Why I think Trump won the rust belt in spite of being the terrible person he is

[Tatiana]

11. Stunningly brilliant analysis.

I agree with nearly all of it. I'll just highlight what stands out to me:

A) Abortion - The Rust Belt is not that far from the Bible Belt. A significant portion of these voters regularly attend church and consider themselves pro-life/anti-abortion. I think it has been established that Hillary really didn't have good outreach to the evangelical and faith-based communities -- certainly not in the way that Obama did. What these people heard was a very vigorous defense of abortion rights from Hillary. For those on the fence, this may have clinched it.

B) Normalizing a Corrupt Individual - YES! Fantastic point, that I haven't seen anyone else point out. We ALL do this. I voted for Rod Blagojevich... TWICE. The second time, I pretty much knew the deal. BUT, even though I thought Topinka (the Republican opponent) was probably a better person ethically, I just couldn't vote to concede executive power of my state (Illinois) to the Republicans. I reasoned the legislature would provide a "check" on Blago's excesses. Perhaps those that voted for Trump are counting on the McCains and Grahams and even Cruzes and Rubios to "check" Trump. However, what they will find is that a loose canon is a loose canon that never cedes power and can only be forced out at great cost.

c) Economic Decline - Much has been made of the white working class. However, Trump, the RACIST, outperformed Romney in 2012 with Black, Asian, and Latino voters. So, yes, whites voted for Trump, but that doesn't tell the whole story. I'm surrounded by Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. I see a lot more minorities (specifically Latino and Asian) whenever I visit, especially in Missouri, Iowa, and Indiana. This is anecdotal, but those people have also suffered during the recovery. Many small businesses I patronized have closed up shop (restaurants, bakeries, small construction and craftsman work), with no replacement. On my last trip to Detroit, though it is on an upswing, my heart still ached because it is nothing like that place I used to visit with my dad in the 80s. There are parts of it that look just empty and devastated. Historical and architecturally significant structures have been left to rot and ruin. To these people, it sounds ridiculous to say the economy has recovered and the unemployment rate is low. They've lost jobs, businesses, homes, vehicles, and educational opportunity. To these people, the retort by some Democrats that "America is already great!" is enraging. It's not great for a lot of people in the Rust Belt. The message shouldn't have been "America is already great!" We should have been acknowledging that America isn't that great for many, but we will improve the lives of those who have yet to experience relief from the Great Recession.

My only minor quibble is with the difficulty of one party winning a third term. Ordinarily that would carry some weight. But given the Republican opponent, this election was totally winnable. It should have been won. Trump's campaign staff had their finger on the pulse of the people and the Clinton campaign showed that they were out of touch. Any number of decisions by the campaign could have led to a win (and possible assistance to down-ballot candidates) including adding Sanders to the ticket. I don't believe in blaming the voters. It is the job of the candidate to educate and persuade the voter. "Visit my website" doesn't cut it. You need to explain to voters why they should vote for YOU. And... you need to say it in a soundbite.