Macomb County, Swing County—The Reality and the Myth

When John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960, Macomb was the most reliably Democratic suburban county in the nation. But 20 years later, it became nationally famous as the home of the “Reagan Democrats,” and began voting Republican. Macomb also gave Donald Trump a margin of victory four times his statewide total in 2016. And yet, the same voters gave Barack Obama a landslide in 2008. Jack Lessenberry helps us understand the secret to understanding politics in Macomb County.