Jonathan Pie explains it

[Undertoad]

Another Brit has a similar take, Clive Crook: Revenge of the Deplorables

The crucial extra ingredient, I think, was the way the case against Trump was framed. Clinton's goal should have been to detach a slice of his support. The best way for her to do that, issue by issue, would have been to acknowledge the particle of truth in his claims, if any, and say why her approach to the problem was better. Instead, she and her supporters refused to grant the validity of any part of Trump's pitch. Even that wasn't enough. Trump was a racist and a fascist, they said. Support him, and you're no better: Either that, or you're an idiot for failing to see it.

Apparently it takes more than four years of college to understand this: You don't get people to see things your way by calling them idiots and racists, or sorting them into baskets of deplorables and pitiables (deserving of sympathy for their moral and intellectual failings). If you can't manage genuine respect for the people whose votes you want, at least try to fake it.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Another Brit has a similar take, Clive Crook:

Clinton did just that. Large numbers of mainstream Republicans denounced Trump. Some (including Mr Republican George Wills) resigned from the party.

But let's stop ignoring what all these 'after action' pundits still do not understand. Go out into the hinderlands. About half a radio dial is right wing extremists talk show hosts claiming America is dying. No facts say that. Growth that was so destroyed by an administration in 2000-2008 was restored. Companies are hiring. Products are being exported. A massive debt created by the Cheney extremists is being reduced. Hate against minorities was being eliminated. American military is more powerful than the next 5 largest militaries combined. And America is finally telling other allied nations that they first must address issues in their own region. America is not your 911 Policeman. Many are finally getting it.

That is not what the god on AM radio says. Plus, some industries have not innovated in over 40 years. So many workers in rust belt regions are getting screwed by business school graduates (which includes George Jr and The Donald). AM radio gods tell them to blame Washington.

Washington does not create jobs. Never will. Washington can destroy jobs - as George Jr did. But jobs can only be created by innovation.

All that is too complex for many only educated by spin doctor radio. Easier is to blame the establishment. Ironically, nobody seems to notice that. Do they not drive out to the hinderlands to scan the air waves? Apparently not. We know many only believe the first thing they are told. Then get angry or adversarial when a reality is stated later. Out there where jobs are less numerous (especially in the anti-innovation American coal and steel industries), large numbers are so hyped angry as to vote in numbers never before seen.

Out there, logical discussion is rare. Anger and emotions hyped by talk show extremists is about half the radio stations. And so the turnout, driven by emotion, was massive.

Did Donald understand that? Of course not. He simply did what is usually does - demean, attack, and insult others. It played well in the hinderlands where talk show radio says everything is bad - despite facts and numbers that say otherwise.

Easy is to blame Washington using emotion and sound byte logic. Especially when the local media is mostly promoting it. Amazingly, pundits looking for reasons to explain their confusion do not

[xoxoxoBruce]

I agree with tw on this one. It's easier to generate hate with a sound bite than explain reality.