Well, as anecdotal evidence, in my area of Pennsylvania I’ve seen a number of Trump signs - a couple very large. Not one Hillary sign.
And I don’t live in a particularly conservative area - in fact, slightly more people voted in the Democrat primaries than in the Republican primaries.
Lots of folks are acting like the election is this Tuesday.
It’s not even Labor Day.
I think the mid-terms were the indicator.
All the republicans that delivered the sunami repudiating Obama are now out for the bait-and-switch republican’s political blood.
It just so happens the Reagan democrats get Trump’s appeal, too.
Obama and his "historical" status paralyzed the Republican establishment. The wise men at the top of the GOP basically decided not to oppose him, because they could not think up a way to do so that would not result in accusations of racism being leveled against them by the fully-in-the-tank MSM.
Hillary is more toxic than Obama, and while the "First Black President" looked like a shiny new tricycle under the Christmas tree, the "First Woman President" looks more like a pair of broken-down running shoes from five or six years ago.
I too find it amazing that a candidate who obviously finds it impossible to attract a live audience of more than a couple hundred listeners on a very good day is marginally ahead of a candidate who easily attracts tens of thousands, in this age of experiencing-the-world-through-your-iPad couch potatery.
Not to mention the fact that most of those audience members are bussed in and - in some cases - paid for their trouble.
Few signs or bumper stickers here in central Virginia, either way.
I don’t believe that she’s up 16 points in VA.
I know they’ve imported a lot of voters, but there’s no way that it’s that many.
VA will be close.
The other side of the coin is that some people who've said they're voting for Trump may be so worn down by all the controversies that they may just not go to the polls in November.
I'm not convinced that crowd sizes and crowd enthusiasm are that important though. If they were, Trump would be running against Bernie Sanders.
In 2012, my skeet partner, who lived in a well to do and conservative neighborhood, went around his neighborhood and put Obama signs in all the neighbor’s yards. He got his daughter to take pictures of him doing it......busted! He raised heck on all his neighbors the following morning for being crack-pot lefties! Lololololol
I don’t think that is happening there in Pa.......
Romney had about a million more votes than McCain.
Obama had about 3.5 million votes less than he got in 2008.
I never believed 4 or 5 million Repubs stayed home.
I will always wonder where the 3.5 million Obama voters went and did they even really exist in 2008 ?
Anecdotal evidence is not necessarily wrong, but not definitive either.
I’m beginning to suspect that Romney, being part of the establishment, purposely lost the 2012 election - he was probably told to make sure and lose by doners.
My anecdotal evidence is that I only see “Hillary for Prison” bumper stickers but plenty of Trump/Pence ones.
Also, I live near and drove through Warwick NY last weekend. I saw plenty of Trump signs, no Hillary.
Warwick is a hippy dippy liberal town. Sure, it’s surrounded by farmers and conservatives, but in the town itself it is dominated by red diaper babies. Note, I’m talking in general here, there are certainly conservatives that live there, but a Republican trying to get elected in Warwick has a huge up hill climb.
Excellent essay, thanks!
Lots of Trump visuals here in Southern California (vacationing). I’ve seen only 1 Hillary bumper sticker. VERY SURPRISING!
Stick a fork in her.
I think this might possibly be the one election where a high turnout might actually be really good. I think maybe a lot of folks are engaged who have never have been or haven’t been for a long time. I think most of those people will vote Trump. We’ll see I guess.
Freegards
Ignore all media
Get Out The Vote
I think you are underestimating the #nevertrumpers around though, I have my own anecdotal set of stories, there are a LOT of them.
I have talked several people off the ledge who were once #nevertrumpers, but I know a WHOLE LOT MORE! I also know a whole lot of people who may not like him as their first choice, but are going to vote for him anyway. Some enthusiastically.
This election is still in flux, so I am focusing on doing three different things:
First, shore up the base and those who will surely vote for Trump as long as the full court press from the MSM/internetoligarch complex doesn't work, so their media collusion does not discourage them or change their mind.
Second, change the minds of the #nevertrumpers and the #mightaswellbenevertrumpers. They can and should be talked off the ledge, if nothing else they can be shown just how bad Hillary is and will be, plus the Supreme Court in the balance (tell them about the choice of his judges). Bring this number down to irrelevant.
Third: Ridicule Hillary, and ridicule (softly if you can) those who are considering voting for the most incompetent (zero actual accomplishments), corrupt, most dishonest, most power hungry and greedy person to ever run for the presidency. Help them understand the shame and insanity of voting for that kind of person. Help them stay home on election day. Discourage them, make them feel sick at their nominee.