(WATCH) Battleground Pennsylvania


It’s often said that youth are architects of tomorrow’s world. They just might be the architects of the upcoming election. Our reporting from key battleground states continues this week in Pennsylvania with Lisa Fletcher.

The following is a transcript of a report from “Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.”
Watch the video by clicking the link at the end of the page.

In Pennsylvania, every political yard sign and campaign rally is focused on winning the support of voters who could sway a close presidential race.

Donald Trump: Kamala wants to put massive taxes on American jobs and American industries. I want to cut taxes.

Vice-President Kamala Harris: Now think about this: today in America, one out of three women lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban.

As the candidates make their whistle stops across the Keystone State, they’re also making a strong effort to capture the attention of young voters aged 18 to 29.

Here in Allentown, Pennsylvania’s third-largest city, we caught up with some of those young voters on opposite sides of the political spectrum.

Old friends Siara Guttierez and Sarina Torre, both politically active in Allentown, register voters and knock on doors to support Democrats and progressive candidates running in state elections.

They’re flocking to the trailblazing female Democrat, who advocates for issues that matter to them.

Siara Guttierez: Abortion rights.

Sarina Torres: Climate justice.

On the other side, new friends Derek on the left and Mason on the right, who didn’t want to use their last names, are like many other young guys their age: drawn to Trump’s tough stance on illegal immigration and solutions for economic issues.

Derek: I don’t think America is safe right now, with an open border policy.

Mason: Inflation. I cringe when I have to go grocery shopping.

With nearly 9 million registered voters, Pennsylvania is a state deeply divided not only among young voters but across all age groups.

Since 1976, voters here have supported Democrats in presidential elections about 75 percent of the time. But most of the results were close, including Trump’s razor-thin victory in Pennsylvania in 2016 and Biden’s narrow win in the state in 2020. For both candidates, Pennsylvania was critical to giving them the White House.

So where do the candidates have opportunities to connect with young Pennsylvanians and swing the pendulum red or blue this year?

We asked journalist Brad Bumsted, who’s been covering politics in the state since the 1970s.

Lisa Fletcher: What makes Pennsylvania different from other swing states?

Brad Bumsted: It’s the diversity. You have two big cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, medium-sized cities in Allentown and Harrisburg, and the middle of the state up across the northern tier. It’s the very rural region of Pennsylvania that is bright red. It’s really mixed.

Lisa Fletcher: What issues give Trump the best chance to connect with young voters?

Brad Bumsted: I think his best shot is what he talked about with draining the swamp. I think young voters would relate to things not getting done in Washington; it’s gridlocked.

Lisa Fletcher: What about Harris?

Brad Bumsted: Abortion, by a large margin. That was the rise for Harris after Biden dropped out, and I think that continues to be important.

Issues our young voters in Allentown connect with.

Siara Guttierez: I want to make sure that my daughter and the future generations have reproductive freedoms.

Sarina Torres: Climate justice is something that affects all of us, regardless of color, age, or gender. So that’s why I will be supporting Kamala in this upcoming election.

Derek: We’ve already had terrorists and everybody, countries that don’t get along with the United States, across our border. That’s my biggest concern. That’s what drew me to Trump, with being hard on illegal immigration.

Mason: During his first term, I was a teenager. He reduced the amount of taxable income for married families. Now that I’m an adult, I have my own house and all that stuff; that’s something that I would want to see again.

Since 2016, young men like Mason and Derek have cooled on the Democratic Party, with support dropping from 51 percent to 39 percent by 2023, according to a recent poll.

Meanwhile, the number of young women identifying as “liberal” has increased, rising from 36 percent to 40 percent.

The question is: will enough young voters in Pennsylvania turn out to sway the presidential election?

The high-water mark for the youth vote was set back in 2008 when a nationwide surge of young voters helped Democrat Barack Obama beat Republican John McCain.

Lisa Fletcher: Statistically, young voters turn out at higher rates in Pennsylvania than they do in other states across the country. Why do you think that is?

Brad Bumsted: Pennsylvania youth are extremely well-educated. You have more top universities in Pennsylvania than most other states. I think educated voters tend to be more willing to vote because they want to try to influence the issues that they care about.

That’s a message these young voters can rally behind.

Sarina Torres: We have to go out and vote.

Derek: Go out and vote.

Siara Guttierez: You have to organize to get the young folks out.

Mason: Go out and vote this November.

Watch video here.


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3 thoughts on “(WATCH) Battleground Pennsylvania”

  1. Mark Clark,

    Right. Stalin said that, too.

    Two
    potential
    losses/risks
    of
    CHAIN-Of-Custudy :

    1. Post Office (( can send conservatives’
    ballots to Dead-Letter bin ))

    and

    2. Electronic Vote Machines (( can be
    remotely accessed, to alter ballots )).

    Must use PAPER ballots !—same-day
    count, and same-day determination
    of winner (( Old School, Framers’
    Method )).

    -Rick.

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