The central fact of U.S. political economy, the source of our exceptionalism, is that lower-income whites vote for politicians who redistribute income upward and weaken the safety net because they think the welfare state is for nonwhites 1/
Now, the truth is that they're wrong: consider how much, say, West Virginia -- a depressed state with a very white population -- benefits from Medicaid and food stamps. Yet it voted overwhelmingly for Trump 2/
And by voting against its own interests, the white working class isn't just making itself poorer, it's literally killing itself 3/ brookings.edu/wp-content/upl… 
Will this ever change? I have no idea. Things looking pretty good for Democrats this year, but it's mainly because of nonwhite turnout and educated whites, especially white women. We shouldn't give up on persuasion, but don't expect miracles 4/
