Republicans have chance to gain voters of color. They're blowing it.

Pollsters and pundits are fixated on whether former President Donald Trump will once again break Democratic dominance in the "blue wall" states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. But Republicans have a chance to break something much more substantial: the Democratic coalition.

Eight years after Trump coalesced white working-class voters under the Republican banner, he’s now making inroads with Black and Hispanic voters. Poll after poll shows Republicans closing the gap with Democrats among these demographics, which is a five-alarm fire for the left.

Since 2008, Democrats’ strategy has depended on cleaning up at the ballot box with four key groups, including Black, Hispanic, single women and millennial voters. Two of the four legs are now wobbling, increasing the likelihood that their electoral hopes come crashing down.

Democrats never imagined that Black and Hispanic voters would abandon them. Two decades ago, the left widely believed that minority voters would form the backbone of an unbeatable liberal majority in the 21st century. Since then, Democrats have tried to drive turnout among their coalition by focusing on divisive issues. For single women, they focused on abortion, and for younger voters, climate change and canceling student debt. For Black and Hispanic voters, meanwhile, Democrats have emphasized grievance politics − warning........

© USA TODAY