Michigan’s results are a solid microcosm of where we are in the Trump era. Short version: In 2016, Trump won big margins in working-class areas that had supported Obama. Hillary’s margins in affluent areas and urban areas were underwhelming. (thread)
2) Last night, Dems narrowed the margins in working-class areas, ran up huge margins in affluent and urban areas. Women and people of color were in full revolt.
3) Meanwhile, working class people were underwhelmed by the reality of Trump’s economic agenda, as opposed to the rhetoric.
4) To take a few examples: Trump won (largely white) working-class Monroe County by 22 points in 2016. Obama had carried it in both ‘08 and ‘12.
5) But in the gov’s race last night, the GOP only carried it by 8 points. Doesn’t get the job done for the GOP in Michigan.
6) Similarly, in 2016, Hillary carried Wayne County (mostly Detroit) by 37 points. That’s fine but not great for a Dem in Michigan. Obama carried it by 47 points.
7) Last night, the Dem candidate for gov carried it by 46 points.
8) Similar story if you go next door to affluent, educated Washtenaw County (home of Ann Arbor). Hillary carried it by 41 points. Dems carried it by 46 points last night in the gov’s race. (Though Obama carried it only by 36.)
9) Of course, a lot of credit is due here to unions and other progressive groups that organized and mobilized the hell out of Michigan for the midterms. It was basically tumbleweeds on the ground there in 2016. See here: nytimes.com/2018/09/16/us/…
10) But suffice it to say their organizing efforts would not have been nearly as effective without Donald Trump in the White House.
11) I should point out, as an addendum, that white working class folks in Michigan were underwhelmed by Trump's economic agenda. But much more hostile to state GOP's economic agenda, which was very anti-union.
12) I found a lot of support for Trump's tariffs, renegotiation of NAFTA in Michigan. People lukewarm on healthcare and tax cuts.
13) They also really liked Gretchen Whitmer's ambitious infrastructure spending proposals, whereas Trump's infrastructure proposals have yet to amount to anything.
