News and Media

“When problems get solved, party becomes irrelevant”

Check out Community Works National Director, Meredith Dean, and her piece in Cardinal News.

I have lived in Virginia’s Ninth congressional district for 40 years – the one we call the Fighting 9th, and others dubbed “the effing one” during the redistricting campaign. The “one” was in reference to the 9th being the only district in the new map that would remain, overwhelmingly, rural and Republican. But, believe it or not, the 9th was not always reliably red. We used to have a good mix of Democrats and Republicans in the state House and Senate. And from 1982-2010, Democrat Rick Boucher represented us in Congress.

Boucher earned that longevity. Known as a friend to farmers, coalminers and small business owners, Boucher successfully advocated for resources and policies that actually helped people down here in southwestern Virginia. He was a moderate when it came to gun rights, and his District office staff focused on addressing the concrete needs of his constituents. Boucher’s down-to-earth, bread-and-butter approach won him the respect and votes needed from both sides of the aisle to keep him in Congress for 28 years.

So, when Rick Boucher now says “Community Works is the best idea I’ve heard for how Democrats can gain traction in rural areas,” we believe him.

Community Works was founded on a straightforward premise: rebuilding trust and respect among neighbors is the first step to any positive political change. Before Persuasion, before Get Out the Vote, Democrats need to be working year-round in our own communities to build meaningful relationships. Not just saying we care, but showing up day-to-day to make things better.

Rethinking Rural: RUBI’s Column in The Nation

New List Item"Memo to California’s Next Governor: Rural Places Matter"

Rural communities are crucial to the state—and the country. Why do they get so little attention?
May 21, 2026

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"Rural Organizers Are Plowing Common Ground"

It’s hard to hate people when you’re working shoulder to shoulder with them on things that matter.
April 22, 2026

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"Bridging the Red-Blue Divide, One Concrete Deed at a Time"

The evidence is in: working together to solve local problems reduces polarization.
March 19, 2026

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"The Farmland Revolt"

America’s farmers are fuming over Trump’s tariffs. Democrats need to channel their anger.
January 26, 2026

Read It
"How to Place Rural Communities at the Heart of the Anti-Trump Movement"

Rural activists are ready to take their place and play their part in the coalitions that are forming.
October 27, 2025

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"Rebuilding Trust Across the Divide Isn’t Just Possible—It’s Essential"

And here’s how it can be done.
August 29, 2025

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"If Democrats Want to Appeal to Rural America, They Need to Talk Like a Neighbor"

Saving a democracy that has delivered diminishing returns for 50 years—and is widely seen as rigged on behalf of the 1 percent—is not as compelling as the political class thinks.
July 11, 2025

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"Republicans’ “Big Beautiful” Medicaid Cuts Spur Rural Organizing Innovation"

Taking away healthcare coverage isn’t just “morally wrong and politically suicidal,” in Senator Josh Hawley’s apt phrase. It’s also putting pressure on rural members of Congress.
May 30, 2025

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"Rural Trump Voters Won’t Regret Their Vote Until Democrats Fight for Them"

Trump promised to address the opioid epidemic and restore small towns to health and prosperity. The president has betrayed those who placed their trust in him.
April 23, 2025

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"Welcome to Bozangeles!"

The greater Bozeman, Montana, region has become ground zero for rampant luxury development that is taking the “public” out of public lands.
March 27, 2025

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"Resistance Is Not Enough. The Left Must Address the Grievances of the Working Class."

The left’s almost singular focus on defense is a grave mistake. We must offer a compelling, positive vision of what we are for.

February 27, 2025

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"What’s—Still—the Matter With Kansas?"

As recent events bear out, when Thomas Frank lamented, “We’ll have to drag the Democrats kicking and screaming to victory” in 2017, if anything he was understating the challenge.
November 26, 2024

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"Harris-Walz Must Reclaim Progressivism for Workers, Farmers, and Rural Communities"

To win in 2024, Harris and Walz must wholeheartedly commit to a populist vision that makes people’s economic self-determination every bit as important as control of our own bodies.
October 31, 2024

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"Democrats Dismiss JD Vance at Their Peril"

Calling the Ohio senator “weird” may feel satisfying. Pundits have dismissed him as a drag on the ticket. But the smarter play would still be to steal his thunder.
September 6, 2024

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"The Missing Pieces of the Democrats’ Rural Offer Could Fill a Barnyard"

Rural America looms large in the 2024 election. So why is it such a small piece of the Progressive Caucus agenda?
August 13, 2024

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"Working-Class Americans Prefer a “Hand Up” to a “Handout”"

Working- and middle-class Americans take pride in their work. If Democrats want to win their votes, they need to acknowledge and appeal to that pride, not dismiss or patronize it.
July 23, 2024

Read It
"Paul Krugman May Not Know How to Reverse the Decline of Rural America. But We Do."

The countryside has been neglected for decades. A Rural New Deal would reverse that with capital and creative solutions writen by and for rural Americans.
June 12, 2024

Read It
"It’s Not Too Late for Democrats to Win Back Rural Voters"

Putting together a Democratic majority in 2024 requires winning back some portion of the rural working class. The good news is that it can be done. Here’s how.
May 17, 2024

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"The Only Thing Worse Than Taking Rural Voters for Granted"

… is dismissing them as out of reach for Democrats.
April 15, 2024

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#RethinkingRural

RUBI in the News

"Supporting Rural Success Stories: A Critical step to win back rural voters"

RUBI's ED Anthony Flaccavento writes in Postindustrial on rural investment, community collaboration, and sharing rural success stories as the key to the Democratic Party's roadmap to winning back rural voters.

Read It
"Pushing Democrats to move beyond resistance"

Rural Americans — and a Rural New Deal — could be the key to a new wave of economic populism
By Christopher D. Cook

Read It
"Democrats plan a new investment in winning rural voters, who've fled the party"

RUBI’s Anthony Flaccavento, on NPR’s Morning Edition, on the need for economically populist policies

Read It
"From 'No Kings' to 'A Fair Shot"

The fight to defend democracy will succeed only if it is rooted in the everyday economic realities that drive people’s disillusionment with politics in the first place.
Jared Abbott from the Center for Working Class Politics

Read it
"Beyond Resistance - and Special Elections"

Justin Vassallo profiles the Beyond Resistance Campaign in the Liberal Patriot.

Read it
"America’s Fractured Politics"

RUBI’s ED talks with author Mark Mansour about the Rural New Deal, a vision for a bottom up economy, and organizing against tyranny within and without the Democratic Party.

Listen
"Sowing a Rural Insurgency"

New organizing groups agitate for a healthy share of resources to rebuild the Democratic image in left-behind communities.
Justin Vassallo in The American Prospect

Read it
"A Tough Row to Hoe: funding rural races and spaces"

Jess Piper on RUBI’s DNC efforts in The View from Rural Missouri

Read It
"Rural Voters Aren't the Enemy"

The New York Times’ Farah Stockman speaks to RUBI’s ED, Anthony Flaccavento, about his reaction to the book “White Rural Rage.”

Read It

News and Media

“When problems get solved, party becomes irrelevant”

Check out Community Works National Director, Meredith Dean, and her piece in Cardinal News.

New List Item"Memo to California’s Next Governor: Rural Places Matter"

"Rural Organizers Are Plowing Common Ground"

"Bridging the Red-Blue Divide, One Concrete Deed at a Time"

"The Farmland Revolt"

"How to Place Rural Communities at the Heart of the Anti-Trump Movement"

"Rebuilding Trust Across the Divide Isn’t Just Possible—It’s Essential"

"If Democrats Want to Appeal to Rural America, They Need to Talk Like a Neighbor"

"Republicans’ “Big Beautiful” Medicaid Cuts Spur Rural Organizing Innovation"

"Rural Trump Voters Won’t Regret Their Vote Until Democrats Fight for Them"

"Welcome to Bozangeles!"

"Resistance Is Not Enough. The Left Must Address the Grievances of the Working Class."

"What’s—Still—the Matter With Kansas?"

"Harris-Walz Must Reclaim Progressivism for Workers, Farmers, and Rural Communities"

"Democrats Dismiss JD Vance at Their Peril"

"The Missing Pieces of the Democrats’ Rural Offer Could Fill a Barnyard"

"Working-Class Americans Prefer a “Hand Up” to a “Handout”"

"Paul Krugman May Not Know How to Reverse the Decline of Rural America. But We Do."

"It’s Not Too Late for Democrats to Win Back Rural Voters"

"The Only Thing Worse Than Taking Rural Voters for Granted"

"Supporting Rural Success Stories: A Critical step to win back rural voters"

"Pushing Democrats to move beyond resistance"

"Democrats plan a new investment in winning rural voters, who've fled the party"

"From 'No Kings' to 'A Fair Shot"

"Beyond Resistance - and Special Elections"

"America’s Fractured Politics"

"Sowing a Rural Insurgency"

"A Tough Row to Hoe: funding rural races and spaces"

"Rural Voters Aren't the Enemy"