Wait, closer in Rhode Island than New Hampshire? How?
Washington Post/SurveyMonkey also showed RI only 2 points more Democratic than NH, LOL.
Um, maybe TNVol's onto something! Trump significantly ahead in ME-02 and being closer in Rhode Island and New Jersey than New Hampshire! (Tossup Rhode Island!!)
Moving Rhode Island to tossup on my prediction map - I encourage you all to do the same.
The sample size for Maine-2 is pretty ridicolous.
Also,what's most striking about RI and NJ is that Trump's numbers are surprisingly high,basically what an average Republican would get there from 1992 on. But with 5% of undecideds and third parties on double figures.
Rhode Island, lmao.
Rhode Island is blue collar and racist. No surprise Trump plays well there.
Yep, I guess that's why Obama crushed it there in '08 and '12, right?
It's why white men in RI went from voting Democratic by double digits every election to suddenly being tied 48-48 in RI 2008 exit polls.
Wow!!!!
I think there are some fundamental facts that aren't even really being discussed here:
1.) Bernie Sanders pulled out a huge upset against Hillary Clinton in the Dem Primaries.... it appears that Clinton is having a rough time of it with 3rd party voters that supported Bernie, but still have major issues with Clinton. This is the major reason that Hillary is so far from a traditional Democratic ceiling in one of the most Democratic States in the union with Presidential elections.
2.) Rhode Island has the highest percentage of self-identified Italian-Americans (19%) in the entire US. New Jersey is second at (18%). People of Eastern-European ethnic descent were one of Trump's strongest demographic groups in the primaries in the North-East and Central Atlantic States, with Italian-Americans communities in particular. Although, overall Trump is getting killed with the Catholic vote nationwide, it is definitely surprising that Trump is performing so well in the most Catholic State in the Union (RI=44% Catholic).
3.) As others have noted, there is a significant Blue Collar White population in RI, and historically this is a state that used to have a strong manufacturing sector until 30+ years ago, where Trump is a breath of fresh air for a Republican Candidate regarding jobs being shipped overseas.
4.) I certainly do not believe that RI will be close come election day (Let alone NJ) but it is not unreasonable to see a significant shift towards the Reps this GE, especially when the Lion's share of undecided and 3rd Party voters would vote Democratic in a normal GE Election Year.
