THE FORGOTTEN

5 stars out of 5

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.

The Forgotten by Ben Bradlee Jr. (Little, Brown and Co., October 2018); 304 pp.