How Democrats can rebuild their 'blue wall' in the Midwest

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Once upon a time, Democrats in the industrial Midwest could count on the votes of the blue-collar, often unionized workers of the many factory and mill towns dotting the region. But according to a new report by Democratic strategists previewed in the New York Times, over the last decade many voters who live in blue-collar strongholds that have lost manufacturing jobs have embraced former President Trump and the Republicans. Now Democrats are in a quandary, facing the prospect of the collapse of their once fabled "blue wall." What happened? And what should they do about it?

Popular perceptions aside, and as I have written before, today there is no monolithic Midwestern "Rust Belt" of struggling manufacturing and mill towns. There was once a common economic storyline among the small, mid-sized and large manufacturing communities strung through the fields, forests and along the rivers and lakefronts of the upper Midwest.

But this manufacturing-based economy, rocked by globalization, technological change and new competitors has undergone decades of restructuring. and in some places the total disappearance of manufacturing plants and their good-paying jobs. Communities have struggled to adapt.

Today there are two Midwests - the many former "factory towns" that have made the transition to a new, more diversified economy; and others that have lost their economic anchors and are still struggling.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/how-democrats-can-rebuild-their-blue-wall-in-the-midwest/ar-AAPo7kU

[napi21]

1. I feel bad for all who lost their jobs, but that happens when an industry goes away, either from

being replaced by a new industry or moving somewhere else. Those workers must retrain for something else. Their jobs aren't coming back. I grew up in Pa. where there were lots of steel mills supporting businesses. I remember when they all when they all moved over-seas. My husband worked for Westinghouse lost his job. He went back to being a meat cutter & retired from that about 8 years ago. He preferred the mill job, but it never returned & never will.

[RicROC]

2. break up the monopolies.

One reason why factories closed is due to merger upon merger by large corporations. True capitalism is fueled by competition, so even the conservatives should embrace fewer mergers and keeping businesses in smaller cities.

[appalachiablue]

3. The deindustrialization of America and the hollowing out

of the largest middle class in the world has been devastating and is practically complete. A steady and destructive process that's been happening over decades. As for plans to help abandoned communities that declined and are left on their own- there never were any plans except maybe build up local tourism or go back to school for a degree in IT, tech. Look how that turned out.

During the demise some places fared better than others. For example, Pittsburgh after the steel industry decline still had resources in terms of established networks like the Mellons, Carnegies and Heinz's that aided in transitioning somewhat by endowing universities, developing tech programs and attracting and building businesses. At least that's how I understand it.

But for less fortunate areas that have been left behind with little support, the terrible shape they're in makes them ripe for cons, demagogues and propaganda as we see. Fuel to whip up their anger, frustration and aggression even more and a highly dangerous mix.

In the many communities where it's apparent that no 'rescue effort' is coming or possible, it's purely do or die. Survival of the fittest and the most resourceful. The age old story.

A cruel world it can be, and fasten your seatbelts cuz the ride ahead is bound to get even rougher.

~ “Well, there are people who eat the earth and eat all the people on it like in the Bible with the locusts. Then there are people who stand around and watch them eat it. (Softly) Sometimes I think it ain't right to stand and watch them do it.” ― Lillian Hellman, The Little Foxes