"The gullible uneducated white folks that Trump was able to galvanize would have never voted for someone labeled a communist."

Are you kidding ? Midwest states from 90+% white Iowa to Pennsylvania voted twice for a black guy with a Muslim middle name. By the way, there was a "Communist/Socialist" who ran for POTUS in 2008 who was accused of trying to run the US economy like that of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (Soviet Union). No, I'm not talking about Bernie, just watch Glenn Beck from February, 2008.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ9Io6Qe-k0

The argument of "experienced" and "qualified" presented by Clinton imploded not once but twice. She presented the very same argument against Obama in 2008. In 2016, she came pretty close to losing to yet another "socialist" you never heard about. 2008 was a change election and so was 2016. Voter are willing to take risks in change elections. Obama and Trump are exhibit A and B for that purpose.

You can't just dismiss and denigrate "gullible uneducated white folks" who have taken the brunt of deindustrialization in Rustbelt states. These folks from these states (except for IN ... I don't know what the heck is wrong with IN) have voted consistently for Democrats at POTUS level since early 1990s. People vote for change because they are seeking hope. Whether their hope materializes (or not) is a different discussion.

Macomb County near Detroit, MI, a heavily white blue color county, is a representative case of "gullible uneducated white folks" floating (and sinking) Democrats.