Democratic Support Base Hispanics Expand Trump Support in Florida
Trump-Biden Both Intensify Battleground State Campaigns This Week
[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Following California and Texas, a survey revealed that in Florida, which has the third-largest number of electoral votes among the 50 U.S. states, support rates for U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden are tied.
Given that Florida is a key battleground state that can determine the outcome of the presidential election, the future election landscape has become difficult to predict. This is interpreted as a sign that the Hispanic vote, which can influence the direction of the U.S. presidential election, is wavering.
According to a Florida poll released on the 8th (local time) by NBC and Marist Poll, Trump and Biden each recorded 48% support among voters who intend to vote. Among registered voters, President Trump’s support was 48%, leading Biden’s 47% by 1 percentage point. According to RealClearPolitics’ aggregation of polls, Biden still leads with 47.8% over Trump’s 46.4%, but the Florida election situation appears to have entered a razor-thin margin.
This survey is seen as a red flag for Biden’s competitiveness in battleground states. Pro-Trump Fox News immediately reported that Biden is stuck in a deadlock in the battleground. Florida is considered one of the six major battleground states along with Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona, and Wisconsin, but it has the largest number of electoral votes at 29.
Due to the winner-takes-all nature of the U.S. presidential election, winning battleground states is essential, making Florida a key target area for victory. In the 2016 presidential election, President Trump narrowly defeated Hillary Clinton by 1.2 percentage points. In the 2000 election, Democratic candidate Al Gore and Republican candidate George W. Bush engaged in a prolonged dispute over the vote count.
The issue is not just Florida alone. Florida has a significant Hispanic population. If the Hispanic vote, a Democratic support base, decreases, Biden’s competitiveness in the general election will inevitably decline further. Online media Business Insider reported that in this NBC survey, 50% of Latino voters supported President Trump, while Biden’s support was only 46%.
From President Trump’s perspective, the tied support rate in Florida is encouraging. On the same day, he visited Florida, claiming it as his residence, appealed for support, and launched a fierce attack on Democratic candidate Biden. According to U.S. media, President Trump said in a speech in Jupiter, Florida, "This is my home." Instead of New York, where he lived all his life, Trump moved his residence last September to Palm Beach, Florida, where his Mar-a-Lago resort is located. On the same evening, President Trump also visited Winston-Salem, North Carolina, another battleground state, to appeal for support.
The competition between the two in battleground states is expected to continue throughout this week. Biden is scheduled to visit Michigan on the 9th to criticize Trump’s offshore policy failures and announce manufacturing policies including the purchase of American-made products. President Trump is also expected to visit Michigan and launch a counterattack.
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