The elderly were among Trump’s most reliable supporters in 2016, and have consistently voted for the GOP for the last two decades. It appears that Trump is about to lose a large percentage of them, and with them, the election. Why?
For these reasons:
- The Democrats nominated an old white guy, so Trump wasn’t able to play the identity card the way he did in 2016. His obnoxious attacks on Biden’s acuity only made things worse.
- The elderly, by and large, prefer to keep things on an even keel; they have less ability to react to change than younger people. Trump brings drama and danger every day.
- And, of course, there was the virus. It wasn’t just that the government had no answers for the pandemic; it threatened the lives of the elderly by telling people to get on with their lives regardless of the medical consequences. Trump’s clear message was that the deaths of old people would be acceptable collateral damage in the process of opening up the economy and boosting the stock market. Is it any wonder many older voters don’t appreciate that?