Wondering how western Dems feel about this slate of candidates from 'back east'

[HereSince1628]

And when I say 'western' I mean folks from say, west of Missouri out to the end of the Aleutian Islands and Pacific island territories...

Going just on current residences, the candidates seem to be hailing from east of the Appalachians. Looking across personal histories it seems like these candidates are mostly from east of a line that runs north south through St Joe MO and north of Norfolk. Considering the candidates earlier lives it is too much to say they're all northeastern, but they really don't seem to be Western.

I do understand that Americans east to west face many similar problems, especially Americans living in metropolitan areas where urban issues seem to overwhelm regional/geographic differences.

But I'm wondering about how this group of candidates is viewed west of Independence. Are these 5 likely to overlook some issues or fail to see them from your point of view?

Does their 'mostly eastern' experience lack perspective that would contribute solutions to national problems?

In addition to coming to tell you their goals, do they need to truly hear and understand a message from your part of the nation?

[Le Taz Hot]

1. I don't know about the other candidates but

considering Bernie is attracting 10,000 plus in Arizona and Texas, I'd say he's faring pretty damn well.

[HassleCat]

2. I'm bi

Bi-coastal. I have lived on the left, on the right, and in between. The basic issues and problems are mostly the same, although people perceive themselves as different from "those people" who live in a different part of the country. So, yes, the eastern candidates will have some problems connecting with western voters. But no, they are not unaware of some "critical western issue" or anything like that.

[JI7]

3. i Don't have a pRoblem with it

[GP6971]

4. I don't have any

issues with this.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. In some ways they are like people from the past. I do tire of the eastern mindset in politics.

Ask East Coast Democrats about cannabis reform and they will ramble on about how they are considering the possibility of thinking about the potential for clear headed debates on the issue at some time in the future, ask West Coast Democrats and they say things like 'We already legalized and I support that fully.' Even Bernie, my guy, says 'I'm watching Colorado' as if there was something to watch and he does not mention Oregon nor Washington nor Alaska, he suggests it is just one State when it is 4. This is because he is from back east, where it is 1978 in terms of cannabis.

It's not huge stuff, but yes I can tell the difference. I worry about candidates who are 'careful' about issues which entire regions have already decided. A candidate who is opposed to the already settled will of the electorate might not do too well.

[HereSince1628]

10. Yes, cannabis seems to be viewed differently east-west.

I sort of wonder how that relates to regional interest in law and order attitude that just plays out as 'the drug war'.

[artislife]

6. Your west is a large part of the country

I think it is very diverse as well.

What unites us?

Water--selling it, conserving it, cleaning it, runnning out of it

and environment, like droughts.
Food from other countries, we grow a lot out here

Infrastucture that connects the vastness

Cleanup of mining, Hanford, heavy metals in the soil.

Washington State is a good microcosism of the West. Liberal affluent Seattle , wild mountainous communities of the Cascades, Wine country of the Yakima valley. High Desert, Forest fire country. Conservative rural towns near Idaho. Coastal communities. Fading jobs in labor and engineering in the Boeing Plants, Union jobs at the docks, high tech in Redmond and Real Estate bonanza and busts.

I just hear Bernie talking about the majority of us. He doesn't talk regionally, but at the essense of our experience. To be honest, for me the others are politicking. I am used to the focus being on the eastern seaboard.

[HereSince1628]

9. Yes, my 'west' is pretty big, and I do expect it to be diverse which is why

I sort of wonder about how these candidates, from a smaller region of the country are viewed...

You touch on some things I would think play differently in policy thinking between the east and west. Resource exploitation vs environmental protection, and transportation are viewed rather differently east and west. Water and water laws are very different between east and west...but all such differences and the lessons learned from dealing with those differences might not matter.

[MuseRider]

7. I know I have heard people speak about this

from time to time but at this late date I could care less where they come from, our problems are so many and so large that we just need to get someone who will help get us out of the mess we are in.

Once we are stable again (and sadly I see no hope of that ever being possible with climate change not being dealt with) then we can worry about the different issues from the different areas. Isn't that basically what our representatives are supposed to be doing anyway but most failing miserably in that way as well?

I don't care where they come from, just start us on the road to recovery. I am from Kansas btw and perhaps because of the sad, sorry and desperate state this state is in my thoughts are skewed. Just move us forward, someone please move us forward away from the mess we are in now.

[HereSince1628]

12. None of these folks really come from places Keystone runs through.

I've wondered about how views differ on resources, and public/private lands issues.

For a politician, especially a politician from far away, these things might be abstracted into numbers that lever markets and financials, or balance international relationships...and those intellectual considerations may not always square up with things of more immediate significance to people in the region ... jobs, application of eminent domain, threats to the environment, etc.

Maybe democrats, wherever they come from prioritize the same way. Maybe the difficulties boil down to simple problems available for application of the same policies everywhere.

I don't know, but I wondered.

[MuseRider]

14. I think those are important things to wonder about.

I like thinking about these things as well.

[99Forever]

8. Where a candidate resides isn't relevant.

Where they stand is.

[GeorgeGist]

11. I wonder why no Western Dems are interested ...

in running for President.

[HereSince1628]

13. Me too. n/t