North Dakota is not going to vote for a Democrat any time soon. The state went from 64.1% for Trump in 2016 — to 65.1% in 2020 — and 67.0% in 2024. Julie Fedorchak, the state's at-large US Representative, beat the Democratic/NPL candidate, Trygve Hammer, by 39%. The state is way whiter (86%) than the US average (58.9%). Unlike the rural states in the Northeast, North Dakota is at the heart of the Great Plains/Mountain conservative hegemony.
But the good folks of the Flickertail State (I didn't know that either) are wobbling on Trump — socially and economically.
On Thursday, North Dakota's Senate voted on a resolution to petition the US Supreme Court to overturn its recognition of the right of all Americans to marry who they want to, regardless of gender. Knowing little about North Dakotans beyond the political statistics and stereotypes, I would have guessed the measure would have passed, perhaps with some reservations from the libertarians discomforted with government in the bedroom.
I would have been wrong — by a country mile. Not only did the ND Senate reject the measure — it did so with a one-sided 16 to 31 vote — after a mere 10 minutes of debate.
(Note: The Senate's vote was at odds with the state House, which had voted to support the measure 52-40. I do not know the reason for the dichotomy. I would appreciate it if any reader who does know outlines it in the comments.)
I am sure the overwhelming Senate vote to reject the anti-love, marriage bigotry reflects a genuine desire by most North Dakotans to leave their neighbors in peace. But it cannot have helped that a Massachusetts-based hate group promoted the measure. MassResistance is an acid pool of malcontented busy-bodies who proudly declare they are an "international pro-family group."
It takes chutzpah to call yourself "pro-family" when you are against some people starting one. Logic demands that a genuinely 'pro-family' group would work to make divorce less common. After all. America has the highest divorce rate among developed countries.
Not that these sadists would ever do anything to help people. They are probably lobbying to make divorce illegal — while ignoring the reasons for unhappy marriages. Many of which, I would hazard, started with an unwanted pregnancy resulting from the grinding ignorance of reproduction created by abstinence-only sex ed. A phenomenon that will only magnify as states crack down on reproductive choice without doing anything to ease the financial distress that leads to the majority of abortions.
But logic is not these miserable people's long suit. They boast that their name springs from their "resistance" to a "tyrannical government." Yet it is hard to imagine how it is not tyranny for a government to tell the citizens who they can and cannot marry.
As North Dakotans reject the out-of-state, anti-social warriors, home-grown farmers are suffering from the harm of Trump's MAGA tariff policies. What did they think would happen? Trump kicked farmers in the ass in his first term. And he is a mangy leopard with no ability or desire to change his spots.
NPR reports on the plight of Justin Sherlock, the president of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association. In an article titled, "North Dakota went big for Trump. Now many farmers say they face an uncertain future," they write:
He [Sherlock] grows mostly corn and soybeans on his family farm. This morning, a semi will haul his feed to a nearby grain elevator. From there, it's usually sent by rail to the Pacific Northwest, then shipped to China— except nothing is typical or certain today.
"Things are changing hour by hour," Sherlock says. "How do you operate a business that way?"
NPR gives some background.
Starting this week, American farmers like Sherlock are getting hit with tariffs on food they directly sell to China, including soybeans, corn and wheat — as well as pork, chicken and beef. Those levies are in retaliation for tariffs President Trump put on Chinese goods coming to the United States.
In farm-dependent states like North Dakota, all of this has renewed concerns about a trade war.
NPR then revisits the soybean king — who by now is gawping at the gyrations of an unguided missile.
Sherlock says that up until a few days ago, farmers had still hoped President Trump was using tariffs to negotiate. But now it feels chaotic. One minute they're on, then off, then one thing is exempted. Then there's a post on President Trump's Truth Social platform that American farmers should get ready to supply America, ending with "have fun."
That really struck a lot of farmers, it was the wrong note," Sherlock says. "It has a lot of them questioning, is there a plan?"
A plan? What gave Sherlock the idea that Trump has a plan? It's like asking if a dog chasing a car has a plan. Some MAGA cultists have said that Trump's impenetrable thought process is evidence of a business genius playing 3-D chess. Oh, please! Trump wouldn't know where to put the pieces on a 2-D chess board.
Sherlock should realize that insanity is voting for the same moron twice and expecting different results.
Sadly for American democracy, the country’s standing in the world, and the financial futures of its citizens, this foolish farmer had plenty of like-minded magical thinkers who voted for this madness. You reap what you sow, Justin.
