Amazing that we're squabbling over $2k in paid (scroll-by-able) Facebook _ads_ when the real way to win elections is _organic_ Facebook groups. 🧵
I wish it were easier to rigorously study because one of the best vote-netting tactics is likely vol-driven relational organizing of low-political-information communities. Every other explanation in this article for the massive Rio Grande shift reeks of post-hoc rationalization
Explanation 1⃣ offered: Trump is good for business. But Trump is president *now* and the unemployment rate is 18.5%! Normally you'd think that would damage an incumbent (see Ohio 2004)
Explanation 2⃣: oil. Yeah, Biden had that remark in the debate he probably wished he could take back, but *every* Democrat in the last 70+ years has been to the left of Republicans on oil/environment. And the article intimates the area's love for Trump well predated the debate.
Explanation 3⃣: Christianity. Except Biden is the one who's Catholic, so this doesn't make a ton of sense to me.
Explanation 5⃣: Abortion. Except Obama and Clinton (and Kerry, and Gore...) supported safe & legal abortions, and Starr County voted for Clinton by 60 points!
Explanation 6⃣: Defund the police. Maybe...I'm right with the article that "it didn't resonate". Strange that the much more salient border wall didn't dominate.
Explanation 7⃣: gun rights. But, same with Clinton, Obama, etc.
Explanation 8⃣: National resources. It's not as if the Trump campaign devoted resources to southern TX. Nor the Clinton campaign when she was dominating here. No, the explanation has to be local.
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