DEMOCRATIC ECONOMIC INITIATIVES AND THE TRUMP BASE

I've tried to think of ways that the Democratic Party might lure back the white male worker.  After considerable thought, I conclude there probably isn't a way.  Just consider our previous President, Barak Obama.  There was the Birther Movement among Republicans that Obama wasn't born in the U,S.  Even when he finally released the "long form" of his birth certificate the doubters said it was a forgery.  There was nothing you could do to get them to admit Obama was born in the U.S. to an American mother.  Even as recently as August of 2016 before the election as many as 72% of Republicans felt that Obama was not legitimate.  This percentage is far more than President Trump's base.

These same people, however, were ready to accept Senator Ted Cruse as legitimate even though he was born in Canada because he had an American mother.  So by analogy even if Obama was born outside America, it was to an American mother so if Cruz is legitimate, Obama should be also, but a double standard is clear.

The problem is that these workers feel the Democratic Party favors women, minorities, and Gays.  So the Democratic Party would have to abandon these groups.  Yet it was probably enough women, minorities, and Gays who crossed over and voted for Trump to put him over the top in crucial states because they felt that the Democratic Party hadn't done enough for them.  Politics is a hard game.

Still, the Republican Party is not a good fit for the disaffected white male workers.  For one thing, the Republican establishment ("elites") feel American workers are overpaid, and I feel the workers are also held in disdain by the establishment.  Even Donald Trump has said on at least two occasions that the American worker is overpaid.  For years, however, the Republican establishment soothed the white American male worker through telling them such things as they are "The Real Americans" and other syrupy terms.

But along came a candidate for President who talked in their terms.  Send illegal Hispanics back to Mexico, build a wall, outlaw Muslim immigration to the U.S., and "keep THEM under control."  The "Them" is, of course, women, minorities, and Gays.  They thought Trump would lead them "out of the wilderness" in a reform of the Republican Party, but they were conned.  I've heard from some of Trump's base say that the wall is the big thing (even over better pay), so it is the emotional things they love.

Below I've noted some of Hillary Clinton's proposals and actions (Quotes from references are given in italics):
Increase The Minimum Wage
    If the minimum wage is increased, everybody above it gets a raise also.
    She supported a $12/hr minimum wage.  She supports prevailing wage laws in states and a $15/hr  minimum wage where economics support it.

• Every student should have the option to graduate from a public college or university in their state without taking on any student debt. By 2021, families with income up to $125,000 will pay no tuition at in-state four-year public colleges and universities. And from the beginning, every student from a family making $85,000 a year or less will be able to go to an in-state four-year public college or university without paying tuition.*
• All community colleges will offer free tuition.*

Work for Women's Equality**
"If fighting for women’s health care and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the woman card, then deal me in."

She began her career at the Children's Defense Fund.  Wrote a book "It Takes A Village To Raise A Child," and fought to pass the Children's Health Insurance Act that has covered an estimated 8 million children.  Perhaps a negative was that she cosponsored the "Dream Act" three times.

And if there was any state the "owed" Hillary Clinton their vote it was Michigan.  She voted to save the automobile industry and Michigan has had the best record of increasing employment of the "rust belt" states.  She also was early involved in the Flint, Michigan, water problem.***

While Clinton may not have put a ton of resources into Wisconsin, her campaign peppered Michigan with visits by her and her surrogates during the final weeks.

Still, in Detroit, she won roughly 50,000 fewer votes than Obama did in 2012.***

She also campaigned in Detroit.****  I have no idea what more she could have done.

I think a problem for the white male worker is that Hillary is a woman.  This also seemed to bother many white educated women, especially in Pennsylvania where she had a major effort.  Incidentally, Pennsylvania is the Rust Belt state that had the greatest wage increases although the employment picture was static.

It seems like there is nothing the Democratic Party can do to win over the Trump base.

What all this means is that Congress is probably going to have to impeach the President (or Department heads rule he is incompetent: 25th amendment) while Republicans voters vastly approve of him (They will say he wasn't given a chance though Trump hung himself.).  This is going to take time.  You can find any number of Republicans outside of Congress, however, that oppose Trump vehemently.

* https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/
**  http://www.refinery29.com/2016/08/118582/hillary-clinton-strong-women-quotes
*** http://www.salon.com/2016/01/21/what_hillary_clinton_needs_to_learn_from_the_flint_water_crisis/
http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2016/11/09/how-clinton-lost-blue-wall-states-michigan-pennsylvania-wisconsin/93572020/
**** https://www.c-span.org/video/?416681-1/hillary-clinton-campaigns-detroit-michigan
https://www.c-span.org/video/?418008-1/hillary-clinton-campaigns-detroit-michigan