time was ever simple. With Rural Rebellion, Ross Benes does the impossible: combines an honest personal narrative with extensive reporting and research, making it an invaluable resource to all of us who look at the country and ask, “Why?” This book does more than explain Benes, more than explain Nebraska. It helps us understand modern America.”—Sridhar Pappu, author of The Year of the Pitcher: Bob Gibson, Denny McLain, and the End of Baseball’s Golden Age

“Written with deep insight and a keen appreciation for how politics unfolds through specific stories, this book is indispensable for anyone trying to understand how American politics got to be so profoundly divided along overlapping lines of partisanship and geography. At the same time, Benes’s Nebraska roots lend the narrative an empathy that distinguishes this book from so many others. This book reminds us that our problems aren’t fundamentally about other Americans—they are about a politics that pushes us into incompatible camps.”—Daniel Hopkins, professor of political science, University of Pennsylvania

About the Author

Ross Benes is the award-winning author of three books. He has written for Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Lincoln Journal Star, Nation, Omaha World-Herald, Rolling Stone, Wall Street Journal, and more. A native of Brainard, Nebraska, he now cheers on the Huskers from New York.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University Press of Kansas
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 26, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0700630457
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0700630455
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 31 ratings

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Ross Benes
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Ross Benes is the author of 1999, Rural Rebellion, Sex Weird-o-Pedia and The Sex Effect. Benes has written for many media outlets including Smithsonian, The American Prospect, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, The Nation, New York magazine, Rolling Stone, Refinery29, Slate, and The Wall Street Journal. His is regularly cited as an expert source on the entertainment industry by the Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg TV, NPR, and many other media companies.

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Customers find the book insightful, with one review highlighting its unique perspectives based on the author's experiences. The writing style receives positive feedback, with one customer noting the author's excellent research and writing skills.

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Customers appreciate the book's insights, with one noting it offers unique perspectives based on the author's experiences, while another describes it as a valuable look at middle America.

"...has written a book on Nebraska politics so compelling and full of wisdom it has lessons for the entire nation...." Read more

"...If you don't know Nebraska, it is a good insight into the influential things that mold who we have become...." Read more

"...He offers unique perspectives based off his experiences." Read more

"An insightful book about middle America..." Read more

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Customers appreciate the writing style of the book.

"...Mr Benes has done a wonderful job with his research and writing, He intertwined his personal story in a way that was warm and non-judgemental...I..." Read more

"One of the easiest and best political reads. Benes’ writing style and personal anecdotes liven up this sometimes dull topic...." Read more

"Very well written about the state of Nebraska politics." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2021
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Ross Benes of Brainard, Nebraska, of the proud Czech immigrant families who settled in Nebraska's Bohemian Alps, son of parents who run Ron's Plumbing and Heating, hardly into his thirties, has written a book on Nebraska politics so compelling and full of wisdom it has lessons for the entire nation.

    Although some will read Rural Rebellion as a bildungsroman of a young conservative activist transitioning into a mature and more forbearing adult, that is only part of it. Others will read the book as the jarring experience of a person who must interpret between two different cultures, Brainard and New York City, where Benes now lives. But that's not the essence of it either, as thousands of us with deep roots in both the rural heartland and in big coastal cities do it all the time.

    Rather, the greatest value of the book rests in its raw exposure of the myopia of both regions and both political parties. Benes is brutal in his truth-telling, born of his own pain and the conclusions he draws from his experiences.

    He organizes his work for maximum effect, with a chapter first on the Catholic church and the politics of abortion, followed by chapters on immigration, health care, the state unicameral legislature, the state university, the ineptitude of the Democratic party, and his concluding recommendations.

    It is his first chapter that is most powerful, about his disaffection with the church. It casts a long shadow over the subsequent chapters, for good reason: the crass manipulation of the abortion issue by Republicans has poisoned much in all political life. Benes barely touches on other religious influences on politics, such as the once dominant, progressive Social Gospel movement of W. J. Bryan, founder of the modern Democratic Party, and its vision for improving the lives of the common classes through responsive government. That tradition has disappeared, almost as if it never happened, replaced by single-issue politics.

    Throughout the book, Benes illustrates his points with well-chosen anecdotes. What seem like elections of only local interest, such as the contest for Omaha mayor between Jean Stothert and Heath Mello, have state and national implications. Democrat Mello, an excellent candidate, could have won, were it not for incredible bungling by the Democratic party's campaign strategy. Yet no one has learned much from it in the years since.

    Benes shows no mercy toward Governor Pete Ricketts and his attempt to undo the supreme achievement of Nebraska government, the non-partisan unicameral legislature of George Norris. He reveals the current governor to be all about money, power, and retribution. He extolls former Democratic governors like Jim Exon, Bob Kerrey, and Ben Nelson for their ability to reach across party lines, although his Exon examples unfortunately are somewhat out of focus and will need further analysis so as to sharpen them. But that is for another time.

    If Rural Rebellion has a weak chapter, it is the one on the University of Nebraska. Benes focuses too much on the constant quarreling about the actions of a few faculty and graduate students on the left. The governance, administration, and a large slice of the faculty of the institution are profoundly of the right, and it shows throughout the state's politics. Why are towns like Brainard struggling to survive and why is rural Nebraska losing population? Would it have anything to do with food and agriculture policy, which has been set by conservative interests for decades? The shorthand admonition to generations of farmers has been to get-big-or-get-out. The university creates monuments to those who abetted rural depopulation, but the political uproar of recent years at the institution is all about a campus sidewalk argument. Dwelling on it only serves to miss the larger role of the university.

    Rural Rebellion rebounds as Benes looks critically at national political leadership, especially from U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Schumer in 2016 insisted that for every working-class voter Democrats lost in places like Brainard, they would pick up two in the suburbs. Schumer of all people should know that only control of the House, not the Senate or the presidency, rests with the popular vote. That miscalculation cost Democrats dearly in 2016, 2018, and made 2020 a nail-biter in all three centers of power. Neglect of the rural heartland by national Democrats has led to near disaster for our very democracy. Benes's book went to press before the January 6th insurrection, but it is in the spirit of his analysis to ask why the fist-saluting, insurrectionist supporter Senator Josh Hawley was elected in Missouri over Senator Claire McCaskill in 2018, and why Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Donnelly from rural states also lost that year. Was it because Chuck Schumer and others in the Democratic leadership wrote off rural America by deciding, as they did, not to offer a Democratic vision for the 2018 Farm Bill? It certainly didn't help.

    The book has a satisfying conclusion. Benes offers good remedies for our broken politics, like open primaries and rank-order voting. He also shares recent personal conversations from Brainard. Spoiler alert: be ready for a happy ending.

    Ross Benes will inevitably be compared to Thomas Frank, who writes cogently on similar themes. Benes has a better feel for the people he is writing about, because he is one of them. Or perhaps I should say one of us, as my Nebraska home is just a county away down the Oak Creek Valley from Brainard. If our country is to emerge more united than it has been in recent years, it will be on strength of books like Rural Rebellion.
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2023
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I have lived in Nebraska all of my life, so this book brought back many memories of political things and their evolution to the present. If you don't know Nebraska, it is a good insight into the influential things that mold who we have become. I myself, feel like a frog in a fishpond here since my home state has moved so far right that it makes me feel alone in a crowd at times. Mr Benes has done a wonderful job with his research and writing, He intertwined his personal story in a way that was warm and non-judgemental...I appreciate this book very much and recommend it to anyone wondering how ANY place in America has gotten to where we are politically.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2021
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    One of the easiest and best political reads. Benes’ writing style and personal anecdotes liven up this sometimes dull topic. He offers unique perspectives based off his experiences.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2023
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    disappointing
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2021
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Very well written about the state of Nebraska politics.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2021
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I learned a lot about a state that I was unfamiliar with.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2021
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    If you want to understand how national party politics and right-wing media are doing a disservice to Heartland states and even city dwellers who become addicted to such narratives, read this page-turner in a weekend's time.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2021
    Format: Hardcover
    Like many East Coast liberals, I find it hard to understand why Midwesterners—particularly rural Midwesterners—continue to accept the former President's lies, resent and resist any government intrusion in their lives (while accepting farm subsidies), and hate government-mandated health care. Ross Benes has written an outstanding book, Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold, to help me understand.

    Benes has written for many media outlets including The American Prospect, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, The Nation, New York, Rolling Stone, Slate, Vice, and The Wall Street Journal. He’s the author of Sex Weird-o-Pedia and The Sex Effect, which was described as “Freakonomics without pants.” He’s a lively writer, a diligent researcher, and is not afraid to include himself in the story when it helps the reader understand how he’s come to believe what he believes.

    He spent his first 19 years in Brainard (pop. 420), a village in eastern Nebraska, and attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, which is about 40 miles to the southwest. He had a brief stint in Detroit, moved to New York City where he worked for Esquire magazine. He has stayed in New York, and his book traces how his political views “evolved as I’ve shifted from being a right-wing small-town Nebraskan to a card-carrying member of the East Coast ‘fake news’ media.” The book is about “the dissonance of moving from one of the most rural and conservative regions of America to one of its most liberal and urban centers as the two grow further apart at a critical moment in our country’s history.”

    Start with abortion. “In Brainard,” says Benes, “we will support anything Republicans do as long as Republicans say that abortion is evil.” The right to life trumps all other issues: income inequality, basic health care, environmental degradation, immigration, and more. What’s more, the issue is non-negotiable. If you believe that a woman’s egg becomes a human being the moment a male sperm enters it the subject is closed and any talk of a woman’s right to control her body, or back-street abortions, or human misery is irrelevant.

    So in Nebraska, Republicans support life while Democrats are baby killers. “Across Nebraska, billboards featuring Jesus and babies decorate cornfields that grow so tall that you can’t see past the country road intersection.” Nebraska school children look for ideas for pro-life poster they draw for school or their Catholic church. “They probably won’t realize that they’re advertising someone else’s politics. When you’re isolated in a depopulated area that consists almost entirely of people who look like you and share your beliefs, you don’t really question these things,” which is a theme that runs through the entire book.

    As a result, state and local Nebraska political candidates must avoid any discussion of abortion, any hint that a woman has the right to decide whether to carry a fetus to term or not. As one state senator told Benes, “If you’re talking about abortion, you’re losing.” And be careful about the way you talk about immigration while you’re at it.

    Nebraska actually has a record of accepting record number of refugees. Nevertheless, Benes writes that “city councils push ordinances aimed at making life unlivable for illegals despite their economic dependence on migrant labor. State legislators try to take away government funds for immigrants’ prenatal care even though these lawmakers ostensibly oppose abortion.”

    Growing up in Brainard, Benes says he drank the Kool-Aid (invented in Nebraska): he wanted fewer illegal immigrants in the country; he wanted them deported; he wanted stricter border patrol. “Our safety depended on it. We law-abiding citizens didn’t deserve to be exposed to those who don’t respect the law.” With immigration, however, there may be room for negotiation.

    He interviewed the mayor of Schuyler, a town that changed considerably when Cargill expended its beef plant and used migrant laborers to fill low-paying jobs, jobs Cornhuskers did not want to take at the wages offered. “Now Schuyler has the demographics benefitting an international municipality.” Immigrant businesses like The African Store, Chichihualo Supermarket, Novedades La Sorpresa clothing store, and Paleteria Oasis ice-cream stand help keep the town alive. “I’ve been to a lot of withering towns in Nebraska that would kill to have as many operating businesses as Schuyler has.”

    Of course, there have been growing pains. A local man Benes talks with is unhappy that the golf club is the only place in town these days that serves a decent meal. While “an international ag corporation decided to expand its beef operations, now there is nowhere in town to regularly get a good steak because of it.” Blame the immigrants.

    Then there’s health care. When you are used to “doing whatever you damn-well please on your own property, forcing people to participate in a massive health-care marketplace feels restrictive of personal liberty.” People in Brainard generally embrace principles like personal responsibility, fiscal restraint, limited government, respect for authority, and individual liberty.

    Benes writes that the Republican Party “has done an incredible marketing job convincing people in rural areas that it values these ideal and that it’s the only party doing so.” You don’t want the government sticking its nose into your business until there’s a tornado, a flood, or a pandemic—and for many people not even then. Benes has suffered a number of medical calamities, and the benefits he received from Obamacare “made me reconsider other ways the government helped my life.”

    So what’s the answer? There is no one answer. Because a single party controls the system, many actions that would make the state less hidebound are impossible: end gerrymandering, reform campaign finance laws, open primaries, ranked voting, improve secondary and higher education.

    At the same time, Benes believes change is possible. With the right messaging, he says, “there’s an opportunity for Democrats to win some rural voters with health care.” And rather attack the immigrants, “redirect their ire at the corporations who, through consolidation and union busting, drove wages down so far that the only people who will take their jobs any more are the people they recruit from other countries eager for a new life.”

    Rural Rebellion is an insightful and useful book. Benes is a splendid writer who has added prodigious research to his personal experiences to help readers understand how Nebraska (and by extension other red states) became a Republican stronghold.
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