My father came to this country from Holland when he was around 6 or 7. He never made it past the 4th grade. He eventually took a job with the NY Central Railroad as a laborer, and eventually made it to track foreman. He retired at age 65, died at 72. He was a long-time Democrat, but I only believe it was because he’d lived through the depression, then became a union member with the railroad. He always used to say that the Democrat’s take care of the working people. He was a hard worker, good father, very patriotic, loved this country, and passed that love of country down to his children. Although he was a Democrat to the day he died, if he was alive today, he wouldn’t recognize the party and would probably be a Republican.
My father’s family was helped by the Democrats when they came over in the 1920’s, my mother’s by the Republicans.
They voted that way until Jimmy Carter, then my father never looked back. He never switched his registration, but never voted for a Dem again. Im fact he yelled at the TV at them, especially Clinton.
I agree that this is the mindset among the older crowd.