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Why is Donald Trump campaigning in California, a state he's almost certain to lose?
Channel 3000 News/AP ^ | October 13, 2024 | AP Staff

Posted on 10/13/2024 7:03:24 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin

With the presidency on the line in battlegrounds like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, why would Donald Trump venture into California, one of the most solidly Democratic states, just weeks before Election Day?

Trump is almost certain to lose California, and that won't change after his scheduled Saturday stop in Coachella, a desert city east of Los Angeles best known for the annual music festival bearing its name. Still, there are practical reasons for him to visit, despite the Republican nominee's prospects Nov. 5 in the most populous state.

The former president lost California in a landslide in 2020. He did get 6 million-plus votes, more than any GOP presidential candidate before, and his margins topped 70% in some rural counties that typically favor conservatives on the ballot.

That’s an enormous pool of potential volunteers to work on state races and participate in phone banks into the most contested states. And Trump is likely to draw extensive media coverage in the Los Angeles market, the second-largest in the country.

Trump is visiting Coachella in between stops in Nevada, at a roundtable in Las Vegas for Latinos earlier Saturday — where he praised Hispanics as having “such energy” — and Arizona, for a rally Sunday in Prescott Valley. He narrowly lost those two swing states to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

Attendees waiting in broiling temperatures that approached 100 degrees Saturday said they didn't expect Trump to win their state but were thrilled to see him.

“It’s like a convention of like-minded people,” Tom Gibbons of Palm Desert said as he stood in line at a food truck on the polo fields that will house the crowd at the Coachella event. “Everybody understands the heartbeat of America, the plight of the working man. ... It’s reassuring.”

(Excerpt) Read more at channel3000.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections; US: California; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: 20241105; 2024election; ca; california; coachella; election; election2024; electionday; hispanics; kamalaharris; minnesota; timwalz; trump
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Going to California gives Trump the “ability to swoop in and leverage this big population of Trump supporters,” said Tim Lineberger, who was communications director for Trump’s 2016 campaign in Michigan and also worked in the former president’s administration. He’s “coming here and activating that.”
1 posted on 10/13/2024 7:03:24 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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To: FRiends

Posted for the ‘Nattering Neighbobs of Negativity’ around here. ;)


2 posted on 10/13/2024 7:04:13 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Trump’s in Prescott AZ Today !


3 posted on 10/13/2024 7:07:53 AM PDT by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

This is an unprecedented “election”, a turning point. The Restoration of the Republic.

As such, EVERY state is in play. Mine too (MA).


4 posted on 10/13/2024 7:08:03 AM PDT by C210N (Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Who or what says that Coachella is attended ONLY by Californians?


5 posted on 10/13/2024 7:08:22 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Also, this area is close to Vegas and Arizona


6 posted on 10/13/2024 7:09:20 AM PDT by bort
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Popular vote - getting that will help in the case where dems don’t want to certify the election and help in the overall narratives. Since the dems usually get the popular vote and won’t shut up about it, we won’t have to listen to them for once.


7 posted on 10/13/2024 7:09:28 AM PDT by Pollard (Will work for high tunnel money!)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

He also potentially helps down-ballot races.


8 posted on 10/13/2024 7:11:33 AM PDT by Yogafist
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

In addition to trying to help down ballot races and get volunteers that could be used to help in other states, I’m wondering if he just isn’t trying to get as many votes as possible (even with no chance of victory) to help win the national popular vote. This is useful in PR, and I think some states have passed laws giving their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.


9 posted on 10/13/2024 7:12:33 AM PDT by power2 (JMJ)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

IIRC Trump lost NV by a mere 33,000+/- votes. Clark and Washoe county. The other 14 sparsely populated counties Trump all the way. Maybe this time....... That’s why I support Mrs rktman’s idea of one county, one electoral vote. 😊👍


10 posted on 10/13/2024 7:12:33 AM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within ? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉! 🇮🇱👍!)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Because, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, there are still some Americans left in California and even though their votes are worthless, they are American enough to want to get in on saving America from the UN and all its “refugee” freeloader “immigrants”.


11 posted on 10/13/2024 7:13:41 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Remember, the illegal aliens and thieving foreigners don't want AMERICA TO BE GREAT AGAIN.)
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To: Gaffer

Exactly—even this time of year that entire valley has a lot of out of state residents visiting.


12 posted on 10/13/2024 7:14:30 AM PDT by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

One or two congressional seats flipping Dem - Rep could make a big difference in legislation.


13 posted on 10/13/2024 7:14:36 AM PDT by Oscar in Batangas (An Honors Graduate from the Don Rickles School of Personal Verbal Intercourse)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

There have been a number of good explanations offered for why Trump decided to do this rally. But on some level, I suspect it was a gut decision by Trump. Maybe he senses a tipping point in popular opinion. At some point, if you want to win in a mandate, you have to energize support in all 50 states. Even in the likely event that he loses California, if he can narrow the loss to, say, 10%, that would be a powerful message.

There are undoubtedly a lot of conservatives who don’t bother to vote in California because, “what’s the point”? The actual margins would probably be a lot closer if conservative voters felt there was a reason to vote. Trump has given them a reason to vote this election.


14 posted on 10/13/2024 7:15:12 AM PDT by mbrfl
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Anyone asking this question or coming to such a conclusion to ask such a question does not understand politics in any way.


15 posted on 10/13/2024 7:16:14 AM PDT by CodeToad (Rule #1: The elites want you dead.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Because Trump understand that if you just go after people who voted for you in the past you will get the results of the past.

You need to invite new people to the party. Most will say no but some will come out and dance with you.

In a time when more people do not vote then vote that is a big honking lot of people who are waiting to be asked.

16 posted on 10/13/2024 7:21:16 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear ( Not my circus. Not my monkeys. But I can pick out the clowns at 100 yards.)
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To: C210N

“As such, EVERY state is in play. Mine too (MA).”

No harm in dreaming.


17 posted on 10/13/2024 7:21:30 AM PDT by kenmcg (ti hi o)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

California is ripe for the picking

The Democrats have just about made the state unlivable in the major cities.

But, Trump would have to generate an overwhelming majority of the vote to overcome the Democrat’s voter fraud machine.


18 posted on 10/13/2024 7:22:40 AM PDT by Pontiac (esse welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

When a candidate has limited resources like Trump as compared to his opposition, you don’t waste them in quixotic dreams. Bestt one can hope for is California secedes from the union to become Mexico’s northernmost province. Stick to the knitting of concentrating on battleground states which are the key to victory.


19 posted on 10/13/2024 7:24:09 AM PDT by chuckee
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To: CodeToad

A lot of people have wondered why he went t California -maybe not around here, but Freepers are a lot more politically savvy than your average voter. This columnist is simply acknowledging that many of his readers are puzzled by it and has offered a few explanations, most of which were reasonable.


20 posted on 10/13/2024 7:25:35 AM PDT by mbrfl
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