… On the surface, the Democratic Party has been united and energized by its shared disgust for Trump. But dig an inch deeper and it’s clear that the party is divided, split on issues including free trade, health care, foreign affairs and Wall Street. They even disagree over the political […] Read more »
In decisive Rust Belt, Trump’s approval is starting to look like Romney’s
Even as the White House this week firmly insists President Donald Trump is determined to seek a second term, a new analysis of polling data shows that he’s caught in a three-way political squeeze in the states that tipped the 2016 presidential race, and will likely decide the 2020 contest. […] Read more »
Trump’s Cuts to SNAP and Social Security Would Hit the Rust Belt Hard
In the key Rustbelt states that tipped the 2016 election to President Trump, blue-collar white voters at the core of his constituency represent a majority of those receiving benefits from the federal income-support programs he has targeted for large cutbacks in his budget, according a new analysis conducted for The […] Read more »
The vast majority of these counties voted for Donald Trump — even if they had backed Democrats for years
A new analysis of labor data offers insight into why Donald Trump delivered surprise wins in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Yes, he swept the Rust Belt. But more specifically, he won over voters in counties that were most dependent on blue-collar work — including hordes of longtime Democratic voters. The […] Read more »
How the Obama Coalition Crumbled, Leaving an Opening for Trump
… It was clear from the start that Mrs. Clinton was struggling to reassemble the Obama coalition. At every point of the race, Mr. Trump was doing better among white voters without a college degree than Mitt Romney did in 2012 — by a wide margin. Mrs. Clinton was also […] Read more »
Here’s the real reason Rust Belt cities and towns voted for Trump
Donald Trump won the 2016 election largely because he carried Rust Belt states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa, doing especially well in small cities and towns. … My research suggests that Rust Belt populism is rooted in the region’s loss of locally owned industry — not simply because of […] Read more »