More Americans need to see more of the United States. They need to shake hands with a Muslim, or talk soccer with a middle aged lesbian, or attend a lecture by a female business executive.

I couldn't agree more. My own experience was the resident assistant on my floor in my freshman dorm was gay. I still remember someone telling me he was gay. My response was "ok." I'd never met an openly gay person. You might as well have told me he was a pretty well known violinist. I'd never met a pretty well known violinist, either.

But I think the author gets their conclusion backwards. He seems to be saying Trump voters need to better themselves so they won't vote for another Trump. He's telling people to lift their morals by pulling up their own moral bootstraps. We vilify that kind of talk when it's about economics, and we should here.

It's up to the "coastal elites" to show rural America what's out there. Expecting them to seek it out themselves spells many lost elections to come. It can't be forced; tell someone they're a horrible person if they vote a certain way, and you've lost. But like meeting my resident assistant, people just need to be exposed.