President Trump To Raise Tariffs On Steel And Aluminum Imports

[Jenny A]

That particular base, those blue collar workers in the Rust Belt and Coal States, used to be a major voting base for the democratic party for better than thirty years. They hadn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate for that time span, until 2016. Hillary didn't even step one foot in Wisconsin during her whole campaign and ended up losing the State. After watching their factories, their mills, and their mines shut down and watched their jobs go overseas they figured thirty years of the Dems was enough for them. It was the dems who couldn't hold on to their base. What do the Dems offer to get those lost votes back?

Free trade helps everyone in the long run, but does hurt particular industries. Tariffs help protected industries in the short term and hurt everyone else in the long and short term. They don't even help the protected industries in the long run.

Too much union power leads to automation and globalization.

During the 1950-1980s Democrats tried to save these particular workers' jobs through unions, tariffs, and buy American, and buy union campaigns. It didn't work.

In the 1990s and 2000s Democrats added reeducation, layoff notice requirements, and relocation benefits. The workers generally stayed put, did not take advantage of reeducation, and collected unemployment and welfare benefits instead. The Democrats were mostly responsible for the generous unemployment and welfare benefits which may have caused the workers to ignore relocation and education. In any case, way too many of them are unemployed and still living in the town they were born in. And they still don't have advanced training.

Republicans told them to go find another job. Good advice, but not taken.

Meanwhile due to automation and global wage competition, I don't see those jobs coming back.

What Trump is doing is making them feel like something is being done while accomplishing nothing for them and hurting the rest of us. I doubt the Dems or Republicans can do much of anything for them if working in their old industry is the only solution they will accept.

In other words it's job theater.

Actual votes are more complicated. I think this particular group is more anti PC, anti-feminism, anti-affirmative action, and more racist, sexist, and homophobic, than most of the U. S. That puts them in direct opposition to Democrats stated ideals and actions over the last three decades. The surprising thing is how long it took them to go.

However, other than making them feel better about themselves, I doubt limiting women's, minority, or homosexual rights will do much for them. Nor will keeping immigrants out of the country.

The factory worker based economy in the U. S. Is dead.