Midterms are Midterms, and barely a third of the electorate even showed up to vote in 2014. In 2016 it's obvious that Presidential coattails dominated all downballot votes (literally every State voted the same on Senate elections as their Presidential vote). You don't pronounce the death of Democrats in the Midwest over two atypical election cycles.
But of course, if Democrats accept your logic and decide that the Midwest in lost to them, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Did I say to abandon them altogether? No. I still want Democrats to fight hard to make sure Tammy Baldwin gets reelected and to throw out Emperor Walker, but if Russ Feingold can't win let alone outperform Hillary, the state is clearly becoming unfriendly territory for Democrats. You can blame job outsourcing, automation, or Walker for destroying unions, but all of these factors are quite difficult to reverse.
Michigan and Pennsylvania can be won back somewhat easier, but it won't be with the exact same coalition that Obama or any previous Democrat was able to put together.
