The Aftermath of Chattanooga
By Yeselson’s analysis is exceptional, if depressing:
Anybody can take the litany of factors I mention above and pick out the ones they think were most salient. Yes, the opposition of political elites was potent. Yes, the UAW neutralized VW, but, by turning it into a corporate pussycat, could barely provide a rationale for workers joining the union at all. Nor did it convey to the workers that it had the leverage to fight the company when necessary on their behalf, rather than accede to it as it had done with GM, Ford, and Chrysler. Yes, it’s the mostly white South, and it was a likely largely evangelical workforce, to boot.
If he doesn’t have any easy answers, that seems appropriate.