“Ultimately, I think Reagan got the votes of what came to be called Reagan Democrats by imposing sanctions on Japan.”
I hate to tell you, Japan was hardly on the voters’ minds in 1980. The Iranian hostages, the Soviets in Afghanistan, economic disasters, a soaring crime rate, and smug Democrats too long in power and out of touch created that tsunami. It had nothing to do with Japan.
I'm referring to 1984, when the economy was just starting to emerge from the 1982 economic slump. Reagan's first term was related to the national security issues, but the 49 state sweep in 1984 was when Reagan Democrats made their voice heard. Reagan got 51% of the popular vote in 1980, and 59% of the popular vote in 1984.