[Joe 6-pack]

"Why was this guy ever a Democrat?"

Having grown up in Western PA, my guess would be that he grew up in a union household and was indoctrinated since birth. It's an odd phenomenon. In Pittsburgh and many of the small surrounding towns that used to be heavy coal and steel, you'll find lots of otherwise conservative people, gun owners, hunters, regular church-goers, who grew up in union households and would never dare vote republican. That started to change a little under Reagan, but to this day it's not hard to find people like that.

[PapaBear3625]

Trump targeted blue-collar voters in 2016, and working-class people will continue to be a major focus of his.

Meanwhile, white heterosexuals are seeing they are increasingly unwelcome in the Democrat Party.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Having grown up in Western PA, my guess would be that he grew up in a union household and was indoctrinated since birth. It's an odd phenomenon. In Pittsburgh and many of the small surrounding towns that used to be heavy coal and steel, you'll find lots of otherwise conservative people, gun owners, hunters, regular church-goers, who grew up in union households and would never dare vote republican."

Having also grown up in Western PA and still living here, I want to emphasize your point to others. I read once that we have the second highest NRA membership rate (next to Texas) and as you know even local Democrats can still be found here that are pro life. It's only when they get into national politics that they are forced to change their stance. For these reasons, I have great hope that PA will continue to be a purple and redder state. These are some of the most conservative social people in the country.

[trublu]

You nailed it. I lived there for the first half of my life. I never realized I wasn’t a Democrat until I moved away, and Reagan was elected.

[toothfairy86]

Exactly! I live in Western PA too. I live in Westmoreland County, where they give you the Monday after Thanksgiving off from school, because it’s the first day of Buck Season! LOL! The city where I live has a majority population of registered Democrats, but actually have very conservative beliefs. Democrats in our area campaign on “traditional family values” issues, but once they get into office, they flip their MO. Many of our voters have finally figured that out, and are starting to vote for the Republican candidate. Trump was “HUGE-ly” popular in our area.