I spent a good chunk of the day at the world’s largest cranberry festival in Warrens, Wisconsin. It struck me that there were hundreds of people wearing pro-Trump gear, and dozens of vendors selling pro-Trump gear, but I did not see a single pro Biden or Harris thing. Not a shirt. Not a hat. Not a button. Nothing. Nowhere.
No doubt there was a pro-Harris person in there somewhere, but I didn’t see them. While my observation was passive for the first couple of hours, I began to really look for one once it struck me.
Nothing.
I realize that Warrens is in the middle of conservative, rural, Wisconsin, but it was striking that there was not a single pro-Harris person willing to wear the brand.
Trumpsters are fare more enthusiastic while also being just plain sick of the country’s trajectory. Plus they have cool hats to wear and a heck of a better argument than “looking holistically at the connection between that and housing, and looking holistically at the incentives we in the federal government can create for local and state governments to actually engage in planning in a holistic manner “.
Harris/Waltz just have the usual boring yard signs, have to bus in 70% of their (repeat) rally attendees, fake impromptu deli stops with paid actors, and hide their candidate.
But are cool hats and good arguments and enthusiasm enough?
Warrens sits in the N.E. corner of Monroe county, which Trump won in 2020 60%-37%. Trump also won the surrounding counties of Jackson, Juneau, and Vernon. Trump did lose La Crosse county, which (natural pun) sits to the left of Monroe. (Gosh, why would La Crosse be blue…?)
Warrens is also in the WI 7th congressional district, which geographically covers more than 1/3 of the state. Aside from the always-blue Bayfield and Douglas counties, the 7th has been going red since 2010, when (R) Duffy won and took over from retiring 40-year rep (D] Dave Obey. Obama won the district in 2008 but in 2012 they slid slightly right and picked soft repub and weirdo Pierre Delecto. In 2016 Trump won the district with 58%. In 2020 Trump won with 59%.
Sounds good, eh?
The 7th district has 747,000+/- of the states people. Milwaukee county alone has 918,000+/-, and they went 80% for Biden. If the last prez election rates hold, a single county would out vote 1/3 of the state’s area by about 280,000 votes. (A state electoral college, anyone?)
I certainly hope the enthusiasm, good arguments, and happy hat wearin’ encourages the wishy-washy and previous non-voters to see the light.