I had a long conversation with a friend yesterday about the level of support for Trump. Friend works in California in industry where he reckoned 95% of the people he works with were Trump voters.
He had a few points:
For most blue-collar workers, Washington DC may as well be a million miles away. They can't relate in the slightest to either candidate. Virtually none of them went to University, and they think ((and refer to themselves) as not very bright.
Generally, they're proud of being blue collar, and a vote for the Democrats would almost be seen as being a 'class traitor', trying to be something you're not, thinking you're better/smarter than the people you work with. Voting Republican is seen as standing in solidarity with your fellow workers.
This is because 99% of these people do not care one tiny little bit about Trump's character or lies or dodgy dealings. They are the absolute epitome of single issue voters. They care about the economy. That's IT. As they said, 'it's not like they're going to be inviting Trump for dinner'. They do not care what he's like, they don't think any politicians are even slightly interested in them or their views.
Most of Trump's more egregious personal/political decisions don't affect them personally. At least not nearly as much as the day-to-day grind that keeps food on the table. A lot of them are the only earner in their family, so it all falls to them. Covid has made them more, not less likely to vote Republican because they are more worried about their jobs/the economy. The ONLY thing they care about is low taxes and a thriving economy. Remember, there is very, very little in the way of a social safety net in the US. If the economy tanks and you lose you job, nobody will bail you out. You lose your health insurance and quite possibly your house.
So the irony is, they vote Republican, the party of big business who've over the years stripped most worker's rights etc., because they think they're the party who'll keep the economy going and keep them in work. So they will never get the rights they deserve because they're too scared to vote in a candidate who might fight for those rights in case the economy is collateral damage, because of it is they're fucked because they have no rights. So round we go.
It's a neat little trap that allows big business to exploit workers without them even realizing it and keeps blue collar people voting Republican.