It is interesting to note the parallels and some observers says, dangerous to ignore the lessons of Boris Johnson’s win last night in the U.K. Like the U.S., there has been a growing divide between urban and rural in the United Kingdom. And last night, conservatives flipped seats in Parliament that had been held by Labour for generations. James Hohmann of the Daily 202 for the Washington Post writes:
“President Trump won in 2016 by breaking through “the blue wall,”flipping a trio of Rust Belt states that had backed Democrats in every presidential election since 1992.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plowed through what’s known as “the red wall” on Thursday, securing a sweeping mandate to “get Brexit done,” by flipping seats in Parliament across fading industrial towns in England’s north and midlands that the Labour Party has held since the Great Depression.“
Hohmann writes that the Conservatives picked up seats where it “might have seemed a sin” to vote for them before Brexit.
“It can be risky to draw too many comparisons between the American and British systems, and there are certainly differences, but it’s hard to ignore the parallels – and serious warning signs here for Democrats in 2020. Bottom line, the Tory triumph shows how much it matters who Democrats nominate next year.“
Sound familiar?
“Conservatives just flipped seats in traditional Labour strongholds… by appealing to folks who work with their hands in manufacturing, construction and transportation. Many have been lifelong Labour voters, but they strongly support Brexit and detest cosmopolitan elites in places like London and Brussels.“
And Donald Trump carried rust-belt states where voters felt left behind by globalization. Bottom line, according to Hohmann, it remains very important who the Democrats nominate.