Trump's flirtation with Putin could cost him in Ohio and Pennsylvania

[Madam45for2923]

Donald Trump’s admiration of Russian President Vladimir Putin isn’t a good look generally, but it may play particularly badly with Americans of Eastern European descent … and it turns out there are a lot of them in some key battleground states.

In Pennsylvania, according to the most recent Census data available, there are more than 100,000 people of Ukrainian descent; 820,000 of Polish descent (a demographic that tends to lean more Democratic but that cares about strong support for NATO); 46,000 Croatians; and thousands of Lithuanians, Latvians, Albanians, Estonians and people of other Eastern European ethnicities. In Ohio, there are around 40,000 Ukrainians, more than 400,000 Poles, and thousands of Americans of other Eastern European heritage.

Although these groups tend to vote Republican, there may be an opening for Hillary Clinton this year:

“The Latvians are primarily Republicans, as are Lithuanians, Estonians, and many Ukrainians, but Trump has put them in a real bind,” said Maris Mantenieks, a Latvian leader in Ohio’s Eastern European ethnic community. “Because in all honesty they don’t want to vote for [Clinton], and yet again they can’t express their Republicanism due to Trump’s positions.”

These voters, many of whom live in swing states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, are deeply worried by an emboldened Moscow, and anxious over the possibility that the Baltic nations might be the next target of Russian adventurism. Trump’s lavish praise of Putin has exacerbated those concerns — leaving an opening that Clinton’s campaign is leveraging by emphasizing her willingness to get tough with Putin, and her unwavering support for NATO. Earlier this month, Clinton met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in New York — and her allies made sure to publicize the message that Trump snubbed him.

And in states like Ohio, relatively small numbers of defections from traditionally Republican voters could make a big difference.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/30/1576273/-Trump-s-flirtation-with-Putin-could-cost-him-in-Ohio-and-Pennsylvania

[Madam45for2923]

1. Another article on same topic: Trump's Russian roulette

How the GOP nominee's embrace of Vladimir Putin has given Clinton a swing-state opening.


By TAYLOR GEE

The Hillary Clinton campaign is meeting with swing-state leaders of Eastern European descent, encouraging ethnic debate watch parties and phone banks, and scheduling conference calls with Clinton allies from her State Department days as part of an aggressive effort to capitalize on Donald Trump’s embrace of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his equivocal support for NATO.

For years, voters with Eastern Bloc roots embraced the Republican Party, viewing the GOP as an anti-communist bulwark and a champion of strength in the face of Russian aggression.

But the Republican nominee’s frequent praise of Putin and talk of conditional American backing for NATO members under attack has alarmed voters with close family ties to Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and other Eastern European countries, raising the prospect that they’ll bolt the top of the GOP ticket in November.

“The Latvians are primarily Republicans, as are Lithuanians, Estonians, and many Ukrainians, but Trump has put them in a real bind,” said Maris Mantenieks, a Latvian leader in Ohio’s Eastern European ethnic community. “Because in all honesty they don’t want to vote for [Clinton], and yet again they can’t express their Republicanism due to Trump’s positions.”

These voters, many of whom live in swing states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, are deeply worried by an emboldened Moscow, and anxious over the possibility that the Baltic nations might be the next target of Russian adventurism. Trump’s lavish praise of Putin has exacerbated those concerns — leaving an opening that Clinton’s campaign is leveraging by emphasizing her willingness to get tough with Putin, and her unwavering support for NATO. Earlier this month, Clinton met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in New York — and her allies made sure to publicize the message that Trump snubbed him.

Much more here: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/donald-trump-russia-vladimir-putin-swing-states-228930

[yellowcanine]

2. Last night Rachel was talking about how Ford's debate gaffe may have cost him with Eastern European

voters. She showed some footage from the time of people from Hungary, etc. being upset that Ford made the claim that Eastern Europe was not under Soviet domination. She was making the case that the Trump Cuban Embargo scandal could cost him Florida but this is interesting that Trump's Putin bromance may also cost him.

[Madam45for2923]

4. He's taking away one of their reasons they're Republicans: safety from Putin/Russia

[oasis]

3. Trump is Putin's pet puto.

get a room you two.

[tavernier]

5. Latvia's President quite recently

expressed his concerns about NATO and whichever candidate would be elected. It was obvious that he had qualms regarding Trump's ignorant talk, but was very careful with his wording. I definitely understood his words as a plea to Latvian Americans not put Trump in office.