TAMPA, Fla. -- Both presidential campaigns have now rounded the corner to election day.
“Former Vice President Joe Biden is just now gotten back on the campaign trail, ironically at the time the president has to get off the campaign trail,” said Dr. Susan MacManus, political analyst for ABC Action News.
Dr. MacManus says both campaigns understand they need to keep the energy alive at this stage in the game because it’s vital and part of that will be sending people close to the president to rally for him after he was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week.
“It has to now fall with the candidate's party regulars and activists as well as surrogates that will be sent into Florida and that would be family members and high profile cabinet members and so forth,” said Dr. MacManus.
Steve Cortes, the Trump Campaign’s senior adviser for strategy in Florida, says that’s part of their plan in the coming days.
“Nobody is Donald Trump, nobody can replace him,” he said. “But we can and we are going to make a big effort to provide a lot of content and a lot of enthusiasm.”
They also hope to have the President hold virtual rally’s if given the OK by his medical team.
“We are incredibly reassured of his progress. It’s really been fairly remarkable; his doctors continue to update us that they are amazed how fast he is recovering,” Cortes said.
Both campaigns recognize how close the numbers are in Florida, a key battleground state.
“Having campaigned down there myself, he’s campaigning all over Miami today, and there is a good swath of independent voters down there or folks who haven’t made up their mind,“ said Jim Davis, a former Congressman who worked alongside Biden, who is now a strategist for his campaign. “I think it’s fair to say there are plenty of voters who are not convinced that President Trump should be re-elected.”
“The economic renaissance that is occurring right now in this country, all over the country, but particularly doing well in the state of Florida is a direct result of the policies of Donald Trump,” Cortes said, on why Trump should be rehired for the job as top CEO. “We’ve invested a lot of time and a lot of effort into the state of Florida.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden pumped up supporters in Miami Monday afternoon.
“You really win or lose the campaign every single day,” said Davis. “We’ve got a remember this is a little bit like the last game of the Stanley Cup or the playoffs for the Bucs.”
He says Biden is coming to Florida a lot over the next 29 days leading up to the election.
“I like what he says, Heather. When he says I will represent everybody, whether you voted for me or not, and I think a lot of people are looking for a leader who can bring us together and take some very critical action on the challenges we are facing right now,” said Davis.
Both men are scheduled to debate next week and both campaigns are hoping the debate will be possible pending the President’s health.
