The Forgotten

The “Forgotten” Whites of Luzerne, PA Speak Up

Luzerne County in northeast Pennsylvania flipped for Donald Trump in the 2016 election. Nearly 6000 Democrats changed their registration so they could vote for him in the primary. The overwhelmingly Democrat county then gave Trump his biggest win in the state. Ben Bradlee Jr. went almost immediately to investigate why. He came back with the answer that Hillary Clinton made whites feel ashamed, while Donald Trump made them feel good about themselves. Bradlee lets them speak their minds in The Forgotten, a quick and easy read that makes it understandable.

The county used to be an incubator for the middle class. Coal was the first great booster, and when that faded, manufacturing sprung up to keep it all going. Wilkes-Barre, its largest city, topped out at a population of 90,000. Luzerne is mostly Catholic, with a strong and growing evangelical component. They get their news from Fox, Breitbart and Infowars.

The decline accelerated with company relocations to Mexico and China in the late 90s. With no jobs, property values plunged, to where good housing can be had for five figures - but no one wants any. The death rate from opioids is four times New York City’s, with an average age of death of 38. The crime rate is 50% higher than the Pennsylvania average. Guns are a non-controversial part of appearance.

Luzerne has been humiliated by scandals like Kids for Cash, in which judges sent juveniles to for-profit prisons for kickbacks. The population has also changed dramatically: it is now 52% Hispanic, mostly Dominican, the same as for Reading and Allentown nearby. Finally, Pennsylvania ranks fifth in the nation for the number of hate groups operating there, including the Ku Klux Klan in Wilkes-Barre, the county seat. Its population is now 40,000.

Bradlee spent several weeks roaming Luzerne, finding out who was who, and interviewing a dozen diverse white Trump voters in great depth. The chapters profile them, with a photo, the story of their thoughts leading up to the 2016 election and how they came be Trump voters, their family and career history, and how they see Trump now.

The common thread in Luzerne voters’ complaints is a lack of simplicity. They enjoy the simple, tweetable solutions, leveraged so well by Donald Trump (though several wish he wouldn’t tweet so much). They have no time for implications or unintended consequences. For example, Kim Woodrofsky , a high school graduate, made herself into a successful landlord, tooling around her properties in her signature bright yellow Corvette. She has 65 apartments providing her a $90,000 annual income. She leases to the lowest end, Section 8 renters, people on welfare. But she complains bitterly about people getting something for nothing. “How is that fair?” she rails repeatedly. She pays taxes, and the money goes to welfare, she claims. Yet if Trump halts welfare, all her tenants will default. She will have to evict them, fall behind on her mortgage payments, and with no real estate market, be unable to sell them off. She will lose her buildings to foreclosure and file for bankruptcy herself. More than her tenants, Woodrofsky lives nicely on welfare.

There is also a strong thread of rationalizing Trump. No one actually ignores all his lies (6.5 per day), his infidelities or his crassness. Instead, they have become apologists: “What he really meant was…” or “We’re all sinners” or “Do you know anybody who doesn’t curse?”, or “It’s refreshing.” So no matter what he says or does, he’s the best for them. And they can’t believe the whole country isn’t behind him as he remakes it in his own fantasy.

They absolve Trump of blame for not replacing Obamacare as promised numerous times. Even though he claimed to have his own plan that was far less expensive and offered far more benefits (“Believe me”), the Luzernians blame the Republican Party instead. They say it had seven years to come up with a better plan but didn’t. Even though the party was always against any health plan at all.

They all have unkind words for Hillary Clinton. She was either an unwanted extension of the vile Obama, a criminal in her own right, or an insult to the intelligence of women, who don’t want to be considered single-issue voters (a female president). So even if they couldn’t rationalize Trump, they would not even consider Clinton.

The Obama years weighed extra heavily as Luzerne deteriorated over the past decade. They say it was Obama who was “a degradation to the office”, not Trump. “He almost gave the impression he did not like America, apologizing for our exceptionalism, and I never understood why,” says Erik Olson, a war veteran. He likes Trump because he is not a politician, something strongly echoed throughout The Forgotten. They applaud his unorthodox approach to everything. That’s what they voted for, and they got it.

There is one rising star in Luzerne. Lou Barletta, the mayor of Hazleton until he landed a seat in Congress (on his third try), is now running against Bob Casey for the Senate. A seat of the pants successful entrepreneur and nice guy, he achieved fame in 2006 by trying to expel illegal immigrants from Hazleton, a decade before Trump came along. Barletta was key to Trump’s success in Pennsylvania, and Trump is the one who insisted he run for the Senate seat. He had offered Barletta Secretary of Housing, but Barletta preferred Transport, and so got left out of the cabinet. (Mitch McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao, had dibs on Transport.)

Life has not changed in Luzerne, except that many people don’t talk to each other any more because of the Trump/Never Trump rift. They unfriend each other on facebook. Some warehouse businesses are starting up, thanks to Wilkes-Barre’s location at the intersection of Interstates 81 and 84, but the outlook is still grim, with blatant, overt crime at the top of everyone’s list. Followed close by immigrants/race, and gun rights.

Possibly the most important profile in the book is of Alia Habib – who left. She is not “white” according to whites, and she is not a Republican or a Trump supporter. Anyone with education and/or talent leaves, but Alia has analyzed it better than everyone else. Everything in Luzerne is measured through a race lens, she says. Growing up, she was classified “sand nigger” or “camel jockey” because of her name. When she moved to New York City, she was shocked that people thought her intelligent and attractive. She is now a literary agent, and pessimistic for the future of Luzerne, where negativity and support for Trump rule. “I don’t see the next four years will see the residents of Luzerne County better off, but I do think it will be even harder to live there – economically, socially, emotionally – if you number among one of the groups Trump scapegoated.”

Meanwhile, another woman profiled is thrilled that she wakes up “every morning and say to myself Donald Trump is our president so my day doesn’t get any better.”

David Wineberg

Excellent book illustrating some of the main reasons why Trump's message resonated so strongly with so many Americans, including myself. The "middle-Americans" are the backbone of this country, and Mr. Trump recognizes that fact and acts accordingly. Love or hate his personality, it's hard for intelligent people to refute his successes. Should be required reading for anyone who truly wants to understand the dynamics of the Trump Train.

Subtitled "How the People of One Pennsylvania County Elected Donald Trump and Changed America," this book offers a look through the eyes of several residents of Luzerne County - many of whom voted for, and still support, #45. Why that matters is that of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, the latter had the most electoral votes; Trump won largely because of his showing here - by a margin of nearly 20 points.

I had two reasons for wanting to read the book, the first of which is that it's really hard for me to comprehend why - other than to make sure Hillary Clinton wouldn't win, which I understand - anyone would want someone like The Donald in our country's highest office (which of course reveals my personal view on the subject). The second reason is that the Luzerne County is somewhat familiar; I've visited several times - a few to conduct employee development seminars at the community college in the county seat of Wilkes-Barre. The people I met were friendly and warm, and the surrounding scenery is, as I repeatedly told my seminar participants, close to breathtaking. Besides that, the county seems to somewhat mirror that of Ohio's Mahoning Valley - where I live - at least in terms of how the local economy has fared since the demise of heavy industry.

The author visited the county four or five times, I believe, questioning numerous residents as to why they voted the way they did and then compiling the responses of about a dozen to form this book. In between are demographic facts about the county and its residents, such as an overall lack of college-educated residents and substantial increases in minorities moving in over the last several years. Also worthy of note to me, at least, is that Pennsylvania as a whole is home to more hate groups than any other U.S. state.

Honestly, I really didn't run into any "Aha" moments here; most of the reasons given for dissatisfaction I've heard many times before. Hillary seemed to "look down" on people like them; government-programs like NAFTA and support of a global economy have cost them jobs; and social programs make it too easy for people to stay on what appears to be an ever-expanding dole and, more to the point, live as well or better than many of those who struggle to make a living the old-fashioned way. So to a large extent, the support of Trump there simply reflects a desire to get away from the same old, same old. As one man noted, "Washington is broke, and I need someone to go down there with a sledgehammer."

Still, seeing their in-depth feelings in their own words is a bit eye-opening - especially on issues like immigration, which they claim not to oppose; after all, most of them come from immigrant parents or grandparents. At issue is legality; immigrants are welcome, but only if they follow the prescribed rules and are willing to "assimilate" into this country (meaning, for the most part, be willing to work hard and learn English) just like the residents' ancestors did. No, a wall isn't necessary, but some kind of effective border security certainly is - so Trump's get-tough stand on that issue came through loud and clear.

With few available jobs and little hope that things will get better any time soon, it's easy to see why the people here think they've been "forgotten," ignored and not good enough to count. On purpose, I did not use the word "disenfranchised" - a term more associated with political correctness. And if there is a recurring theme in this book, it is total disdain for having to tiptoe around others, particularly those who don't share their work ethic and family values. Cut to the bottom line, then, Trump was saying what they were feeling - even though many agreed that his actions, comments and tweets were (and still are) "over the top." And despite the fact that their support of Trump has destroyed friendships - and in some instances, entire families - those who voted for him aren't backing down. Almost to a person, they give him high marks after 18 months in office and insist they'll vote for him next time around.

As a self-described moderate-to-flaming liberal, I admit that most of the views expressed here are way outside my political wheelhouse (although I do share their concerns on some issues, like the need for immigration reform and maintaining Second Amendment rights - just not with quite the same restrictions in mind). Put another way, some parts of the book gave me hope while others scared the bejeesus out of me.

For anyone interested in expanding their horizons - or looking for confirmation and support of their own views - this is a well-written, important book that reflects the times that are a'changin'. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a copy for review.

Tl;dr: The Forgotten isn't an easy read but it sheds valuable insight on how and why Donald Trump was elected president of the United States.

Look, I know that there's been no shortage of books about Trump, his presidency, and how he won the election. But by focusing on one area, Luzerne County in Pennsylvania, a state Hillary Clinton was sure to win until she didn't, Ben Bradlee provides an interesting (and quite honestly, depressing) look at how and why Trump won the state, and, in turn, the presidency.

What Bradlee does in The Forgotten is provide in-depth interviews--I only read the ones that voted for Trump, and confess I had to skip the white nationalist one altogether as I couldn't stomach it.

However, from the profiles that are pro-Trump, not only do all praise him as president approximately one year into office, the following themes emerge (I am leaving out the racial biases, the lack of understanding of poverty, and the horrifyingly noninclusive views held by many that were interviewed):

-- The election was Hillary's to lose and she did it by having a campaign that was never truly focused enough to resonate with voters (this is more fully explored in the outstanding Chasing Hillary)

-- Many white female voters rejected voting for Hillary Clinton because, interestingly, they felt that she believed she was due their vote because she was a woman-- and they didn't agree.

In between the outrage over supposed crimes some feel she committed emerges what I feel was a real contribution to why Trump won, which is:

--Classism/Elitism. This is, imo, an issue that a lot of people don't want to talk about, but was a real issue in the campaign. Trump, for all of his (supposed) wealth, had the ability to not just reach, but convince whitexvoters who are in the ever shrinking middle class not just that he understood them, but that he would help them. He promised jobs, he promised lower taxes, and he promised to eliminate a healthcare systen that, although it's helped many, including me, frustrated a lot of Americans who believed that "Obamacare" left them footing the bill for other people's healthcare as they had to pay for not opting to have health insurance, ran a business that became obligated to offer it, etc. It also didn't help that Hillary Clinton frequently spoke about helping, but offered no real plan. Trump didn't have one either, but he seized on phrases voters wanted to hear--make America great again, for example. As loaded as it is now, it's a memorable message. It was one voters felt they could support because it implied hope that was open to (sadly) many interpretations.

--Trump went to campaign in areas like the Luzerne county area and Hillary Clinton didn't. One of the more depressing footnotes about her campaign was part of one of those tiny profile pieces New York Magazine runs where they interview someone about what they are wearing, etc. I remember they interviewed a young man visiting the city on his way to Europe and he'd worked for Hilary Clinton's campaign in Wyoming. It wasn't a state she expected to win, so there wasn't much support and the young man noted, glumly, that not only were there no resources, but that no one in the office ever had spoken to Hillary.* By ignoring, by chance or by thinking that locking in the Northeast and California and Florida meant she'd win the election, Hillary Clinton ignored the majority of the country--and the voters noticed. By assuming no one would really take Trump seriously, everyone in the Clinton campaign lost sight of something very important: By skipping campaigning in a substantial way in *all* of America, many voters decided that voting for Trump meant that it was more about voting for someone who represented, to them, what they felt like-- as if no one cared, as if they didn't matter. It was this lack of interest that made voters believe that even if Trump was was problematic, he at least was thinking about them.

-- Other takeaways: The distrust of the media. It's frightening but it's real, as many Americans, including most of those profiled in The Forgotten, truly believe that anything other than Fox News, is biased not just against Trump, but against them. This isn't true but it didn't help that, again, most major news outlets didn't take Trump, and his voters felt, by extension, them, seriously. I can't be the only person who saw the New York Times confidently running day after day of polling often showing that Hillary Clinton had over 80 and sometimes 90 percent of the popular vote leading up to the election and wondered how they arrived at that figure as it was obvious that Trump, as problematic as he was (and is) was clearly doing much better than that in areas that weren't and aren't normally reported on by the Times.

-- Conservatism. There is a large group of Americans, usually holding views I don't agree with, who want things to be an idealized portrait of America in the 1950s-- a world where you know everyone on your block, where everyone feels "safe," where children play happily in the street and everyone has a job that provides not just the basics but enough to live happily and with a secure retirement. Yes, this isn't possible anymore because it's not the 1950s ( and that era certainly had enormous problems) -- but it's a dream of what never was, a dream of prosperity that puts everyone in a group of same with no place for others-- and that dream is tremendously appealing to a lot of people. Is it frightening? Absolutely. But what's more frightening is how big the gulf has become between those who want a past that never was is versus those who want a future that's still being defined.

There are no easy answers here. Is The Forgotten hard to read? Yes. It's sad and disturbing. But. But! I think it's a great way for those who want to understand the mindset of (a small area-specific selection, it must be noted) those who voted for and support Donald Trump.

Recommended for those interested in the current American political climate, and for those interested in understanding how Donald Trump went from being a presidential candidate covered by entertainment reporters to serious candidate to being president.

*The New York Magazine piece I refenced is here: https://www.thecut.com/2017/01/the-former-clinton-campaign-fellow-who-organized-in-wyoming.html

Many thanks to Little, Brown and Netgalley for an arc of this disturbing but enlightening read.