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Lee DeVito
I sign for Joe Biden's campaign in Royal Oak.
As we all know by now, Donald Trump narrowly eked out a victory over Hillary Clinton in Michigan in 2016, winning by some 10,000 votes. In retrospect, Clinton organizers blamed the campaign for taking Michigan for granted and failing to "get the basics of campaigning right," with Clinton never even setting foot in a UAW hall in 2016.
Now, some Democrats are sounding a similar alarm for Joe Biden's campaign.
According to a new story by Time, Biden doesn't have a Michigan campaign office. The campaign could not confirm the existence of any field offices in the state, and has yet to even print literature for canvassers to drop off. Meanwhile, Trump signs are prevalent, and Trump recently held a large rally near Saginaw that drew thousands, despite the threat of the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, Biden's recent Detroit stop was a more low-key affair and was not publicized, thought it did draw more Trump supporters than Biden supporters, Time reports.
The campaign told Time that in fact, Biden's campaign is significantly bigger than Clinton's, and adds that it reached out to 1.4 million voters during the Democratic National Convention. Due to the pandemic, it has instead focused on a largely digital campaign that includes digital organizing events and text-message canvassing.
"This strategy makes sense during a global pandemic," Time reports. "The campaign is prioritizing public health at a moment when Trump is flagrantly disregarding it. But the juxtaposition of Trump’s loud and proud campaign and Biden’s invisible digital operation makes some Democrats increasingly anxious."
Polls have shown Biden has an an edge over Trump in Michigan, but it may be shrinking. Clinton also polled better than Trump in Michigan.
The thing about Trump and his supporters is they like to say his movement represents the "silent majority." If Biden wins in November, it seems his supporters will be the true silent majority.
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