Union “Rank-and-File” Prefer Donald Trump as US President

America’s union leaders are not expending a lot of energy trying to win back members drawn to Donald Trump’s populist, anti-trade message.

Donald Trump is wooing working-class voters by promising to renegotiate trade deals and bring back lost manufacturing jobs, some unions are re-calibrating their usual election-year outreach to members on behalf of Hillary Clinton to account for his appeal.

Also, many other outside groups that traditionally back Democrats are trying to overcome a lack of enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton, including by promoting the party’s candidates lower on the ballot to draw votes for her.

The stakes are especially high in Ohio and Pennsylvania, states Key to Donald Trump’s winning the 270 Electoral College votes needed to claim the Oval Office, where a relatively small change in turnout among union members and other voting groups could be decisive in a close race.

The approaches show how outside political groups are having to adapt in an election with a historically unpopular Democratic nominee and an unconventional Republican candidate in Donald Trump.

Union membership has been declining since the 1950’s, but, organized labor remains a crucial voting bloc for Democrats in Presidential races.

Voters in households with a union member accounted for 18% of the U.S. electorate in 2012, and 58 percent of those voters choose Democrat Barack Hussein Obama over Republican Mitt Romney, according to national exit polls.

In Pennsylvania, 21% of the Y 2012 Presidential vote was from voters in a union household, with 57% backing Mr. Obama, exit polls showed, and 22% of Ohio’s vote came from union homes, with 60% backing Mr. Obama.

Donald Trump has hammered Hillary Clinton for her past support for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which trade unionists blame for the loss of manufacturing jobs, and he is courting working-class voters frustrated by stagnant wages and job insecurity with promises to reopen coal mines and steel mills.

A poll of Ohio released last Wednesday revealed that 57% of all respondents think NAFTA has done more to cause the loss of jobs and companies than to increase exports and employment.

Donald Trump leads Hillary Clinton by 5% in the that poll, is winning 45% of voters in union households.

Union leaders have tried to blunt Donald Trump’s appeal to working-class voters by calling him a “hypocrite”.

That has not swayed die-hard Trump supporters.

People have got to look at the big picture, this is our last chance to save this country, and he’s the only one who can do it, according to a union member.

The “Rank-in-File” union members are not in lock-step with their leadership and the Democratic Party.

With that Mrs. Clinton could lose the working class still angry about free trade and the impacts of globalization, especially if infrequent voters who cast ballots in the primary for Donald Trump turn out in the general election.

Other groups that back Democrats are also dealing with Donald Trump’s unique appeal and what polls suggest is a lack of enthusiasm for Mrs. Clinton among more liberal voters and those under age 35 after her combative primary fight with Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT).

Mrs. Clinton still holds a comfortable lead in polls of Hispanic voters, a national survey conducted in late August by America’s Voice and Latino Decisions found that 51% said their motivation for voting this year is to stop Donald Trump, with 23% saying to support Mrs. Clinton.

Democracy for America, which is now backing Mrs. Clinton after endorsing Senator Sanders in the primary, is promoting other Democratic.

It was announced that the Conservative Koch Brothers, who have not yet endorsed Donald Trump are setting up offices in 35 state with sizable Hispanic voting blocs to energy the GOP campaign with Hispanics.

Have a terrific weekend.