TIME

Heroin, Obamacare and pride: why Trump is finding an audience in southern Ohio

Jackson, Ohio, Mayor Randy Heath, center, at a town forum to air a range of political views

I HAD A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE IN JACKSON, OHIO, IN 2012. This is hillbilly country, the northwestern edge of Appalachia. Susan Rogers, who works for a local public-service agency, asked me to come visit. She put together an extraordinary group of people—ministers, government workers, the mayor, the state representative—all of whom, it seemed, had friends, family or neighbors who were in jail or rehab, victims of the methamphetamine plague. They were reeling, unable to comprehend

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from TIME

TIME2 min readAmerican Government
Bolsonaro And Trump, Apart Yet Together
A president facing a tough fight for re-election warns his followers that corrupt elites want to steal power from them. He loses the election and calls on his supporters to defend him. Unable to block the transfer of power, he retreats to Florida. Hi
TIME3 min read
5 Things Therapists Do When They Feel Lonely
True friendships can take years to develop—which isn’t exactly comforting to the 1 in 3 U.S. adults who say they are lonely right now. But you don’t need to wait for a new BFF to feel better. Small acts can help give you immediate relief from lonelin
TIME9 min read
Artists
She moves with a lightness in a heavy world—bold, playful, and self-aware. She is thoughtfully outspoken for the oppressed and displaced. She founded an influential editorial platform, Service95, to cover cultural topics and address humanitarian conc

Related Books & Audiobooks