I don’t think she meant everyone who voted for Trump did so for the reason stated. I think she meant that was one reason that may have been particularly prevalent amongst small town America. Also, people vote for candidates for a variety of reasons usually, as it should be. However, sometimes one issue becomes imminently important to the exclusion of other factors. I’m thinking that’s what she was talking about.

It’s hard to watch your community go bust with the collapse of the industry that sustains it. My grandparents went through this with the collapse of the railroads and the rise of trucking industry. There are lots of very small towns in rural Tennessee that are practically ghost towns that did not survive. Some are limping along still, and some transitioned more successfully. It’s natural to vote for someone who says they will back the industry that sustains you.

The only thing wrong with that is the failure to recognize that it’s a lie. There’s no money in keeping a dying industry on life support. And money is what puts everyone in office.