{"id":31473,"date":"2020-10-11T12:57:18","date_gmt":"2020-10-11T16:57:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=31473"},"modified":"2020-10-11T12:58:23","modified_gmt":"2020-10-11T16:58:23","slug":"look-at-how-the-msm-is-outright-lying-about-the-largest-retirement-community-in-the-usa-the-villages-is-over-90-republican-as-fiercely-loyal-to-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=31473","title":{"rendered":"Look at how the MSM is outright lying about the largest retirement community in the USA. The Villages is over 75% Republican and fiercely loyal to Trump!"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>A Senior warning sign for Trump: &#8216;Go Biden&#8217; cry at Villages<\/h1>\n<p><!--more--><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2000.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-31476\" srcset=\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2000.jpg 2000w, http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2000-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2000-1024x682.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2000-768x511.jpg 768w, http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2000-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>AP<\/p>\n<p>THE VILLAGES, Fla. (AP) \u2014 Sara Branscome\u2019s golf cart whizzed down the smooth asphalt path that winds through The Villages, the nation\u2019s largest retirement community, an expanse of beautiful homes, shops and entertainment venues that bills itself as \u201cFlorida\u2019s Friendliest Hometown.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Branscome\u2019s cart was festooned with two American flags that flapped in the warm afternoon breeze. A line of oncoming carts bedecked with balloons and patriotic streamers chugged past while honking. Branscome jabbed her left foot on the horn pedal, then gave a thumbs-up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cThis gets you rejuvenated and ready for the next month or so, so we can do this and win. It gives you hope,\u201d the 60-year-old retiree said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/9be8d7ae4983457e94c942a0128618b7\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/9be8d7ae4983457e94c942a0128618b7\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">A parade of over 300 golf carts supporting Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden caravanned to the Sumter County Elections office to cast their ballots during early voting in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo\/John Raoux)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Then she let out a whoop and two surprising words: \u201cGo Biden!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">It\u2019s not a cry that might be expected to resound in The Villages, and it\u2019s certainly not one that is encouraging to President Donald Trump. Older voters helped propel him to the White House \u2014 the Pew Research Center estimates Trump led among voters 65 and older by 9 percentage points in 2016 \u2014 and his campaign hoped they would be a bulwark to cement a second term.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">They remain a huge chunk of the electorate. Pew estimates that nationwide, nearly 1 in 4 eligible voters will be 65 and older. It\u2019s the highest level on record, going back to 1970.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">But there have been warnings that older voters are in play. To be sure, Trump has solid support among older adults, but his campaign has seen a drop-off in its internal research, according to campaign aides, and some public polls suggest Democrat Joe Biden is running ahead or just even with Trump.<\/p>\n<div class=\"Component-embed-0-2-60 block-0-2-11\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-B8w3Z\" title=\"Higher US turnout for older voters\" src=\"https:\/\/interactives.ap.org\/embeds\/B8w3Z\/2\/\" width=\"100%\" height=\"400\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Interactive line chart\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Mostly, it seems, older voters have been put off by Trump\u2019s handling of the coronavirus, which affects these voters more acutely than others. They were particularly alarmed by Trump\u2019s performances at daily task force briefings in the spring because his remarks showed an uneven handling of the crisis and inspired little confidence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">The president has tried to shore up his popularity with older adults. He has emphasized themes of law and order, and has warned that Democrats would preside over a sundering of the suburbs. He has promoted his prescription drug policy. And he has kept up steady visits to Florida \u2014 after Maine, the state with the oldest population \u2014 and advertised heavily there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">But whatever improvement he saw is now in jeopardy. The president\u2019s own COVID-19 infection has refocused attention on the virus and his handling of it. If the 74-year-old Trump can\u2019t safeguard his own health, some wonder, how can he be trusted to protect other older adults who are far more vulnerable?<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">In few places could any significant drop-off spell doom more profoundly than Florida, a state Trump almost certainly must win. Older adults historically are the most reliable voters, and Florida is infamous for its tight races. So even a modest drop in support could send Trump back to private life.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/c3895e10f9324cff84dc3811ce41d21d\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/c3895e10f9324cff84dc3811ce41d21d\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">Robin Viger waves to participants in parade of over 300 golf carts supporting Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden as they arrive at the Sumter County Elections office to cast their ballots during early voting in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo\/John Raoux)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">___<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">The Villages, where the median age is 66, is built on the American dream of a golden retirement. \u201cWe\u2019ve created the backdrop of possibilities for you to write the next chapter in your story,\u201d its website says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Retirees can enjoy everything from golf to seminars on Mark Twain to drinking a cold beverage in the town square while listening to a \u201cjamgrass\u201d band (progressive bluegrass in the vein of Phish).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Politically, it long has been considered a conservative redoubt, so entrenched that it\u2019s a must-stop for any national or statewide Republican running for office. One clear measure of its importance: Vice President Mike Pence\u2019 came for a visit on Saturday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/96df3d1cf47844a0bb77c26f70ad345e\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/96df3d1cf47844a0bb77c26f70ad345e\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">\n<p>Vice President Mike Pence waves to supporters after arriving for a campaign rally for President Donald Trump on Saturday in The Villages. (AP Photo\/Phelan M. Ebenhack)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">The Morse family, which developed the community northwest of Orlando, has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican campaigns over the years. During the 2008 presidential race, GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin drew a stadium-sized crowd with 60,000 residents flocking to see her in one of the community\u2019s town squares.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Last fall, Trump picked The Villages to promote his support for Medicare and its private insurance option.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">But on Wednesday, the scene told a markedly different story. An armada of as many as 500 golf carts gathered at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center to caravan to the nearby elections office, so folks could drop off ballots for Biden.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">As each cart rolled into the parking lot and slid a ballot into a locked box under the watchful eye of elections supervisors, dozens lined the sidewalk, cheering and clapping every time a vote was cast.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cI think we all came out of the closet for this election,\u201d said Branscome.<\/p>\n<div id=\"se3:fcd18540-0720-11eb-9f60-f1f0264883e1\" class=\"social-embed Component-embed-0-2-60 block-0-2-11\">\n<div class=\"Component-root-0-2-69 Component-root-0-0-2-71\"><iframe class=\"Component-player-0-2-70\" title=\"Vimeo video\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/466669560\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p class=\"social-caption Component-root-0-2-106 Component-caption-0-2-61 caption-0-2-22\">Sara Branscome casts her vote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">It\u2019s not that there weren\u2019t Hillary Clinton supporters in The Villages in 2016, said Chris Stanley, president of the community\u2019s Democratic Club. There were.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">But there was also \u201can overwhelming sense in 2016 of \u2018we\u2019ve got this in the bag.\u2019 There was a level of complacency that she\u2019d win,\u201d said Stanley. \u201cNow there\u2019s a heightened sense of urgency, and in many ways, Trump has been our best recruiting tool ever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">If the slow moving, four-wheel, golf cart show of force is an indication of growing allegiance to the Democrat among the retiree set, it would represent a substantial shift. In Florida, 29% of registered voters are 65 and older. As of Oct. 1, 43% were Republican, 37% were Democrats and 17% were nonpartisan.<\/p>\n<div class=\"Component-embed-0-2-60 block-0-2-11\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-EJKiM\" title=\"Older voters skew toward GOP\" src=\"https:\/\/interactives.ap.org\/embeds\/EJKiM\/1\/\" width=\"100%\" height=\"313\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Grouped Bars\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Susan MacManus, a University of South Florida distinguished professor of government and international affairs, said The Villages and its powerful voting demographic have become less Republican over the years because of an influx of more liberal people from the Northeast.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">She\u2019s seen research that shows a softening in Trump\u2019s older base, both nationally and in Florida \u2014 especially with women.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cThat\u2019s the group that\u2019s leaving Trump,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s because of his demeanor, more than his policies. For older women, especially. They went through the battles. They frankly do not appreciate the demeaning of women. More than that, they\u2019re thinking of their children and their grandchildren.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Indeed, at The Villages, many of the people riding in golf carts are women like Joan Morrill, a 76-year-old former Republican. The pandemic has weighed heavily on her, especially when she considers her four children and seven grandchildren. \u201cWe can\u2019t live like this &#8230;\u201d she said. \u201cI want a better world for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/0bb4571b7316405c8b9e8b4ffbc2e48d\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/0bb4571b7316405c8b9e8b4ffbc2e48d\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">A woman arrives at the elections office to cast a ballot as a parade of over 300 golf carts supporting Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden caravanned to the Sumter County Elections office to cast their ballots during early voting in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo\/John Raoux)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 alignLeft-0-2-15 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/2fea7c92cfbc4394a8505bc1b9d5989a\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/2fea7c92cfbc4394a8505bc1b9d5989a\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">Carts take part in parade of over 300 golf carts supporting Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden that caravanned to the Sumter County Elections office to cast their ballots during early voting in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo\/John Raoux)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 alignRight-0-2-16 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/afs:Medium:9524176267\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/afs:Medium:9524176267\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">Elections office employees Bryan Betzer left, and Melissa Stelle-Matovu check and collect ballots after a parade of over 300 golf carts supporting Presidential Candidate Joe Biden caravanned to the Sumter County Elections office to cast their ballots during early voting in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo\/John Raoux)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forceBreak-0-2-32\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Jeff Johnson, the state director for the Florida AARP, believes voters over 65 are more \u201cin play\u201d in this year\u2019s presidential race, largely because of Trump\u2019s handling of the pandemic. In recent weeks, Democrats have seized on this softening of support and have rolled out six ads targeting older voters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">In 2018, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of the American electorate conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for The Associated Press, older Republicans thought immigration was the nation\u2019s most important issue, while older Democrats said health care was. But this year, with the pandemic, concern about health care has become a top issue for both.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">The Trump campaign seems to be paying attention. On Thursday, the president released a video of himself standing on the White House lawn in which he called older adults \u201cmy favorite people.\u201d Noting that they are vulnerable to the virus, he asserted with no basis in fact that a medicine he said he was given in the hospital would be free to older people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cThe seniors are going to be taken care of,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">That is not how it has played out so far. Not only has Florida been slammed by the virus, but also no other demographic has been affected more than older people. About 93% of Florida\u2019s 15,100 deaths from the virus have been people 55 and older, and many are scared \u2014 and enraged.<\/p>\n<div class=\"Component-embed-0-2-60 block-0-2-11\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-joBct\" title=\"Older Floridians bear brunt of state's virus deaths\" src=\"https:\/\/interactives.ap.org\/embeds\/joBct\/2\/\" width=\"100%\" height=\"239\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Stacked Bars\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cThe whole virus thing has hit really hard here,\u201d said Branscome, who pointed out that almost everyone in The Villages moved there from somewhere else. \u201cWe can\u2019t go see our families because of COVID. I\u2019m not seeing an end to it. There is no plan. Biden has a plan. He wears a mask. It gives us hope.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">In recent weeks, Morrill watched as Trump announced he was infected with COVID-19, left the hospital days later and dramatically removed his mask upon his return to the White House.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">She seethed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cI was angry,\u201d she said, her voice shaking. \u201cHe\u2019s showing a bad example. He thinks that nothing\u2019s going to affect him. It feels like one lie after another.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">For the golf cart caravan, she wore a T-shirt that said \u201cTeam Fauci,\u201d referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation\u2019s leading infectious-disease expert. \u201cI trust the scientists and the doctors. I don\u2019t trust Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/afs:Medium:9507256448\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/afs:Medium:9507256448\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">Carts line up before a parade of over 300 golf carts supporting Presidential Candidate Joe Biden caravanned to the Sumter County Elections office to cast their ballots during early voting in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo\/John Raoux)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 alignRight-0-2-16 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/0dd280753ee64d559b429f62349e74a9\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/0dd280753ee64d559b429f62349e74a9\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">Bryan Betzer, front left, a deputy clerk at the Sumter County Elections office, double checks ballots have been signed and dated before going in a ballot box in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo\/John Raoux)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 alignLeft-0-2-15 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/26320fdfd616498ab315e2f3dbd07040\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/26320fdfd616498ab315e2f3dbd07040\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">Elections employee Melissa Steele-Matovu, right, checks ballots from a voter before dropping them in a collection box at the Sumter County Elections as a parade of over 300 golf carts supporting Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden caravanned to cast their ballots during early voting in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo\/John Raoux<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forceBreak-0-2-32\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Those sentiments extend well beyond the well-tended streets of The Villages. Ron Hood, 78, a retired college biology professor, lives on the Atlantic coast in Jacksonville. Hood, a Democrat, is voting for Biden. He, too, feels that Trump has left older adults behind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cI do think there has been an attitude: \u2018Well, it\u2019s not that important to keep them alive and well. If we can\u2019t, well, that\u2019s too bad. Nice knowing you, bye,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cI just try not to dwell on things like that, though.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">___<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">In rural Alachua County, which Clinton carried easily in 2016, 69-year-old Maxie Hicks is deeply troubled by the country\u2019s direction and Trump\u2019s leadership. Hicks, who is Black, said he\u2019s been thinking a lot about the civil rights movement, when he was a teenager.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cI\u2019ve never seen this type of cold-blooded hate, not even back then,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is a Donald Trump funk. I\u2019ve never seen this much hostility.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">The retired state transportation department worker often thinks about how he and Trump are similar in age. \u201cI don\u2019t know how he could come through our generation and be so mean. So heartless. So insensitive. So indecent. So ungentlemanly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">The hostility that Hicks bemoans has played out even in \u201cthe friendliest town,\u201d where Villagers who are Trump enthusiasts have held their own golf cart parades.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">In June, a fight broke out between Trump and Biden supporters in front of the Panera Bread shop, and one Trump supporter was captured on video yelling, \u201cWhite power!\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/fa2db1273a774e8db9e1600564ed74eb\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/fa2db1273a774e8db9e1600564ed74eb\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">A supporter wearing a &#8220;Bye Don&#8221; T-shirt waves a U.S. flag to support voters as they arrive at the Sumter County Elections office to cast their ballots after taking part in a parade of over 300 golf carts supporting Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden during early voting in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo\/John Raoux)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">People still talk about that, and there appear to be some lingering hurt feelings. On Wednesday, during the Biden rally, one woman in her golf cart decked out with Biden signs smiled and said good morning to a man coming from the other direction in a cart with a Trump sign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cShove it!\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Judy Wise, a 75-year-old retiree in Plant City, a town east of Tampa on the Interstate 4 corridor, said her niece hasn\u2019t spoken to her in years, since a fight over Trump. Wise is a stalwart supporter, and her niece is not.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cIt\u2019s not so much about the man, but the ideology,\u201d Wise explained. She\u2019s convinced that Biden and the Democrats have a \u201cplan to unseat capitalism\u201d and that he will be a \u201cpuppet\u201d of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, progressive Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Biden\u2019s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Wise believes in small government and lower taxes, and she\u2019s worried about the summer\u2019s recent nationwide protests, a few of which have turned violent. She recognizes that Trump can be abrasive, but it doesn\u2019t bother her, and she questions media reports that Trump had called servicemen and women \u201closers.\u201d Trump wouldn\u2019t do that, she said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 alignLeft-0-2-15 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/afs:Medium:9553124347\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/afs:Medium:9553124347\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">Pamela Allen adjusts Trump\/Pence campaign signs at the Pasco county GOP headquarters in Hudson, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O&#8217;Meara)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 alignRight-0-2-16 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/c418d5435e46414bb15c17f05f2044fd\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/c418d5435e46414bb15c17f05f2044fd\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">In this Oct. 3, 2019 file photo, supporters of President Donald Trump hold a flag before he arrives to deliver remarks on Medicare at the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo\/Evan Vucci)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Pamela Allen, 72, supported Trump from the time he came down the escalator in Trump Tower in 2015 to announce his candidacy. Every few weeks, she waves Trump flags on the roadside of her Tampa suburb of Holiday with a group of other Republicans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cI love him. I think he\u2019s doing a great job. He\u2019s addressing the situations of everyday people\u2019s normal everyday concerns,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019s keeping his promises, with little to no help from the media or the Democrats. There is no positivity on anything he does.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">As for the pandemic, she does think it\u2019s serious for older people, but \u201cit may be blown out of proportion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cI don\u2019t believe the numbers they\u2019re posting about deaths. I wash my hands. I wear my mask. I avoid getting very close to people I don\u2019t know,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Professor MacManus cautions that while some older voters have gravitated toward Biden, there are many others like Allen and Wise who are firmly in Trump\u2019s corner. But that might not be enough for Trump.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">\u201cThey\u2019re still probably leaning more towards Trump. But in Florida, you look at margins,\u201d she said. \u201cHe won the senior vote in Florida by double digits in 2016. And now we\u2019re showing single digits in polls. &#8230; Any bleeding of any cohort is a red flag for that candidate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">And in this week\u2019s golf cart caravan, the Biden flags were blue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">___<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire, Josh Boak and Michael Schneider contributed to this report.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-0-2-14 wrapper-0-2-52\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\">\n<p><a class=\"gallery-0-2-54 galleryModal-0-2-107\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\/gallery\/895629fe966b47e08333d47246cabd60\" data-key=\"media-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-0-2-112 image-0-2-56\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/afs-prod\/media\/895629fe966b47e08333d47246cabd60\/2000.jpeg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-caption Component-root-0-2-108 caption-0-2-58\" data-key=\"embed-caption\">A cart takes part in parade of over 300 golf carts supporting Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden that caravanned to the Sumter County Elections office to cast their ballots during early voting in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo\/John Raoux<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">___<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-105 paragraph-0-2-12\">This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Sara Branscom\u2019s last name to Branscome, and to correct two references in the final section of the story from Hood to Hicks.<\/p>\n<p>___<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63\">https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2020-virus-outbreak-seniors-florida-michael-pence-b8bbfd3a87dc290a84b9ed9915a4cf63<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Senior warning sign for Trump: &#8216;Go Biden&#8217; cry at Villages<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31473"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31473\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}