No argument with the first sentence. With the second, I think those of us who aren't American and who therefore lack the necessary cultural background should tread warily. There is no doubt that poor education and right-wing media has played its part, but clearly there is an element of dissatisfaction in these people's lives into which Trump has inadvertently tapped. They don't like the system, which has done them no favours, so they want to hit back at it in some way. As Weimar Germany found out to its cost, the appearance of a Moses figure who is going to take them to the Promised Land is appealing. I've heard some Trump supporters say that they'd be completely happy with Trump as a dictator - it would appear that the much-lauded US idea of democracy no longer has any appeal for them.
We tend to forget that Americans are taught that their country is the greatest in the world, where things are better than anywhere else. And this is true for some, but not for all. The dread of "socialism" and "handouts" comes with the territory. The belief is that, if you roll up your sleeves and work hard, you too can be as rich as Bill Gates. Except that this has now crashed into reality, and has come off second best.
Perhaps we have simply hit one of those societal turning points, where automation and globalisation has produced changes that are irreversible - I used to visit Ohio regularly, a place where many of the great industries that powered the region for so long have gone, and aren't coming back. Whatever the reason, many working-class Americans feel that the system isn't delivering for them and Trump's MAGA pitch, returning the USA to some previous and highly imaginary Golden Age, appeals to them.
The big job that the Democrats need to do is somehow reach these people and assure them that they're attempting to address these concerns. There will be those MAGA types who simply don't want to be reached, and of course what a US President does or doesn't do often has no effect whatsoever on the economy. But they need to get out the message, and Democrats are notoriously poor on messaging.
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