Alexander, unfortunately the Republican Party was taken over by populists whose motivation not about benefitting their constituents but increasing the popular divide which makes them powerful. It began with the tea party folk.

The Democrats share some blame in this. They detached themselves from folk suffering in the middle of the country in the recession of the Obama years.

They calculated it wasn't worth investing in Democrats on the ground in those places because they had no chance of winning. That was a huge mistake. They abandoned these folk to the embrace of the likes of Gingrich and later Trump.

Democrats need again to have a presence in these middle American places. Which will take work and time.

Good article.

Best to you.