It was just over a year ago that this rural battleground region swung hard for Donald Trump in a clamor for political change. But today that frustration with politics appears undiminished by his election and is aimed in all directions — including Trump’s. …
What this swingy slice of the heartland does offer is a window into the trends and tumult of the Trump era.
It is populated largely by blue-collar white voters, a demographic group that propelled Trump to the White House. It is economically challenged, often cited as an ingredient in Trump’s election. And it contributed to the huge rural wave that overwhelmingly accounted for Trump’s victory in Wisconsin.
But the region is as interesting for the trends it defies as the ones it embodies. CONT.
Craig Gilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel