CHARLOTTE, North Carolina–With larger battleground states like Florida and Ohio trending against her, Hillary’s campaign is zeroing in on this traditionally red state to block Trump from reaching 270 electoral votes and the White House.
Mitt Romney narrowly won North Carolina’s fifteen electoral votes in 2012 after President Obama won the state in 2008. If the Clinton campaign can deny Trump a victory in the Tar Heel state, his path to an electoral majority narrows significantly.
Struggling with multiple scandals and the FBI’s decision to reopen the investigation into Hillary’s handling of classified information, the Clinton campaign’s choice to make their final stand in a state where they need to outperform President Obama reeks of desperation.
As the Trump campaign expands campaign operations into states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which until recently were considered safe Clinton victories, President Obama, Vice President Biden, former President Bill Clinton, VP nominee Tim Kaine, comedian Will Ferrell, HBO’s Lena Dunham, rapper NE YO, and Hillary herself are making separate campaign appearances here in the final days before the November 8th election.
Hillary struggles to piece together the Obama coalition
The Clinton campaign’s tactics and messaging here show they are worried about the lack of enthusiasm with major voting blocs in the winning Obama coalition. Early voting shows turnout among North Carolina’s black voters lagging behind Obama in 2012 and polling shows her bleeding support with millennials. The campaign is turning to surrogates without Hillary’s baggage to turn out these critical voting blocs.
A radio ad airing on one of Charlotte’s R&B/Hip-Hop radio stations, 92.7 The Block, barely mentions Hillary and instead focuses on President Obama. “My legacy is on the ballot,” Obama roars in the ad. “Tolerance is on the ballot. Democracy is on the ballot. Justice is on the ballot. Good schools are on the ballot.” Noticeably absent among the things Obama lists as being on the ballot is the person whose name actually appears on the ballot, Hillary Clinton. Other radio and video ads released by the Clinton campaign and their allies attempt to focus the attention away from Clinton and to Obama.
Obama will also stump for Hillary at an event aimed at millennials at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Wednesday. Over the Halloween weekend, the Clinton campaign deployed Lena Dunham and Will Ferrell to colleges across the state to woo millennials, many of whom are angry over collusion between the Democrat Party, DNC, and Clinton campaign to rig the Democrat presidential primary against Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
Clinton slides in polls despite spending advantage
Clinton has held a small lead in North Carolina polling, but two polls sampled after the FBI reopened the criminal investigation into her emails show Trump surging into the lead. A SurveyUSA poll conducted over the weekend shows Trump opening up a seven-point lead, 51-44%.
The Clinton campaign has spent $5.5 million in the state, while the Trump campaign has spent less than $2 million, according to OpenSecrets.
Clinton campaign loads schedule with NC events in final day
Vice President Joe Biden will campaign in Charlotte and rapper NE YO will hold a free “Get Out The Vote” concert in Raleigh Tuesday evening.
President Obama will campaign in Chapel Hill on Wednesday.
Hillary is scheduled to make a campaign stop in the state on Thursday, although the campaign has not released details.
President Obama will hold separate campaign events in Fayetteville and Charlotte on November 4th.
Trump adds two campaign stops in NC on Thursday
The Trump campaign announced today that Trump will hold rallies in Concord and Selma North Carolina on Thursday
Dustin Stockton is a political reporter for Breitbart News, a community liaison for Gun Owners of America, and a political strategist. Follow him on Twitter @DustinStockton or Facebook.
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