People seem to think Michigan is all industrial and blue. This isn't the case [View all]

There are really three Michigans.

1. Your industrial areas. Often urban. Large number of people of color. Vote blue.

2. Suburban areas and/or college town. These are red, blue, or mixed, depending on the specifics. When you hear about counties that sometimes go red and sometimes go blue, they fit in this category.

3. Rural Michigan. There are very few Democrats in rural Michigan, and there is a great deal of racism. You can read the book Sundown Towns for the history. But there are so few Democrats that local races are all decided in the Republican primary as there aren't any Democrats available to run or at least it isn't possible for Democrats to win. Since local elections are decided at the Republican primary, there isn't as big an incentive to vote in a general election, unless someone appeals to them as much as Trump did. I think a lot of people from this group decided to vote in the general election this time, and that's what flipped Michigan to red. Rural areas will NEVER go for a Democratic candidate. Never. There is no winning this group of people to our side. It is quite literally impossible.