Closed auto factory Some of the people in the Midwest who voted for Donald Trump feared economic dislocation. Many of us on the coasts did not give full credence to the fear workers felt. We knew Trump was a conman; we did not believe anyone would trust him to bring coal mines open or keep the auto plants open. Trump’s plan to economically revitalize the Midwest was to remove undocumented immigrants and place tariffs on manufacturers who moved offshored their production. We assumed his racism made him attractive to voters. We did not fully understand that, at least for some voters, racism was merely an explanation for the instability of their lives.
Trump bamboozled these voters as we knew he would. The coal mines and plants closed and the fears increased as the economy that once made the Midwest prosper continued to disappear. To many of us, this continued decline signals that these voters will see the con and reject Trump in 2020. But the exact opposite may happen.
As their economy further declines, Trump voters may become more desperate. They may be even more willing to believe the lies of a conman who claims to be a savior. These voters may still want a savior who promises to deliver the economic security they used to have. They may not want to vote for someone who will not promise to turn-around their economy. They may not believe the solution for them, and everyone they know, is two years of job re-training. After all, they have heard of graduates of four-year colleges who are driving for Uber.
In 2016, among other things, Donald Trump said things are not right, and it is not your fault. Trump will try this same con again in 2020. Desperate people may still believe it because it goes down better than “it’s your fault; you didn’t study hard enough in school.”
Trump bamboozled these voters as we knew he would. The coal mines and plants closed and the fears increased as the economy that once made the Midwest prosper continued to disappear. To many of us, this continued decline signals that these voters will see the con and reject Trump in 2020. But the exact opposite may happen.
As their economy further declines, Trump voters may become more desperate. They may be even more willing to believe the lies of a conman who claims to be a savior. These voters may still want a savior who promises to deliver the economic security they used to have. They may not want to vote for someone who will not promise to turn-around their economy. They may not believe the solution for them, and everyone they know, is two years of job re-training. After all, they have heard of graduates of four-year colleges who are driving for Uber.
In 2016, among other things, Donald Trump said things are not right, and it is not your fault. Trump will try this same con again in 2020. Desperate people may still believe it because it goes down better than “it’s your fault; you didn’t study hard enough in school.”
| https://wapo.st/2tQ0o9M | https://wapo.st/2UrdVjG  |