Republicans in Arizona are already seeing the storm. The state was considered a Republican stronghold for decades and has voted for a Democratic presidential candidate only once since 1948. But the state is changing rapidly. In recent years, Arizona has attracted many young people and Latinos, two groups that vote predominantly Democratic.
Hillary Clinton already smelled an opportunity here in 2016 and spent a significant portion of her campaign funds in Arizona. Trump would eventually win the state, but the gap between the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates hadn’t been so small in a quarter of a century.
The elderly can make the difference
Arizona also has a relatively large number of retirees who visit the sunny climate of this desert state. Lorna Romero is a Republican strategist in Arizona who served as spokeswoman for noted Republican senator and former presidential candidate John McCain, who died of cancer in 2018. She thinks that the older voters can make a difference this election year.
“The fact that Trump has become less popular with people over 65 in Arizona can be traced directly to his approach to the corona crisis,” Romero concludes. “Older people have been hit hardest by the pandemic. Many have become ill and are extra vulnerable. Seniors have not been able to see their families in recent months because of the risks. They blame Trump for not taking the crisis seriously enough.”
Especially in Arizona this can have consequences for the president. “Turnout among older voters is always high. Now Trump is losing part of a voter group that faithfully goes to the polls. That is very damaging to his campaign.”
For example, the voice of the American elderly is no longer a wall of defense for Trump, but a gray wave that threatens to submerge his campaign.
–
