Saturday, October 17, 2020

Thumbs Up: An Early Call For Michigan

Colors are at peak right now in many areas of southern lower Michigan.

Many things have changed during the 4 years subsequent to the 2016 election; even Michigan’s peak color season. It was later than usual the last time Donald Trump was elected.

As yesterday was the last sunny day in the foreseeable future as far as the National Weather Service is concerned, Raj and I decided to take a short road trip through the center of Michigan’s thumb. We had taken a similar trip just before the 2016 election. At the time our spirits were buoyed because - despite spotting quite a few Hillary signs along the way – there were more Trump signs than we had seen in all of the metro-Detroit area to date. That, along with my unscientific poll of vehicles bumper stickers in the Ann Arbor area - there were more cars still displaying old Obama stickers than shiny new Hillarys - led me to predict a 2016 Trump victory.

I got the same sense yesterday. Through the heart of the decidedly blue collar Thumb area, including the outskirts of Genesee county home to notoriously Democrat Flint, Trump signs outnumbered Biden signs literally 5 to 1.

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I started counting on the backroads in the outskirts of Genesee county and did so all the way into downtown Frankenmuth in Saginaw county. The tally: 51 Trump signs/flags of different styles, colors and sizes proudly displayed on homes and businesses. Biden signs: 10.

It was not just the abundance of Trump signs, it was the complete lack of Biden support in what should be a  Democrat stronghold that speaks to the, uh, enthusiasm gap.

That’s kind of surprising, as Joey is the standard bearer for the Left’s panoply of issues so important to middle class Americans trying to earn a living and raise their families: defunding the police (there were a lot of Blue Lives Matter flags on display along our route as well), open borders - in order to bring in a lot more cheap foreign labor, turning all sporting events into BLM rallies, and ensuring transgender rights so boys who “think” they’re girls (hee hee) can use the same bathroom as your daughter. Plus, he’s such an eloquent spokesman for all ofnthese causes:

“The idea that an 8-year-old child, or a 10-year-old child, decides, you know, ‘I decided I want to be transgender. That’s what I think I’d like to be, it would make my life a lot easier,’” he said. “There should be zero discrimination.”

I met Joe Biden last year. He was kind, thoughtful, and engaged. When I brought up trans rights, he got very serious. He leaned in and with a finger pointed at my heart, said: “I am in this fight with you. Trans rights are human rights.” I believe him.

I’m afraid a lot of other folks believe him as well. And that’s why I’m again calling Michigan for Trump.