‘We Need You’: GOP Hunts For New Voters In Trump Territory
Supposedly, these voters are overlooked by polls that show Trump consistently trailing Democrat
They are disaffected and disconnected from conventional politics. Yet they flock to the Republican president’s rallies, plaster their yards with signs and have been filling up voter registration rolls, the campaign insists.
In few places will this strategy be tested as in
But the math behind the theory is tight. Trump’s plan requires blowout victories and historic turnout in conservative strongholds across the state, places where he outperformed traditional
“Trump has to drive turnout,” said
The strategy is more difficult to execute given the stunning disruption wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, both in terms of a public health crisis and nationwide economic dislocation.
Trump’s handling of the virus has cost him support among suburban women and older voters. His response to the civil unrest reacting to police killings of Black men only served to energize the resolve of Black women, as candidates and as voters. His wrecking-ball persona has prompted some of his backers in 2016 to reject him.
So his fate lies in large part in places like
Republican turnout in
Longo, 30, was elected mayor of
His suits are tailored, his beard manicured and he drives entrepreneurs through
The mayor has aimed to turn out younger voters, a group that normally favors
“Most dear to me, first and foremost, would be abortion — obviously, pro-life,” said
“He’s not a politician,” Good said. “He does get stuff done. He’s a businessman, you know. He doesn’t mess around, it seems.”
Patricelli said Trump seemed like too much of a wild card in 2016. He wrestled for months with his decision this year, believing that Biden was a moderate even if the
“I do like Trump because he’s shaken things up and is not bought and paid for,” he said. “He’s sticking to his promises.”
But while Trump can tally up some first-time and third-party voters, he continues to lose
At 52, she retired from working at a Walmart store and has seen
“There is just too much division in this country,” she said. “If you’re a leader, you don’t incite, you quiet the storm. I know all politicians lie, cheat and scam — but it’s just too much to me. Biden — he’s calmer, he doesn’t spew with the hate.”
The Trump campaign has long known its best shot at winning was finding new voters in its strongholds, rather than persuading swing
There are signs of success: In Florida, the party has registered 475,500
But in
Butler County has 10,600
A similar pattern played out in 10 major Republican counties in
The obstacle for Trump is that
“For both campaigns, they’re seeing an acceleration of the trends we saw in 2016,” said
While
Many of the Republican volunteers in
“It is the way of life that this election is about — and that is what is dividing people,” she said.
While the pandemic is often viewed as a millstone on the president’s popularity,
“You start with the proposition that most of the people here are very alienated by the
Beyond cultural issues, he summarized his case directly: “We’re afraid that if the Biden ticket wins, that the gas and oil thing is going to be shut down.”
Trump signs might dominate, but frustrated
“Other years, people tended to be a little more cautious about putting up signs because they’re in a place with a Republican majority,” Lalonde said. “But this year, they feel they have to do it.”
But in
“I’ve never seen anything like it — we are where
Trump will need many more like Adams if he is to win a second term.
AP data reporter
AP’s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early, by mail or absentee from each state: https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/.
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