The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

America’s Snowflakes voted for Trump, and we can prove it

Analysis by
National columnist
February 23, 2017 at 10:47 a.m. EST
Snowflake cookies. (Jonathan Ernst/FTWP)

This article has been corrected.

Of all the things worth highlighting from a news story about a crackdown on protesting at the Arizona Senate, the home district of one of the legislators would seem among the least important. After all, the story from the Arizona Capitol Times details a proposed bill that would expand racketeering laws in the state to make it easier to prosecute people involved in protests that turn violent, a policy change that could have significant First Amendment ramifications.

But then, in the middle of the story, we meet Sen. Sylvia Allen.

“Snowflake,” for those blessedly unaware, is a term that gained traction after Election Day as a way of describing frustrated supporters of Hillary Clinton. A snowflake is fragile and melts under a slight bit of heat, allowing it to serve as a metaphor for those who are perceived to be overly sensitive on political issues. For example, here is Mike Cernovich — a well-known figure within the online far-right community — using the term in December 2015.

On Reddit, the sort of place where such dismissive political jargon is embraced, use of the term shot up after Nov. 8.

Why can’t these delicate snowflakes accept that Donald Trump won, etc. etc. There were some attempts to reclaim it, but it’s generally a pejorative.

Which is why MSNBC’s Chris Hayes found Allen’s description amusing. This was a Republican being described as a snowflake — thanks to her role representing Snowflake, Ariz. — and who ironically was demonstrating the sort of behavior that would earn a liberal “snowflake” status. “I have been heartsick with what’s been going on in our country, what young people are being encouraged to do,” she said, displaying the sort of emotional sensitivity that might melt a snowbank.

But there’s another level of irony at play here. There are three places in the United States called Snowflake — the one in Arizona and towns in Virginia and West Virginia. And in each case, the counties where those towns are located voted for Trump.

That’s right. America’s Snowflakers are mostly Trump supporters.

The three counties in Arizona, Virginia and West Virginia backed Trump with 51, 82 and 67 percent of the vote, respectively. Data for the actual towns of Snowflake were available in Arizona and Virginia. Trump won both of those towns with 85 percent of the vote.

Snowflakes loved Trump.

It’s not surprising that these three counties all backed Trump, really. Virginia’s Scott County is in the western, more conservative part of the state. Every county in West Virginia backed Trump. And Arizona’s Navajo County has backed the Republican in 12 of the 15 elections since 1960.

It’s just … funny. Allen is a Republican, because she represents Snowflake and Snowflakes — or, at least, Snowflakers — are mostly Trump supporters.

It makes you wonder who the residents of Altrightia, Wash., backed.

Correction: An inaccurate description of Cernovich was removed.