I don't think it's a dumb term at all. There's a difference between "dumb" and "overused". It describes an actual phenomenon. It obviously wasn't as strong in western Pennsylvania as it was in other places (and it would be very interesting to read some analysis why) but it still happened. Some states Reagan couldn't possibly win without a very strong showing among white, ethnic, blue-collar Democrats - Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island (in 1984)...
One thing that should be mentioned more often is that the first apperance of "Reagan Democrats" was really in 1972, so they might as well call them "Nixon-Reagan Democrats". And of course, contemporary use of the term is pointless since the demographic has shrunk considerably because of societal change and upward mobility of 1980s and 1990s.
The collapse of the steel industry in the early 80's left unemployment in SW PA significantly higher then the national average. Much of the economic recovery the nation was experiencing in late 1984 had not begun to find its way to that region. Mondale carried Alleghany County (Pittsburgh) by over 90k whereas Carter carried it by barely 25k. There still were Reagan Democrats around the region, though. My grnadfather for one.
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