Mobilization is difficult in a traditionally Republican state. The Democrats promoted a car rally in Miami and only ten cars showed up.
The Florida Democratic Party seeks to mobilize voters for the North American presidential elections on November 5, but some refuse to trust Kamala Harris, such as former Portuguese-American candidate Raquel Pacheco.
On Saturday, the party called a rally of cars to tour Miami, the state’s main city in the southeastern United States, but only 10 traveled through one of the few traditionally Democratic counties in a state with a Republican majority and where polls show that Donald Trump is expected to win comfortably.
On the sidelines of the Democratic meeting, Raquel Pacheco tells Lusa that she refuses to vote for Kamala Harris because of the support that, as vice president, she has given to Israel and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu in the conflict in the Gaza Strip. He will vote for independent Jill Stein, who has been campaigning with a pro-Palestinian narrative.
“The state of Florida goes with Trump, the people [democratas] They are trying to mobilize the vote, but it is very difficult,” reports Pacheco, who was a candidate for the state Senate for the party in 2020.
“I think the feeling [dominante entre democratas] It’s mine. People don’t agree with his position. [Kamala Harris] in relation to Gaza or they are not motivated in any way to vote because they think Trump will win,” says Pacheco, while a few meters away the organizers of the caravan decorate their cars with American flags and blue signs, the color of democracy. Party, with the names of Harris and other candidates for local offices.
Many of the props, signs and decorations brought and made available to participants are unused, due to the small number of motorists who attended.
Although she does not want Trump to win, Raquel Pacheco sees the current situation favorable to the former president, since he is tied in the most contested states in the polls or has a small advantage over Harris.
“I don’t agree with him. [Trump] in almost nothing, especially immigrants, women’s rights, LGBT… but in Florida my vote will not matter in this campaign because it is certain that Florida will go with Trump anyway,” he argues.
Among Democrats, he points out, mobilization is “much lower” than in previous elections, such as those of Joe Biden or Barack Obama.
“People vote because they are afraid of what four more years of Trump will do to our country,” and less out of enthusiasm for Kamala Harris, he says.
It’s almost time for the caravan to leave and it falls short, despite being lavishly decorated.
Before the start, the 15 or so participants gather around Joe Saunders, a candidate for local office, who offers some words of encouragement, claiming to be ahead of his Republican rival in early voting.
Ten days before the election, Democrats are taking action at the local level, calling voters who have not yet voted and knocking on doors to distribute leaflets for their candidates, but the task will be difficult, they acknowledge.
The president of the Miami Democratic Club, Amanda Knapp, tells Lusa that for the final result “it will be decisive that all Democrats vote.”
“These elections are different because the other side is hateful and spreads prejudice and I think our Democrats value love and respect and I think they are motivated,” he tells Lusa.
The Party, he maintains, represents “the LGBT community and ethnic minorities,” which are numerous in the population of the largest city in the state of Florida. Kamala Harris “represents them all,” but the idea of four more years of Trump’s presidency is also an important argument.
“Our Democrats are scared… and motivated,” he told Lusa.
Source: Observadora
