In his bid to retake the White House, few states hold as much promise for Donald Trump as Michigan.

The former president has already won the state once and President Joe Biden, who reclaimed it for Democrats in 2020, is confronting vulnerabilities there as he seeks reelection. Trump’s campaign promises an aggressive play for Michigan as part of a robust swing-state strategy.

But, at least for now, those promises appear to be mostly talk. The Trump campaign and its partners at the Republican National Committee haven’t yet made significant general election investments in the state, according to Michigan Republican Party Chairman Pete Hoekstra. The national committee, he said, hasn’t transferred any money to the state party to help bolster its operations heading into the general election. There are no specific programs in place to court voters of color. And there’s no general election field staff in place.

    • Willy@sh.itjust.works
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      8 months ago

      it’s kind of amazing that campaigns do anything anyway, this election more than ever. what could an ad or a rally convince anyone of at this point?

      • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Quick check shows that 2020 election had the highest turnout of the 21st Century. About 66% of eligible voters bothered to cast a ballot.

        Getting those apathetic folks to the polls would mean a huge win for one side or the other

        • Nollij
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          8 months ago

          “Fun” fact: In 2020, more people voted for Donald Trump than for any candidate in any previous election. It’s a feat that Joe Biden also did at the same time, plus an extra 7 million votes.

          • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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            8 months ago

            Hopefully, Biden gets an additional 20 million on top of the previous seven.

            They must be crushed.

      • FaceDeer@fedia.io
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        8 months ago

        Bear in mind that you’re in a “politics” community comment section, so you’re probably much more informed about the subject than the vast majority of people.

      • Nollij
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        8 months ago

        There are a surprising number of people that think their options are either voting for the Republican that’s blasting them in the ass or the Democrat that’s blasting them in the ass. There are also a bunch that truly don’t see their lives changing much, regardless of who wins.

        Convincing them that one option will be better for them/their loved ones/the world is difficult, but very possible. This also includes motivating supporters to cast a ballot at all.

        Money in a political campaign is the single biggest factor in its performance at the polls.

        • Habahnow@sh.itjust.works
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          8 months ago

          There are also a bunch that truly don’t see their lives changing much, regardless of who wins.

          expanding on Noliij’s point, the changes that the president and their party pushes are usually impacts that are slow to roll out, which makes it hard to really note the difference in party and candidate. This applies more if you’re less politically informed, and is a boon for Republicans.