Reading political tea leaves is always fun. Trump’s been doing a two rally a day blitz lately and has the same planned for the last week run up to the election — but where is the crucial factor, which explains his last minute strategy.
Oct. 31: Fort Myers, Florida
Nov. 1: Columbia, Missouri
Nov. 2: Huntington, West Virginia and an undisclosed location in Indiana
Nov. 3: Bozeman, Montana and an undisclosed location in Florida
Nov. 4: Macon, Georgia and Chattanooga, Tennessee
Nov. 5: Fort Wayne, Indiana and Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Q. What do they all have in common, Watson? A. They’re all “Trump country in a Trump state” according to Axios:
Between the lines: The Cook Political Report’s elections analyst Amy Walter told me the schedule, developed by White House Political Director Bill Stepien, is a “very strategically smart tour” and also appears to her to basically “concede the House.”
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“It’s all about the Senate… really expanding the Senate,” Walter said when I shared the presidential travel schedule with her.
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Trump is “going to the places where he remains popular, more rural or exurban, and he’s staying away from big cities that have suburbs where he’s toxic,” Walter said.
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“It’s notable, by the way, that he’s not spending the last week in places that won him the White House in 2016,” Walter added. For example, Trump is not rallying in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin or Michigan.
It’s not a strategy that the White House is copping to, that much is certain. And for all of Trump’s braying about how the Democrats are “too violent” to govern, like “arsonists with matches” he’s not doing much to stand up to to them. Of course, if queried, Trump would simply say that the “red wave” has insured that the House already stays in Republican hands, so he doesn’t have to worry about it, or some such drivel.
Another reason for these rallies in these locations, is, plain and simple, he’s less likely to start a riot in these venues.
It will be fascinating to see what he says November 7. I’m sure it’s on your to-do list.
