I’ll take the “afraid of becoming a minority” theory. Can you even find a person who isn’t looking at a smartphone? Isn’t driving a car aggressively? Isn’t eating out pretty often? Isn’t at happy hour every week? In Trump country, I see big powerful SUVs, RVs, and pickup trucks, houses and properties in good repair, and plenty of other evidence of prosperity. I’m not denying that poverty exists (it’s out there too), nor that people are less prosperous than they would like to be and should be. But compared to life in the 60s and 70s, the overall impression is one of wealth and comfort. For me it just won’t wash as a motivation for a revolt. I think the reason folks vote against their own economic interests is that they are much more motivated by tribal fears of displacement. After all, the alt-right demonstrators are chanting: “Jew will not replace us”. We should take them at their word.
