Workers

The term working people is often used to describe an amorphous group without clearly defining that group. I suggest these are people who are paid by the hour as opposed to salaried employees. The CEO never makes $5,000 per hour but rather $1 million dollars per year. It is the working people who bore the brunt of globalization as their jobs were the ones being sent overseas while the salaried group saw their wages and net worth increase. Salaried employees are not all executive types and many have ordinary jobs. The question is who and why did people vote for Trump and the answer can be found in the working class. Here is an example. Joe has been a high school teacher for 20 years. Every day Joe goes to work in rather pleasant surroundings. It is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Joe has a pension, health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, vacation, holidays and personal days off. Every year Joe watches his mortgage go down and his pension going up. Joe is satisfied with the status quo and votes for Hillary. Jim worked at Bethlehem Steel for 20 years. He had all the same benefits that Joe had with a higher salary. About 40 years ago China started producing steel and by using government subsidies, flooded the market with steel at below production cost and many steel companies went out of business including Bethlehem. Jim then went to work at a job with lower pay and fewer benefits. Jim's wife went to work to make up some of the loss. Every four years some politician would come along and promise Jim he would help. After about 8 elections along came Trump and Jim said I will give him a try and low an behold Jim's real wages increased for the first time in 40 years. Jim voted again for Trump in 2020 and will do so in 2024. Jim doesn't care if Trump is not politically correct or if Trump says mean things or if Trump lies. Jim is only interested in being in a position to pay his light bill.