DON’T TALK TO ME!!
A Letter from Rural Republicans to Democrats
This is the 3rd piece in this series of letters written to Democrats by our Sentiment Model in rural Ohio. A sentiment model is a directed language model that is informed entirely by the interviews with real people about their lived experiences and resulting opinions. It is our opportunity to learn from voters, not educate them. I think we need to listen. This model will help. Please listen to what they’re saying. These are their words.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
This isn’t easy to write. Many of us have family who are Democrats, and we work side by side with you in our towns, schools, and businesses. We care deeply about our communities and the future we all share. But these days, there’s a real divide between us—and it’s getting harder to bridge. We want to be honest about why we can’t listen to Democratic leaders or support the policies coming from your party, and what needs to change if we’re ever going to come together again.
You Talk, But Rarely Listen
We hear a lot about what’s best for people like us, but it rarely feels like you’re really listening. Too often, the policies coming from your side are designed in big cities, shaped by people who don’t live with the challenges we face. When you talk about “progress,” what we see is more rules, more taxes, and distant decision-making that just doesn’t fit our lives.
Rewarding Dependence Instead of Hard Work
We were raised to believe in earning what you get—working hard, not expecting handouts. When policies reward people for not working or make it easier to stay dependent on government, it sends a message that our values don’t matter. Expanding government programs and raising taxes to pay for them makes it feel like those who play by the rules are being punished.
Putting Others Before Americans
It often seems like the interests of our own citizens come last. We see resources and attention going overseas or to people who come here illegally, while our own neighbors struggle to find good jobs, safe streets, or basic services. We want our government to prioritize American families first.
Losing Touch With Local Business and Reality
Small businesses are the backbone of our towns, but more regulation, higher taxes, and top-down mandates make survival harder every year. One-size-fits-all policies might look good in a big city, but they don’t work in rural communities or small towns. Every dollar government takes is a dollar we can’t invest in our businesses or families.
Dismissing Our Concerns and Values
It feels like whenever we raise concerns or question a policy, we’re brushed off or called names. We believe in fairness, in opportunity, in the importance of faith, family, and community. When every issue is turned into a fight about identity or ideology, it only drives us apart. We want respect for our traditions and our way of life, not lectures or accusations.
What Would It Take For Us To Listen Again?
Show up and listen—genuinely and without a script. Visit our communities, ask about our challenges, and really hear what we’re saying before offering solutions.
Support policies that reward work, not dependence. Help foster opportunities for folks to get ahead on their own, rather than making it easier to rely on government.
Prioritize American families, workers, and communities. Bring our tax dollars home to fix our roads, our hospitals, and our schools before sending money elsewhere.
Respect our values and ways of life. You don’t have to share our beliefs, but honoring what matters to us is the foundation for trust.
Stop making promises you can’t keep. Show results with real action, not just words.
We aren’t against you personally—many of us want to work together for the good of our towns and country. But the Democratic Party has lost touch with what matters out here. If you want our support, it’s time to prove you care about our struggles, our work, and our future.
We’re still neighbors. We still care. But we can’t get behind a party that’s forgotten us.