President Trump’s victory was the culmination of a generation-long defection of blue-collar workers to the Republican Party. And in fact, were he less controversial, his voter base could have been even bigger.
That was the assessment of Republican political strategist Brad Todd, whose clients include House members, senators and governors.
Todd, in an interview with “Examining Politics,” the Washington Examiner’s weekly podcast, said that working class voters who formed the backbone of the Democratic base for decades have been pushed out of the party over differences on cultural issues.
Trump, with his populist nationalism, was able to capture these voters, who despite becoming untethered from the Democratic Party were uncomfortable with Republicans like Mitt Romney, the GOP presidential nominee in 2012.
“This last election, Trump’s coalition was a lot different than the Republican coalition usually is. He did a lot better in the rural areas than Republicans normally do, and he did worse in the suburbs than Republicans normally do,” Todd said.
Todd said Trump’s coalition could have been even bigger had his coarse rhetoric and controversial behavior not turned off suburban voters who typically vote Republican.
These voters didn’t like Trump, Todd said, but they are inclined to support much of his agenda, chiefly his plans to cut taxes, grow the economy and aggressively combat terrorism.
“I actually think that [Trump is] the culmination of something that started before him,” Todd explained. “I think that it’s been happening for a while. I think that if trump had been a little bit more temperate, you would have seen it in a bigger fashion this time. I think his coalition could have been even bigger. I think the Democrats pushed it toward this by willfully becoming an elitist, coastal, secular party.”
Also on this week’s pod, Max Willens of Digiday discusses the media landscape in the age of Trump. “Examining Politics” is available on iTunes, at PodcastOne.com and on the Examiner’s website.
