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Today we are facing a highly disputed state in the southeastern United States: North Carolina.
The US magazine “Politico” called the state the “most dynamic swing state.” Because here the president and his opponent are currently in a head-to-head race for 15 electoral votes.
North Carolina has long been considered a conservative southern state, but the political landscape is increasingly divided: Urban centers like Raleigh and Charlotte, where many students and African-Americans live, have moved further to the left in recent years. years. In rural areas, Republicans were able to expand their supremacy. In North Carolina, both parties like to argue about one topic: the symbols of their history:
It is the night of June 16, the commemorative day of the liberation of black slaves in the United States: protesters tear down the statues of a Confederate monument in Raleigh from their pedestals. The monument pays tribute to the soldiers of the former southern states. They fought for the right to have slaves in the 19th century. For part of the American population, monuments are now a symbol of the oppression of blacks. This statue also finds a symbolic ending, hanging on a lamp post, in reference to the lynching in which blacks were hanged in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Monuments have been dividing the political fields for years: Across America there are still 733 Confederate monuments in public space. If you count other symbols, such as memorial parks, flags, bridges, or street names, there are about 1750. In North Carolina alone there are 97 such monuments, which is the third highest number in the United States.
But the mood in the country has changed in recent years: the attack on an African-American church in Charleston in neighboring South Carolina and the murder of George Floyd in May have drawn further criticism of the monuments. Since then, at least 114 Confederate statues and symbols have been removed across the country, some by official bodies. North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper also ordered the dismantling of several monuments in the summer, out of concern for public safety, he tweeted. But not everyone wants to see Confederate symbols like the flag as a sign of slavery:
“Many copperheads also carry this flag in the north because their ancestors fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War.”
SPIEGEL-US expert Julia Lange explains the meaning of the Confederate symbols and why they are causing so much tension in North Carolina:
Julia Lange, documentary, DER SPIEGEL:
“Statues for the generals of the south, for example, honor historical people who fought on the Confederate side in the American Civil War and thus supported the slavery system. These statues, as well as the Confederate flag, glorify the past, and that specifically means white racist rule. Ultimately, these are clearly racist symbols and not just nostalgic and harmless memories of the southern states’ history of slavery and cultural heritage, as many memorial keepers often argue. Ultimately, the current controversies over monuments in North Carolina as elsewhere stem from an inadequate acceptance of the history of slavery in the United States as a whole. “
So less glorification of history and more reassessment? But if you listen to the president of the United States during his appearances in the election campaign, then the country is apparently still far from it:
Donald Trump, President of the United States:
“They took down statues three months ago. I said, you can take them down, but then you will go to jail for ten months. And since I said that, we have not heard from overturned statues or monuments.”
It wasn’t just the Republican Convention that took place in North Carolina in late August. Since then, Donald Trump has visited the state four more times for campaign appearances. One of the trips was to the port city of Wilmington. From a symbolic point of view, a wisely chosen location – hundreds of battleships were built here during WWII. In short, Trump turned the port city into a historic monument and used the moment for his political agenda:
Donald Trump, President of the United States:
“It is a great honor to officially name Wilmington, North Carolina, the first World War II World War II city in the US. This is something important. We are not ashamed when it comes to our country. We are proud of our country. And we will always pay tribute to our heroes who keep us safe, strong, proud and free. “
SPIEGEL-US expert Julia Lange says such words are particularly well received by the sizeable voter group of war veterans, who make up eight percent of North Carolina’s population:
Julia Lange, documentary, DER SPIEGEL:
“The trick that Trump ultimately uses is that he intertwines the memory of WWII with that of the Confederacy and ultimately a historical continuity between the so-called heroes of the Confederacy, who are now being toppled from their pedestals, and war veterans. By the abstruse logic of the Trump story, who does not value Confederate monuments does not value war veterans of World War II and, consequently, does not value the United States either. “
In at least 2016, Donald Trump was successful with his patriotic line. With 49.8 percent of the vote, Trump won four years ago in North Carolina. In November we will know if he can repeat his electoral victory. But if it were up to this woman, the president would definitely win the US election with a landslide victory: she is a huge Trump fan and knows how to show it, in the form of clothes that she designed herself. California singer Joy Villa even wears her pro-Trump creations on the Grammy red carpet. Of course, the president likes that too:
Donald Trump, President of the United States:
“Look at that beautiful dress! And she wears it all over Hollywood.”
A Public Thank You From The President – We spoke to Joy Villa about her adoration of Trump:
Joy Villa, singer:
“It was an honor! There were 15,000 people. I am very direct. But the fact that he honored me from the stage, it was an incredible feeling. There is an incredible wave of support for this president. I think” He is even bigger in this election. than in 2016, especially for black Americans. I am Latina and I am black. I see both sides through my origin. “
But is Trump’s approval rating among African Americans and Latinos really much higher than it was in 2016? Julia Lange took a look at the forecasts:
Julia Lange, documentary, DER SPIEGEL:
“Joy Villa is right that Trump could do a little better this year compared to 2016, based on forecasts among African Americans and also among Latinos. However, this will likely only be an improvement in the low single-digit percentage range. The principle that both African Americans and Latinos traditionally vote with a large majority for the Democratic presidential candidate will change nothing. For example, Biden can currently expect about 90 percent of the vote among African Americans and about 60 percent of the Latino vote. “
Joy Villa, singer and activist:
“I don’t like everything he tweets. I also don’t like everything he says. But what it does: It has created more sources of income for African Americans. It has created more ways for businesses to prosper. Corporate loans are being distributed. United by these questions: Can I work? Can I find a job? Can I support my family? Can I pay the bills? “
Julia Lange, SPIEGEL documentary:
“So the statement is not incorrect per se, but it actually needs a historical classification. It is true that the unemployment rate among African Americans fell to a record low of 5.4 percent in August 2019. However, this rate has been falling steadily since 2011 and thus hardly a credit to Trump, but rather a result of his predecessor Obama’s economic policy. It is also questionable whether the drop in unemployment under Trump can be sustained in the long term, because the Positive economic figures are based, among other things, on its protectionist policies and the disability of free trade is likely to lead to lower growth rates in the long term. “
Joy Villa is still unsure who she will vote for in November.
Joy Villa, singer:
“We have reactivated production in our own country, there are more jobs. President Trump did all this. I will vote for him and millions more will too. It will be a landslide victory for him. Biden will not stand up to him. “
Some African Americans and Latinos may see it differently. Now we can see how challenger Joe Biden is doing in North Carolina and what else is important in the state: In its self-promotion, North Carolina presents itself as a family-friendly region, steeped in history, with white surf beaches and the store award-winning donuts. from the country. The landmarks here are the historic houses of the southern states, which are often used as movie sets. Blockbuster like The green Mile, The color violet Y Forrest Gump they were filmed in the state.
When it comes to voting, early voting is a popular method in North Carolina. Since Thursday, the first voters have been able to cast their vote at the polling stations. Countdown to Presidential Candidates Mobilizing Supporters: In contrast to his opponent’s many rallies, Joe Biden made only a few trips to North Carolina in the face of the corona pandemic. Most recently, he performed there in Charlotte in late September and promised his sizable black constituency billions in funding for African American universities.
Joe Biden, United States-Demokrat:
“We have to vote. I think people in the United States will too. But the administration won’t make it easy for them. Not just people of color, but everyone.”
At the moment, North Carolina looks like a close duel between Biden and Trump. In the average of all polls, the Democrat leads with just under 1.9 percentage points. Compared to the other swing states, this is the smallest gap yet. Across the United States, Biden leads the polls with 10 percentage points. In the end, our graph shows the survey values for the individual oscillation states. And goodbye with that!
