Flyover Nation: You Can't Run a Country You've Never Been To

by Dana Loesch

Dana Loesch believes in Christianity, patriotism, traditional marriage, and the right to bear arms, among other “quaint”  ideas. For the elites in DC, Los Angeles, New York, and Silicon Valley, that makes her as bizarre as a three-headed dog. Loesch is alarmed that America is fracturing into two countries—not North and South, but Coastal and Flyover. Worse, the people in charge don’t understand the first thing about how most of the country thinks and lives. Consider a few examples . . . •  In Flyover America, people believe criminals should be punished. Coastal America focuses on “rehabilitation.” •  Flyovers think the Declaration of Independence was crystal “All men are created equal.” For Coastals, Black Lives Matter—but anyone who adds that all lives matter must be a racist. •  Coastals think they understand firearms because they watched a TV movie about Columbine. Fly- overs get a deer rifle for their thirteenth birthday. •  Coastals talk about blue-collar workers in the abstract. Flyovers have a relative who works the night shift in a granola bar factory, where the big perk is taking home a bag full of granola bars every Friday. •  Coastals think every problem—from hurt feelings to the cost of birth control—requires government intervention and huge federal spending. Flyovers know that money isn’t magic fairy dust, and many problems can be solved only by individual character and hard work. It would all be funny—if Coastals weren’t winning on most of today’s big issues. As Loesch writes, “Most of these pinkies-out, cocktail- drinking-appletini fans selfishly entertain grandiose plans of economic equality without realizing the negative impact their plans would have on the very people they pride themselves on helping. That’s the true class warfare.” Loesch shines the light of truth on everything from feminism to gun violence to abortion. She reveals the damage done by elitists who flat-out don’t get the lives and values of people in the heart of the country. And she asks commonsense questions such How can you be angry at Walmart if you’ve never shopped in one? How can you hate the police if you’ve never needed help from a cop? How can you attack Christians if you don’t have a single friend who goes to church? In other words, how can you run a country you’ve never been to? And how much could our politics improve if Coastals would actually listen to their fellow Americans? This book is a rallying cry for anyone who wants our leaders to understand and respect the culture that made America exceptional in the first place.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, American, History, Political Science, Economics, Religion

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 21, 2016

About the author

Dana Loesch is a top nationally syndicated female conservative talk show host. She broadcasts her award-winning daily radio show, The Dana Show, from Dallas, Texas. A staunch Second Amendment advocate, Dana has previously worked with Gun Owners of America and the NRA.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goodness. This woman has a ton of insults. Very creative ones at that. She pretty much constantly insults the "coastal" and makes unsubstantiated claims about how they live. How do I know she is wrong about the lifestyle she attributes to those who live in coastal states? I'm from Washington State. I've worked in factories, I come from an area that has plenty of farm land and I'm certainly not some rich person sipping martinis.

I browsed the reviews on Amazon and plenty of those from Flyover states dislike her painting them all with one brush. That her experience is representative of them all.

And honestly that is her biggest issue. She paints huge groups of people one way. It is insulting. Beyond the direct insults that are scattered throughout this book her assumption that everyone's experience is like her own (a woman who has her own radio show and is a political commentator on shows like Fox) is insulting.

It's great that a quick search on politifact pulls up some her claims about planned parenthood. She changed the wording a bit for her book , but even then that still puts her in politifacts rating of false. Everything tagged under her on politifacts goes from outright false to mostly false. Which makes me doubt she has an credibility.

I checked some her sources she had some issues even then. If your source says that an incident may or may not have happen claiming that it did with certainty in your book is probably not smart. Further, if a little fact checking pulls out better reports on the subject that say that it didn't happen well you as a so-called journalist probably shouldn't be putting it into your book as fact.

But really this is a book feeding into her already existing base. It feeds into stuff she already has said and things that her base already believes. It has tons of things stated as facts that aren't sourced. And even what is sourced feels a bit twisted to fit her narrative. There are surely better researched, better written and better representative books for conservative readers.

[Judy Dubrule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put down. The values of today are not what they use to be. Everything you read is so true. Dana Loesch knows how to write and makes it an interesting read.

[Kelly Staten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed, smiled and nodded in agreement a lot when reading Flyover Nation. People in big cities and on the coast may not understand our way of life or values here in the rural heartland but they're worth fighting for and preserving. Dana hits on a lot of issues affecting culture today and discussed just how out of touch the progressive movement is with the values of many of the people who live the middle (aka flyover). A solid book that feels very personal and really hits home.

[Mike Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

If the point is to persuade this book just doesn't work. If the point is to preach to the choir, it is enjoyable. Even if I agree with most of the author's meta-points, the author's way of presenting them gets in the way of being persuasive.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loesch has hit a grand slam with this book which talks intelligently about numerous conservative issues in a plain-spoken manner. Her thesis is pretty much summed up in the book's title and is that the elites on both coasts in their Hollywood mansions, network studios, and Washington D.C.steakhouses are living in a different universe from ordinary Americans. Typified by Obama's remarks about Americans in flyover country bitterly clinging to guns and religion and Hillary's
mocking dismissal of them as deplorables, the elites simply don't get ordinary folks. They don't know what it's like to shop at Walmart, to budget, to raise kids, to struggle to earn a living when all the jobs in coal country are being regulated out of existence.

But political diatribes on how disconnected Washington is from We, The People, are a dime a dozen on the bookshelves. What Loesch does brilliantly here is she tells her own personal story of growing up in a poor farming area, of being dragged to the city for her mother's job, and of missing the family, the community, the freedom to roam outdoors in her grandparents' small town. This is not just an essay for political junkies. It's a coming of age story about learning lessons about what's important and what's valued.

Agree or disagree with Loesch's positions, you can't help but gain a stronger understanding of why and how her experience and her faith helped her come to her conclusions.

And it's a timely piece of writing too as we are in a time when our political elites are tone deaf to our needs our wishes. You can't just regulate industries out of existence and think it's okay for the families who are left without a livelihood.

Loesch even ties it all in to Darryl Dixon in the Walking Dead as an example of someone from flyover country who could survive anything. There's a lot in this book and Loesch tackles a lot of current hit button issues. The book is without question well worth reading and probably has not received one tenth of the attention it deserves.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wasn't bad but I'm sick of people who have success, especially in media and/or politics, writing books about subjects they don't really know much about and telling people who aren't exactly like them how stupid they are. And I especially don't appreciate being automatically lumped into a group (and the wrong group at that) because the author wants to accuse a group of some sort of crime or wrong doing, all supplied in a smug tone of superiority. Painting with a broad brush has never helped to accurately prove a point.

I admit this book had actual endnotes but only after I flipped to the end of the book. I eventually started skimming because it was so much retread that I felt that there wasn't much new in this book compared other similar books I've read. And still no workable solutions. Even something small and grassroots is better than nothing. Otherwise, it's just whining.

[Kelli Oliver George · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, the irony -- Loesch's scathing takedown of rich folks living on the coasts. Hmmmmm..... It seems she left out more than a few characters. Also, I love how she gets snarky when folks own more than one home, yet her own Wikipedia page states that her and her husband own more than one home.

I am a Kansan and I didn't appreciate her lumping folks like me in with her descriptions of what "Flyover" is. Yes, some things fit and I could relate to some of what she said but overall, her sweeping generalizations of "Coastal" and "Flyover" folks are exactly what is currently wrong with our nation.

[Denise Spicer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and quick read by gun control expert and author of 2014 bestseller Hands Off My Gun. This memoir details her childhood and upbringing in small-town Missouri as well as her journey to being a conservative political author and radio and talk show host. Includes inside information on politicians, celebrity agitators, etc. and discusses background on issues such as crime rates, terrorism, feminism, conservationism, etc.

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on how the "elites" are grossly out of touch with Americans

[Zachary Custer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly sums up what's wrong with the Washington cartel and the extreme disconnect with everyday Americans.

[Петър Стойков · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dana Loesch е готина мацка, журналистка и в момента един от говорителите на NRA. Интервютата й са интересни и забавни и затова реших да прочета последната й книга, темата и съдържанието на която, по типично американски книгоиздателски маниер, е обяснена сбито и ясно в подзаглавието - Не можеш да управляваш държава, в която никога не си бил.

Става дума за американската провинция, с нейните ферми, църкви, пикапи, пушки, библии, милионни стада говеда, милиони хектари царевични ниви, каубои, семейни ценности и т.н. - консервативната, републиканска Америка, която съставлява по-голямата част от територията и населението на страната, но която като цяло американските политици и медии познават главно като стереотип, доста по-малко от личен опит.

За повечето политици, журналисти и интелектуалци (както и, благодарение на тези от тях, които пълнят Холивуд и новинарските телевизии, целия свят) това е Америка на лудите селяни с библия в едната ръка и пушка в другата, които се напиват до насиране с домашно уиски, избиват се в престрелки, измират от наркотици, женят се за 13 годишната си братовчедка и живеят в каравана. Те я наричат Flyover country - демек единственото, за което служи тя е да прелита човек над нея, докато отива от едно интересно и заслужаващо посещаване място на друго.

Dana Loesch се опитва да обори този образ с лични спомени за семейството си и целеви извадки от новините и различни важни събития от американската действителност, но като цяло си личи, че книгата е писана не за широката аудитория, а само за съмишлениците й, част от именно тази Америка, поради което има доста пропаганден и по-малко фактологичен и обяснителен стил. Вместо да се занимава с разделението на Америка на две и как едната част не познава другата, авторката като цяло описва единствено "непознатата" Америка в розови краски.

[Bryce Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've listened to Dana's radio show for a couple of years now and I love her no nonsense attitude towards politics and her love, as she puts it, "for God, Family and Country, in that order!" She is not afraid to share her beliefs and her disdain for the "cultural elite".

Flyover Nation, tugs at Americas heart strings, shedding light on the differences of the coastal (So called American Elites that pretend to understand American Values, but are truly concerned with how big their pocketbooks are, how thick their steaks are and their summer house in the Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard) to the Flyover Nation (the true heart of America).

Dana manages to weave her own story all the while showing that there are in fact two very different Americas. East/West Coast America and Flyover America (everything in between).

I highly recommend this book!!!

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is wonderful book about all the Coastals trying to run MidAmerica when they never been here or know nothing about us. I lived on the West Coast for 60 years and never knew one thing about the Midwest. I loved page 61, Questions for the Media Elite. When did you dine by choice at IHOP or Country Buffet? Name a country Western song. Do you have an American made car? What goes on a Big Mac. Name six products you can buy at Walmart. Name a current Nascar driver. What is your pastors name. I now live in the Midwest and I can answer all those things. How can you run stuff if you do not know us.

[David Musgraves · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong, I love Dana Loesch on the radio, but short form radio is definitely her strong suit. I got the book hoping it might go into greater depth on her thinking on things like gun rights and the environment,but while these are chapters in the book, she just just alternates between reminiscing about her youth and vitriolic attacks on the Left.
Listen to her show, it's fun, don't read the book.

[Nathan Birr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced, well-written, with plenty of snark, Flyover Nation exposes how so many liberals in Washington and other "coastals" disregard the heartbeat of America, the people and values that so greatly influence our nation.

[Jeff Stoner]

Found myself agreeing with a fair bit within this book.

[Chris Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book by Dana Loesch, that goes over the Washington beurocrats misunderstanding of the "fly over states". She makes several good points on just how out of touch these people's representatives are with middle America. The only thing I didn't appreciate was her constant defense of capitalism after making an un-capatalist statement. These came across as trite, petty, and tiresome. For example, she talks of different news anchors salaries and how out of touch they are with the American people. Although this could be the case, we people and advertisers ultimately decide with our pocketbooks and ultimately that is how you make it or break it. I can't help but wonder if she were offered a gigantic salary to work for say "FOX" news, would she now consider her self also out of touch with the American people. I appreciated her take on gun control, poor judgment from appointed judges and the broad brush that is smeared on the middle states. She also makes it clear that every news outlet has a bias including herself and there is not really such a thing as objective news. I really enjoyed her sharing her values and how passionate she is about Christ, her family and her homeland.

[Grant Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the premise of the book, i.e., the "coastals" who run the country are so far removed from the people and land they fly over, yet they're the ones making decisions for the very people with whom they're so out of touch (Think Hillary who hasn't driven a car since 1996 and is up to her neck in dirty $, or Trump who got a "small" $1M loan from his dad, or one of the 43 other examples in the book).

Unfortunately, many of the "issues" were either just kind of stupid (the difference in coastal life celebrations and flyover wailing funerals) or arguments I’ve heard over and over again.

A few things that I found interesting or infuriating:

- Working for NBC, Chelsea Clinton made $600,000 per year, or $27,272 per minute she was on the air (a total of only 22 minutes in 2014). Also, Chelsea once told a British newspaper that she doesn't care about money. She has the luxury of saying that when her parents paid for her $3,000,000 wedding and $10,000,000 apartment in New York City.

- According to the DoD, in 2013, 44% of military recruits come from the South, and the NE contributed only 14% (the most under-represented region of the country).

- If someone buys a gun illegally, it's not a loophole. It’s just like someone driving a car with a suspended license; breaking the law is not a loophole.

- Gender wage discrepancy: Research done in 2013 by Georgetown University shows that women flock to college majors that lead to lower paying careers. Of the 10 lowest paying majors, such as Drama & Theatre Arts and Counseling Psychology, only one, Theology and Religious Vocations, is majority male. Conversely, of the 10 highest paying majors, including Math and Computer Science and Petroleum Engineering, only one, Pharmacy Sciences and Administration, is majority female. Eight of the remaining nine are more than 70% male.

- Oprah is leaving her dogs $30 million and her will.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading and enjoying Hands Off My Gun, Dana Loesch’s first book, I was excited to get a copy of Flyover Nation: You Can’t Run a Country You’ve Never Been To. It did not disappoint, and I had the book completed over one weekend.

Flyover Nation was as much autobiographical as political; exploring the ideological differences between the heartland, known as Flyover Nation, and the East & West Coasts where the left-of-center elitists attempt to demonstrate their understanding of noblesse oblige (the inferred obligation of “privileged” people to act with generosity and nobility toward those perceived to be less privileged). Having grown up in the heartland, Loesch was able to provide the reader a taste of life in Flyover Nation from her own perspective and then compare and contrast that with the highbrow view of the cultured on both coasts.

Living in Kansas (smack dab in the middle of flyover country) as I have for the past five years, I developed an even greater appreciation of the people whose values make up the heartland, and of freedoms I enjoy here that I can’t in many other parts of the Country. The heartland isn’t about being Democrat or Republican; it’s about a set of values, American values, that transcend political divisions.

I highly recommend Flyover Nation. Loesch pays tribute to the folks at the heart of this Country, and to the morals and principles they follow on which this nation was built.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading Dana Loesch's tweets, listening to her when I get the chance, and watching her on YouTube. I agree with her almost all the time. She and I share the same views, especially concerning the 2nd amendment, abortion, and #NeverTrump. At the same time, I've taken her to task for when she's attacked people's looks rather than what's going on inside of that person. That, and I disagree with her views on cats and James Bond. However, in this book, Dana does a tremendous job of letting me a see a bit of where she came from. Where she had a hard life with an absent father, I grew up in a bit of a Leave it to Beaver family. I was homeschooled from 5th grade on; she was not. Where I was never a fan of Clinton; she was. I grew up conservative; she did not. It's weird considering we grew up barely 25 miles apart and she is only 6 months older than me, but it's a blessing to see where we both have ended up, doing something we love.

There was virtually nothing in this book that I disagree with, and I was happy to see her acknowledge where she has shortcomings (don't we all?) I was very pleased to see snippets of the Gospel within and I hope that some read this book and come to know Jesus more (or for the first time). Good for you! Thank you for such a great book, Mrs. Loesch.

[Darin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really deserves 3.5 stars...the family anecdotes are really interesting and let you know a lot about the author, whether good or bad. It's the best part of the book. The actual argument being made, however, is standard mass market conservative stuff, and there's no new ground laid here. If you don't mind that, however, it's a good read.

[Dave Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, but I felt I was part of the choir my being from "flyover nation" myself. Some very good parts but a lot of things that I am very familiar with that seemed redundant to me. One quote that I liked was "Democrats have the lock on people because of what they think they are not for what they are in reality."

[Arlene Downey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on the nation.

Why do the "coasties" believe their way is the only way?

[Beto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Down to earth. Salt of the earth reading.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flyover nation goes into varying aspects on the ever increasing gulf between urban and rural areas. A must read.

[Alisa Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't agree with everything in here, but I do agree with most. And it's great read.

[Carrie Borghesi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agreed with many of her points, but the total jerky, self-righteous attitude was obnoxious. It got to the point where I was expecting her to explain how the Walmart logo in Flyover is morally superior to the exact same one used on the coasts. Certain lifestyle choices that she would otherwise consider "hipster" or "coastal" seemed to be ok with her since she herself does them.
There are too many things to say everything, but essentially this had potential to show what it's like to be from flyover and show how out of step the elites making the laws are...but instead it just comes across as a "my toy is cooler than your toy" attitude.

I will point out a few things:

*She claims that flyovers only brag about how many grandkids they have and how big the fish they caught was....though previously she mentioned how her grandmother would straight up lie about people who wanted her recipe for something....if there's nothing to brag about in flyover, then why not let everyone make your tasty recipe?

*Cellphones seem to be permitted when spending time with your kids in the great outdoors now....because Dana says so. I guess the great outdoors are so amazing, but not amazing enough to give up her phone for an hour or two (this in and of itself is no biggie but something tells me that if she herself didn't do this it would be described as "coastals too busy with finding the latest trends on pinterest to be able to unplug and spend a few hours alone enjoying the great outdoors with their children")

*Who Wore It Better?: Flyover's Angel Dana Loesch coming home to grandma with a nose-piercing and buzz cut, or the grotesque coastal hipster snob appropriating Flyover Nation by dressing like a lumberjack?...on the note of clothes I find it a bit amusing that the cover is of Loesch dressed like a cowgirl out of Bonanza while in reality I recall her attire when on TV being more like that of her pic from the cover of "Hands Off My Gun"

*Dana Loesch talking about how Flyover has better things to do than talk about politics all the time...Dana Loesch says this...I'll just leave that at that.


Again there was so much of this snobbery that it's hard to put it all into words so I'm not going to try. Again, if she wants to be harsh about the people making the laws who have no regard for their fellow human, that's one thing, but what she does just comes across as completely jerky and judgmental (in a non-just way)

[Walt · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I do agree with some of Loesch's views, there are a definitely some I disagree with as well. However, my agreement or disagreement with her political views really don't affect my ability to like this book, which I did. Her story of going from a progressive femenist to conservative woman is really very intetesting but the purpose of this book is to point out that most of the more liberal parts of the country largely located in the northeast and west coast do not understand the people who live in the heartland of this country. The idea behind the book is to explain what many in middle America believe, their cultural differences and why they believe it. The first step to compromise is to listen to the other side so that you can understand what they believe and why. This is exactly what is missing in today's political climate. The main problem Loesch faces with this book is that most of her target audience i.e., progressive liberals, will never pick up this book, which is too bad. Granted she does little to keep from triggering them while making her points. The book would be more effective if she toned down her rhetoric but at least you know her words come from the heart. Most of her readers are likely to already be in agreement with her before reading the book and as she says in the book "You will never grow the choir by only preaching to its members." I liked this book even though I didnt agree with some of what she had to say, but I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't think like she does politically. If you can at least try to understand the other side that's the first step towards finding common ground.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first became aware of Dana Loesch when I saw a number of young people of European descent yelling 'burn her' at this Native American woman. This replay on one of the legacy media stations was apparently not the opening to Wounded Knee Part II, but a town hall of some sort.

I am not in the NRA, nor am I a gunowner, but when I see a bunch of white people attempting to disarm a Native American I get reeeaaaallll uncomfortable fast. So, to see what Loesch was about I bought this book, which I found uneven.

Loesch insults a lot of the people in the book, and though some I'm sure are deserving it really didn't add anything. Her story of growing up liberal in a single-parent household amongst a large family in rural Missouri was solid enough, but her peak is the defense of criminal justice, self-reliance, and equal treatment before the law, most of which comes in the middle of the book.

I can't identify with the pro-lifers, the people totally obsessed with guns and the very religious, all of which Loesch seems to be. But I can't tolerate misogyny, racism, and fascism, which is exactly what Loesch's 'liberal' critics continue to hit her with in a barrage of misanthropy. I think Loesch might be a better speaker than writer, so you may want to check out her 10 minutes at CPAC, when she really nailed her positioned and highlighted the hypocrisy of her opponents.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dana does a nice job with mixing biographical writing and current political issues. Having lived in CA for 30 yrs in the South for 6 and Mountain West for 5 and Midwest the balance of the time I recognize first hand her message that government and political direction are led and controlled on the coasts and everyone else can pound sand. It is fairly narrow but when you've experienced enough states government leadership, you can see where she's close to center but not spot on. I found it an entertaining read but would like to see more research references for sure. Getting to the primary source usually is telltale.