Why do States that Rely on Government Keep Voting for People who Wish to Take it Away?

By Mark M. Bello

This is the first in a new weekly series of open “Love letters” to the great red states of America — places of breathtaking beauty, deep faith, proud history, and extraordinary resilience. These essays are written not with scorn, but with affection and curiosity. Why do so many states whose citizens depend most on programs implemented by Democrats (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, SNAP, disaster aid, and rural infrastructure, for example) consistently vote for leaders who promise to shrink or dismantle those very programs?

These letters won’t shout, insult, or condescend. They simply point out facts, with love: the programs that keep food on the table, medicine in the cabinet, and hospitals open in small towns were largely created or defended by Democrats, yet most of the states that need them most consistently vote Republican. Each week, we’ll visit a different state, celebrate what makes it special, and ask — gently but firmly — why its voters keep rewarding politicians who vote against their own economic and physical well-being.

Love Letter #1: South Carolina

Dear South Carolina,

You are one of the most beautiful places in America — your beaches, low-country marshes, and pine forests are the envy of the world. You’re a cradle of American history and music, a port state that moves our goods and feeds our Economy. But your future depends on the same things every Family depends on: Health, safety, and stability.

That’s why it’s hard to understand why South Carolina so often sides with a party and a president who gutted USAID, slashed FEMA, and mocked the science that makes hurricane relief possible. When floods come — and they always do — you depend on those agencies, and they depend on funding. When a storm wrecks the coast or wipes out small-town hospitals, it’s the federal government that helps you rebuild. Why back leaders who promise to pull out the rug?

Your economy depends on climate consistency — steady weather for tourism, farming, shipping, and insurance rates that don’t bankrupt coastal homeowners. Yet you continue to elect climate deniers who call clean-energy policy a “hoax.” With your scenic beauty and economic reliance on a healthy planet, why side with those who treat environmental protection as the enemy?

You deserve leaders who believe in facts, science, safety, and compassion; who protect Medicare and Medicaid, strengthen FEMA instead of defunding it, and invest in the climate that sustains your land and your livelihoods.

So here’s a gentle proposal, neighbor to neighbor: In 2026, try something different. Give Democratic candidates — local and national — your vote for a cycle. See if it improves your family’s health care, hospitals’ survival chances, communities’ safety, and hurricane recovery effectiveness. If it doesn’t, you can change course in 2028. The beauty of democracy is that nothing is permanent except the power of your vote. A two-year trial period for a new way forward. What might you gain?

With respect and hope,

Mark M. Bello

Attorney/Author/Social Justice Advocate

And Justice for All Newsletter And American Neighbor Who Still Believes We’re All in This Together

Next week: My Love Letter to Mississippi.

Mark M. Bello is an attorney and author of 9 Zachary Blake Legal Thrillers and other legal themed novels and children’s books. For more information, please visit https://www.markmbello.com

Bob Gatty Author, Podcaster, Blogger

For many years, Bob Gatty worked as a writer, editor, and communications consultant, based on the Washington, DC area with a focus on government and politics. He began at The Pittsburgh Courier, an African American weekly, covering crime and the courts. His salary was $55 per week before moving on to two local Pennsylvania dailies. At age 24, he began reporting for United Press International covering state politics in Pennsylvania and then New Jersey, where he was UPI’s state capitol bureau in Trenton.

Tempted by the allure of Washington, DC and big-time politics, at age 29 Bob became press secretary and chief of staff for two Congressmen – first Republican Edwin B. Forsythe, and then Democrat James J. Florio, who later became governor of New Jersey and until his recent death was a frequent podcast guest and co-host of Bob’s NFN Radio News podcast (now called Lean to the Left).

After seven years on Capitol Hill, Bob opened a communications business in Washington, first providing political media consulting to candidates and then freelance Washington coverage for business and trade magazines, plus creative communications services for trade and professional associations, including social media. This work involved articles and analyses of key governmental developments affecting businesses, such as the food and Health industries, retailing, and the environment.

His work as a communications consultant to trade and professional associations included launching and editing association publications, providing website content and social media assistance, and covering conferences and conventions.

Bob retired from G-Net Strategic Communications in 2016 and moved to Myrtle Beach, SC, where he launched his blog site, first called Not Fake News, now known as Lean to the Left.

Hijacked Nation
In August, 2020, Bob and co-author Chris Waldron, one of Lean to the Left's most loyal and prolific contributor, published "Hijacked Nation-Donald Trump's Attack on America's Greatness," a two-volume compilation of blogs regarding Trump's presidency and the consequences for our nation. A followup volume was published by Luna Global Media in September 2024. It is available at https://amzn.to/4ePrTF7 .

In all three volumes, blogs from Not Fake News and Lean to the Left create a virtual play-by-play of key actions of the Trump administration and Congress. For more information, please visit https://leantotheleft.net/books/, and visit Bob's Author's Page on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bob-Gatty/author/B08C7HWXZ5?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=4e603563-7251-4074-b54d-40800c4ce40a.

The Lean to the Left Podcast
The Lean to the Left podcast provides commentary and interviews with newsmakers and others with interesting stories to tell. Video and audio podcasts stream twice weekly on major channels. More info at https://podcast.leantotheleft.net.

The Lean to the Left YouTube Channel
You'll find all of the audio tracks for the Lean to the Left Podcast here plus original videos, including complete video versions of each podcast.
https://www.youtube.com/@LeantotheLeft.