“The Single Most Toxic Issue in the Midterms”: How America Turned on Data Centers.
America is hopelessly divided along party lines. That’s a stubborn fact, we’re told, and the polling bears it out: Democrats dislike Republicans and Republicans dislike Democrats, in almost precisely the same proportions. But every election produces surprising coalitions that defy entrenched partisanship. In these midterms, left and right have found something so commonly loathed that […]
Tim Murphy joins Garrison Hayes to discuss the surprising bipartisan opposition to data centers ahead of the midterms. America is deeply divided along party lines, but this issue has united voters from both sides. Data centers have become the most hated infrastructure project in the country, with opposition exceeding three-to-one among voters.
The AI boom and the need for massive computing power have fueled the growth of these behemoth facilities, often located in rural and suburban communities. This has led to backlash over strained water supplies, pollution, and rising utility bills. Notably, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, has reversed his stance and implemented measures to limit new data center construction after facing intense local opposition.
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