I would argue that these states are in a better position, in part, because they've succeed in capturing the redistribution of wealth into things like technology and the service industries. Free trade agreements have been successful for expanding American's economic opportunity in these domains, but they've done so by offering up in exchange the livelihoods of many in the Rust Belt. While gestures have been made in the direction retraining these workers, the reality is that we're more than happy to depict them as the ignorant masses who can't "get with the times." This is of course an entirely self-serving narrative by those who architected their demise for their own benefit.
I agree, but this is why I ways point to the states involved. For every state that benefitted from this more open economy you can see a clear set of decisions that embrace that change. For every failed one you can see a state that did almost nothing in response to those changes.
