… Republicans made historic inroads into the Midwest in 2016 when union households and white voters who lacked college degrees abandoned the Democratic Party. Four states that had backed Barack Obama for president — Iowa, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin — flipped to Trump, and a fifth, Minnesota, nearly turned red for the first time since 1972.
Since then, Republicans have struggled to preserve Trump’s gains, even as the economy, typically a marker of presidential success, has improved. …
Yet Republican candidates now are in the position held by Democrats during the Obama years — unable to fully share in the president’s popularity with their own party members but tagged with his least popular moves by general election voters.
Democrats have spotted openings on a number of issues, starting with trade. CONT.
David Weigel, Washington Post