Politics

Swing State Democrats Worry Biden’s Low-Key Campaigning Could Backfire

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Some Democrats in critical battlegrounds worry that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is not campaigning vigorously enough in their states.

While Biden has taken a low-key approach to campaign across the country amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Democratic figures in Texas and North Carolina remarked that his method may not be enough to get him 270 electoral votes.

Gilberto Hinojosa, the chair of the Texas Democratic Party, called Biden’s limited campaigning due to the pandemic a “pretty lame excuse,” the Associated Press reported, arguing that campaigning in Hispanic-heavy states like Texas and Arizona could increase his chances of victory in November.

“I thought he had his own plane. He doesn’t have to sit with one space between another person on a commercial airline like I would,” he said.

Hinojosa underscored the importance of boosting Latino turnout in November, saying that wins in Arizona and Texas could ensure a Biden victory even if he fails to sweep Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, the AP reported.

Biden’s campaign has defended its campaign style, emphasizing its prioritization of safety and following of local health guidelines.

“We are campaigning safely and effectively,” Biden spokesman TJ Ducklo told the AP. “Our message is reaching voters in battleground states and generating the enthusiasm and energy we need to beat Donald Trump.”

Since Biden selected California Sen. Kamala Harris on Aug. 11 he has only travelled outside of Delaware 12 times, and has had 22 days with no public appearances.

Though President Donald Trump has resumed large scale rallies, sometimes over the objections of public health officials, he has made 24 trips to 17 different states over the same period, according to the AP.

Hinojosa’s concerns were echoed by Collette Alston, the chair of a local North Carolina African American Caucus, who said that Biden was failing to energize critical voters in her state.

“I do believe he can win North Carolina,” she told the AP. “Can he win it based on what he’s doing right now? No. That’s not the way to win it.”

Biden’s strategy has been criticized by numerous Republicans, including Trump himself, who pounced on the announcement that Biden’s campaign had called a lid on events Thursday morning.

“Did you see he did a lid this morning again?” Trump said Thursday night during a rally in Jacksonville, Florida.

“So he does a lid all the time… I’m in Texas. I’m in Ohio. I’m in North Carolina, South Carolina. I’m in Michigan. I’m all over the place,” Trump said, according to the AP.