A word about all these threads implying white voters are racists

[MichMan]

135. Blaming this on white racism is way too simplistic

We need to learn on what happened or we are doomed to repeat it.


If one really believes that Trump winning the states of Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania was primarily due to energizing white rural racists, how is it that President Obama won those same states in 2008 & 2012?

One would also have to believe that those same white racists were somehow more motivated to vote for Trump in 2016 than they were motivated to vote against a black candidate in 2008 & 2012. That doesn't make any sense if racism was the driving factor.

Trump appealed to upper Midwest voters for a variety of reasons and it is important that we understand what those are rather than just call them all uneducated stupid racist white men.

IMO, while some were motivated by racism, there were additional factors that were more important

1) Seldom does one party win three consecutive terms in the White House. This has happened only once in my lifetime; 1988

2) Clinton fatigue. We generally don't like dynasties in this country. Many people wanted the Clintons & Bushes to just go away. One major reason that Jeb had no chance and dropped out.

3) Hillary did not run a good campaign. Sure the RW media & Comey framed the narrative, but she certainly didn't do herself any favors either, with how the email issue was handled on her side. The poll numbers regarding her truthfulness with voters were a telling indicator that even running against someone as deficient as Trump was closer than it should have been. The campaign didn't nearly spend enough effort on why we should vote for her rather than against him. Bill and Barack were overflowing with charisma, Hillary and Al Gore were not; maybe that shouldn't be important, but it is.

4) It may have been bullshit, but "Making America Great Again" was a compelling slogan. That slogan may have had different meanings to everyone, but who wouldn't want to make America great?