Wonkbook: The odd Republican obsession with Detroit

By Emily Badger Detroit does not vote for Republicans. In 2012, 97.5 percent of the city went for Barack Obama. The county sheriff is a Democrat, as are the three U.S. representatives whose districts surround the city. The current mayor, the previous mayor, the six mayors before that guy: all Democrats, too. But Republican aspirants keep turning up there — as Donald Trump plans on …   The latest economic and domestic policy from Wonkblog   (James/Flickr) By Emily Badger Detroit does not vote for Republicans. In 2012, 97.5 percent of the city went for Barack Obama. The county sheriff is a Democrat, as are the three U.S. representatives whose districts surround the city. The current mayor, the previous mayor, the six mayors before that guy: all Democrats, too. But Republican aspirants keep turning up there — as Donald Trump plans on Monday to give an economic address — to explain what ails America and how they can fix it. The GOP held one of its primary debates in Detroit in March. Jeb Bush went there early last year to give his first major policy speech back when it looked like he could still become president. Rand Paul did the same in 2013, on a trip that coincided with Republican Party fanfare opening a local "African-American Engagement Office." Detroit is a convenient place for Republicans to argue that Democratic ideas have failed even hard-core Democratic voters. Or, as Ted Cruz put it at the March debate: "Let me start by observing that Detroit is a great city with a magnificent legacy that has been utterly decimated by 60 years of failed left-wing policy." This notion that liberalism itself destroyed Detroit (and, now, nearby Flint) is common among conservative commentators. And if you ignore the promising signs, the city certainly serves up enough dire images to buttress the claim. Those ghost factories. The boarded-up homes. The once-grand but abandoned train station. ADVERTISEMENT   That scenery may appeal to Trump, who has promoted the premise that urban crime and despair in America are surging. At the Republican National Convention two weeks go, he said the country needs a president who can "liberate our citizens from the crime and terrorism and lawlessness that threaten their communities." But Detroit doesn't offer as simple a story as Trump and other Republicans may portray. Read the rest on Wonkblog.   Chart of the day Real Americans wear jean shorts. Christopher Ingraham has more.  Top Trump tweets "Making child care fully tax deductible is just about the worst possible way to help subsidize the cost of child care." -- @MichaelSLinden "Trump wants childcare tax deduction, not expanded child-related credits. How does that help lower-income, working poor? 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