Social Question

JLeslie's avatar

Are you seeing reports of the Kamala Harris rally in The Villages, Florida?

Asked by JLeslie (65641points) 1 month ago from iPhone

I’m wondering how much it is being seen on TV or reported in news articles around the country. A friend said he saw it in Arizona, but he didn’t say what news outlet. He said they mentioned The Villages is “a hotbed of Trumpers.” So annoying to me.

I read it has been retweeted or posted over 100,000 times. Is that a lot? It’s probably much more by now.

A friend said they counted 427 golf carts in the parade. That’s a lot! Plus, people with Harris signs along the route.

I don’t know if the videos my friends took can be seen by jellies. It seems some are set at minimum friends of friends, not sure if they are public. Here’s some links:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/g9RLxY81zNJSCmpQ/?mibextid=WC7FNe

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/LyB1SGnZVAWxnXAp/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Here’s an X post someone sent me. https://x.com/harris_wins/status/1817268464215601218?s=57&t=P_kPAQrsfXtR85TsQo3q-g

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

25 Answers

janbb's avatar

Nope. Not at all.

JLeslie's avatar

I just found out the people who heard about it are all seeing it on social media, it wasn’t on cable news. That makes more sense to me. The national news almost never picks up anything happening in The Villages for the Democrats, only when it is for the Trumpers.

jonsblond's avatar

I went to a ball game today. I haven’t heard a thing.

jonsblond's avatar

@JLeslie The majority of people in the US have never heard of the Villages. I’ve traveled all over the US, except for the south, and have never heard of it until you mentioned it here on Fluther.

AlaskaTundrea's avatar

It’s been shared quite a few times on Facebook.

seawulf575's avatar

I hadn’t heard anything about it. I looked it up and it is only listed on some fringe outlets. Here is an example:

https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/the-villages-golf-cart-rally-launches-kamala-harris-presidential-campaign-in-florida-watch-article-112071181

Funny thing, though…it never mentions Kamala actually making an appearance. It talks a lot about the golf cart parade but never actually talks about a Harris speech. Apparently it is just Dems pushing her.

The other odd things is that it says it is kicking off her presidential campaign, yet she isn’t the presidential nominee for the Democrat party yet.

Blackwater_Park's avatar

Most of my circle is 50 and under. They’ll have no idea what the villages even are for at least an average of ten more years.
@JLeslie Do they allow under 55 to go ahead and buy property? Can you rent property you own there?

JLeslie's avatar

@jonsblond MSNBC, CNN, social media, and sometimes on regular network news, and shows like The View, make mention of The Villages sporadically. Sporadically, like maybe twice a year, it’s very infrequent and the story might be a meme or a 15 second mention. Even if you have seen a report or two over the years, it would not surprise me at all if you don’t remember, because in the scheme of things it’s insignificant.

I meet more people who never heard of The Villages (TV) than who have, but it’s shocking how many have. Usually, they know the negative myths and stereotypes like: TV has the most STI’s per capita in FL, TV has a bunch of swingers and your pool noodle color indicates how you swing, everyone is a white and rich, everyone is a Republican, no Jews, just to name a few. But, more times than I would expect people who have heard of TV know someone who lives here, a relative or friend, or have spent a winter here.

JLeslie's avatar

@Blackwater_Park We moved here when we were 48 years old. The law is over 80% of the community has to be 55 and older and no one under 19 can be a resident. It’s up to the community whether they let up to the 20% in, that’s literally the law. TV lets under 55 in, because they don’t come close to the 20%, so no worries about losing the over 55 designation. The Villages is now over 140,000 population. It’s huge.

There are some younger couples or singles like I was when I moved here, there are also under 55 spouses, meaning the husband might be 60 and then wife 54, and some people under 55 inherited their parents’ home when the parent died.

Plus, worth mentioning, The Villages has built two K-12 campuses, one is just a year old. The schools are very well rated. Anyone who lives in a Villages family community (all ages) or who works at least 20 hours on TV property can send their kids there. They don’t have to work for TV, they can work for the grocery store or a restaurant on TV commercial real estate.

JLeslie's avatar

I just heard Alex Witt and John Capehart on MSNBC mentioned it on their shows. Going to see if I can find it. Curious what they said.

gorillapaws's avatar

Unfortunately, Blue MAGA upper middle-class retirees in Flordia is the wrong demographic to be wasting time with. She needs to get her ass to the midwest and stay there until November. She needs to meet every union worker left in the rust belt and figure out how to disassociate from the genocidal administration she’s been a part of to win back the pro-Palestine vote in Michigan if she’s got a prayer-in-hell of 270.

JLeslie's avatar

I just saw what was on John Capehart, and first the guest misspoke and said the wrong state. Then John implied The Villages is drastically changing. That’s total bullshit in my opinion, it’s not changing it’s just that the media only usually reports about the Trumpers. The Villages will still have the majority here voting for Trump, but also we always had Democrats here.

I know and am friends with more Democrats here than when I lived in Tennessee. Those bible belt states that are 60% for the Republican candidate are a lost cause for this election, but Florida isn’t that extreme, but still might be out of reach I don’t really know. 2020 presidential result was 51% to 48%, Trump to Biden respectively. Republicans push telling their people to become FL residents and vote here, which I think has been helping them aside from other factors.

@gorillapaws I’m not saying Kamala should focus on The Villages. I do think some Latin American surrogates focusing on Florida could be helpful.

Just this past Wednesday in my dance class the primary coming up was mentioned and someone I know who is smart, American born, very detail oriented, didn’t know or completely understand we have a primary here in a few weeks. Moreover, she still is confused by closed primaries. Imagine what it’s like for minorities who don’t have parents who voted or don’t speak English well.

Florida actually does a great job notifying voters that an election is coming up and how to vote or how to order a mail-in ballot, but I think all of that communication by mail can easily wind up in the trash if it just seems overwhelming to someone.

I think Michigan is going to be really tough for the Democrats this election.

Blackwater_Park's avatar

IMO Kamala stands no chance in November. I would probably go ahead and vote for Trump or just not vote at all. I’m the swing voter she needs and just will not get. We need to put higher IQ levels into the oval office. Neither candidate are really acceptable to me. You can’t listen to these people talk and tell me with a straight face that there is much going on between their ears. I do believe Trump has around one standard deviation over Kamala but it’s fading fast. God almighty, how did she get where she is in life.

gorillapaws's avatar

@JLeslie “I think Michigan is going to be really tough for the Democrats this election.”

Do you think it’s possible to lose Michigan (with all of the corollaries that would have had to come to pass for that to be true) and still get to 270?

Cupcake's avatar

I heard about it on the local news and also saw it on Twitter. Each video that I saw was new to me. I found the news pretty exciting.

janbb's avatar

I did see a mention from yahoo news yesterday.

JLeslie's avatar

@gorillapaws Great question. I haven’t added up the electoral votes. I think Michigan is tough and that Pennsylvania is going to be precarious too with Kamala at the top. I’ll have to get back to you in a few weeks when I might have more of a feel for it. I just looked up: Michigan lost an elector, it now is 15 in Michigan. 19 in Pennsylvania.

gorillapaws's avatar

@JLeslie I just think the CA lawyer who takes huge checks from the billionaires that are trying to make their jobs obsolete, who laughed about prosecuting parents for truancy “I’ve got a little political capital and I’m going to spend some of it.” is going to struggle in the rust belt. I’m pretty sure it’s not possible for her to win without it.

Blackwater_Park's avatar

@gorillapaws You’re spot on in your assessment that the rust belt is the vote required to win the White house. It’s what got Trump elected.

JLeslie's avatar

I just saw some favorability polls on youtube and MI, PA, and WI all gave higher numbers to Harris. Not that I think polls are very accurate at predicting voting, but interesting none the less.

gorillapaws's avatar

@JLeslie Maybe she’s got a chance?

JLeslie's avatar

@gorillapaws Maybe. I’m not betting any money. Lol.

Answer this question

Login

or

Join

to answer.
Your answer will be saved while you login or join.

Have a question? Ask Fluther!

What do you know more about?
or
Knowledge Networking @ Fluther