I think that the economic woes of the Rust Belt are undoubtedly there. But I also think that it is simplistic and naive to think that en masse these voters chose Trump because they believed he would introduce economic policies that would help them. Among them there are plenty of people who voted for other reasons (and yes, racism being one).
The other thing that I find interesting is that the right preaches constantly about self-reliance, pulling yourself up by the boot straps and working hard. Not waiting for government handouts like those welfare queens in Harlem. And YET, many of these Rust Belters are doing absolutely NOTHING to improve their situation. They are not getting re-trained, they are not leaving their dying towns to go where there is (more modern) work, they are not willing to accept that automation is here to stay. The unemployment rate is near all time lows and they are sitting there woefully unemployed. One could say they were lazier and less inspired than the immigrants walking hundreds of miles through the desert to make better lives for themselves. But no, not these snowflakes. They want their president to come and give them their jobs back. What are we to take from this? Is it not fair to consider whether they lack ambition? Self-reliance? Hard work? So we must all have extra special care and understanding for their economic situation but heaven forbid we discuss the multi-faceted reasons why a single mother in Harlem might need government assistance now and then. Oh no, she's just lazy and spread her legs too many times. To me, there is something absolutely racist beneath the surface here.
Beat me to it-I was just going to say all of this myself.
And I'm asking you to look at from the blue-collar worker POV - things were decent (maybe not great) before the wave illegal immigration hit their states. Now, they're working harder and affording less because someone left the gate open several thousand miles south. How can you not empathize with this?
Because they're directing their anger at the wrong people. They're blaming the immigrants for the shitty practices of businesses and corporations. Instead of attacking and demonizing people who are coming here and trying to make better lives for themselves, get mad at the companies who are screwing EVERYONE over, both illegal immigrants and their longtime workers. Demand accountability from them, and demand that politicians hold them accountable, too. Don't punish the immigrants.
And like anitram said, why don't those people who lost their jobs, or those people who are working hard and affording less, just pull themselves up by their bootstraps, then, like they expect everyone else to do? They seem to think it's such an easy thing to do, so let them do it, then.
To say nothing of the hypocrisy of the anti-illegal immigrant argument. If illegal immigrants are working, they're taking jobs away from Americans. If they're not working, they're lazy moochers. They can't seem to win no matter what they do.
It seems a bit arrogant to suggest that US citizens just accept this reaming. Their government was expected to enforce the law and protect the border - that's part of the contract. It's not racist - it's just good order. If the mainstream Democrats or Republicans won't stop illegal immigration, they will elect someone who will.
And yet here's the thing you and anyone else who supports tighter border control or a wall or mass deportation of immigrants doesn't understand: We can put as many barriers up between us and Mexico as we want, and get rid of every single illegal immigrant that's living here.
That's still not going to solve our economic woes. It's still not going to address the issue of companies and corporations taking advantage of workers, it's still not going to stop corporations shipping jobs overseas, and it's still not going to address the fact that some jobs are becoming more and more irrelevant,
regardless of who's working there, simply because of technological progress and automation. Getting rid of immigrants and tightening our borders as a means to deal with our economic problems is nothing more than a band aid solution for a huge wound.