No they didn't "drift away" they were driven off by Dem policies, legislation, and regulations that harmed the blue collar base. That cost them their jobs. That stifled job growth. That lowered their wages and increased their taxes. This is not a case of the Dem's not paying attention to the blue collar base, Dem's have been kicking them in the nuts trying to appease these other groups.
Um... no.
Okay, going to show you some numbers here.
What percentage of the White vote did the Republican get?
Donald Trump got 57% of the White Vote in 2016.
Mitt Romney got 59% of the white vote in 2012
John McCain (You know the guy who is dying and you are all happy) got 55% in 2008. Yup, underwater mortgages, busted 401K's, a losing war, and 55% of you will vote for a man you hate if he has an R behind his name.
George W. Stupid got 58% of the White vote in 2004 and 54% in 2000
Bob Dole got 46% of the White vote, but 9% of the white vote went to Ross Perot.
Poppy Bush only got 41% of the White vote, but 21% of it went to Perot. Back in 1988, he got 60% of the White Vote
Ronald Reagan got 56% of the White vote in 1980 and 66% in 1984.
Jerry Ford, clumsy oaf that he was, STILL got 52% of the white vote. You can wreck the economy and pardon tricky dick and make the savings of white people worthless, and STILL get 52% of the White vote if you have an R behind your name.
How Groups Voted in 1976 - Roper Center
So, um, no, Trump didn't really represent a great awakening by stupid white people. White people have always been kind of stupid, and Trump did less well than Reagan, Both Bushes and even that Weird Mormon Robot you guys nominated that one time.
What happened- unfortunately, is too many white people who actually vote their own economic interests usually voted for third party candidates because they were told "Hillary was a crook" and "She has it in the bag".
But bad news, white people... you were only 70% of the vote in 2016. You were only 72% of the electorate in 2012, and 74% in 2008.
and no one is going to make the Third Party mistake next time.