{"id":1500454,"date":"2024-11-05T01:55:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T06:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/?p=1500454"},"modified":"2024-11-05T01:55:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T06:55:00","slug":"this-pennsylvania-county-built-america-and-may-decide-the-next-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/this-pennsylvania-county-built-america-and-may-decide-the-next-president\/1500454\/","title":{"rendered":"This Pennsylvania County Built America, And May Decide The Next President"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Pennsylvania County Built America, And May Decide The Next President<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Authored by Jacob Burg via The Epoch Times<\/a> (emphasis ours),<\/em><\/p>\n

BETHLEHEM, Pa.\u2014Nestled in the heart of eastern Pennsylvania is one of two state counties that has been a bellwether in the last four presidential elections, and may decide who controls the White House next year.<\/strong><\/p>\n

View from the Bethlehem Steel Plant in Bethlehem, Pa., on Oct. 25, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu\/The Epoch Times<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Northampton County, home of the former Bethlehem Steel plant\u2014once the world\u2019s largest producer of steel\u2014is one of two once-blue counties in the Keystone State, along with Erie County, that then-candidate Donald Trump flipped in 2016 before moving back to the Democrats in 2020.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now considered a swing county in the largest battleground state, Northampton is seeing significant attention this year. Democrats visited the county in September, Trump stopped repeatedly in the larger Lehigh Valley area, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has been to Bethlehem twice recently.<\/p>\n

The attention underscores how important the county will be in determining the winning presidential candidate in Pennsylvania and, by extension, the White House.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese fluctuations between Donald Trump and Joe Biden and Barack Obama, I think, are indicative of the fact that we truly are a true bellwether<\/strong>,\u201d Northampton County GOP Chair Glenn Geissinger told The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe reflect the national feel as well as that of the Commonwealth pretty well, because our demographics accurately reflect the cross-section of everybody. We [also] have a good, solid portion of independents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part of that political diversity comes from the region\u2019s decades-long evolution.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Industrialization \u201cwas a sort of a slam dunk for the Democrats,\u201d <\/strong>Tony Iannelli, president and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, told The Epoch Times. \u201cThere\u2019s still a fair amount of labor here.\u201d<\/p>\n

When manufacturing went offshore in the mid-1990s, Iannelli says the area \u201chit a wall \u201c but has since bounced back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bad times literally set us up for the good times,\u201d <\/strong>he said. Health care, life sciences, sports, and other industries are flooding into the area, building a bustling tourism industry.<\/p>\n

Residents in neighboring New York City and Philadelphia\u2014both a 90-minute drive away\u2014are moving into Northampton County, leading to a 5.1 percent population growth<\/a> from 2010 to 2020, according to U.S. census data.<\/p>\n

Now \u201csofter R\u201d or moderate Republicans are moving into the area from neighboring New York and New Jersey, Geissinger said, adding to the area\u2019s political diversity.<\/p>\n

That growth has also allowed the GOP to shave off the Democrats\u2019 voter registration advantage in Northampton County. In 2008, there were over 30,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans in the county, but by September, that margin<\/a> was roughly 12,000.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve cut the margin significantly over time \u2026 and we\u2019ve also seen an increase in the number of independent voters,\u201d Geissinger said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat Donald Trump did is he brought a populist message to the Republican Party, and that populist message has paid off for him,\u201d<\/strong> he added, especially in appealing to working-class voters.<\/p>\n

President Joe Biden, in Geissinger\u2019s view, won over older blue-collar voters in 2020 because of his connections to Scranton, where he was born and raised.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to experience that this time around with Kamala Harris. It\u2019s just not going to happen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The chairman acknowledged that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, has advantages with younger, college-educated groups, but is confident of Trump\u2019s chances this year.<\/p>\n

People walk on the Lehigh University campus in Bethlehem, Pa., on Oct. 25, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu\/The Epoch Times<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201c[Trump has] made inroads with blue-collar … Democrats, and that\u2019s going to pull him over significantly in Northampton County,\u201d Geissinger said.<\/p>\n

The Epoch Times contacted the Northampton County Democratic Party but did not receive a response by press time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis race is a toss-up. So it tells me that we\u2019re still kind of a purple state in the sense the urban areas \u2026 tend to be more Democratic, and then our outlying regions tend to be Republican<\/strong>,\u201d Iannelli said.<\/p>\n

County Demographics<\/h2>\n

The cities of Bethlehem and Easton toward the south near Bucks County have been traditionally blue but Pennsylvania\u2019s rural, agricultural areas to the north are largely Republican, Geissinger said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly, we would have the traditional Democrat base that will still be there in the cities, just as we have the traditional Republican base that will be in the rural areas,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Some of the locals are drawn to the county\u2019s diversity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of diversity out here, and not even just in terms of culture or ethnicity, but just in terms of like different groups,\u201d<\/strong> Francisco Santana, 25, told The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have seniors, you have middle-aged people, and there\u2019s a lot of colleges here.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the county is 85.1 percent white, according to the U.S. census<\/a>, 8.3 percent of residents are black, and 15.9 percent are Hispanic or Latino.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s support among Hispanic voters has increased in 8 years, but Harris has leaned into the controversial remarks said at his Madison Square Garden rally last month about Puerto Rico, where a comedian called the territory a \u201cfloating island of garbage.\u201d Those with Puerto Rican heritage make up 56.4 percent<\/a> of Northampton County\u2019s Hispanic population.<\/p>\n

Bethlehem Voter Vibes<\/h2>\n

Modern-day Bethlehem sits like a crown jewel beneath the hills of the Appalachian Highlands, and is a central hub of Northampton County.<\/p>\n

Like much of industrial Pennsylvania, Bethlehem was a victim of the offshoring of U.S. manufacturing, which led to the demise of its once-mighty Bethlehem Steel plant\u2014formerly the world\u2019s largest producer of steel, fabricating structures like the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge.<\/p>\n

Nestled along the Lehigh River, the sprawling site\u2019s towering buildings are now weathered, rusted, and decayed from decades of neglect. Windows are cracked or shattered, with crumbling bricks exposing the entrails of what used to be a mighty industrial giant.<\/p>\n

Bethlehem Steel Plant in Bethlehem, Pa., on Oct. 25, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu\/The Epoch Times<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen so much went overseas [in] steel making, they just weren\u2019t ready for it. And that was the end of their demise,\u201d Iannelli said.<\/p>\n

Some in the area still have connections to the plant.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFor some families, it took a huge toll,\u201d Amanda Holi, 36, whose father, uncle, and grandfather once worked at Bethlehem Steel, told The Epoch Times. When part of the site became the Sands Casino, she worked there as well.<\/p>\n

However, she sees a resurgence in the area,with new developments and businesses feeding the local economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s tons of traditions that I feel make it cute and quaint,\u201d she said, describing the local sports rivalries and the new restaurants opening locally.<\/p>\n

Downtown Bethlehem, Pa., on Oct. 26, 2024. Jacob Burg\/ The Epoch Times<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Along the winding streets of Bethlehem\u2019s residential borrows, rows of houses sport Harris-Walz yard signs. But for every four homes backing the Democratic nominee, one will see a Trump-Vance sign\u2014a reminder of the support for Republicans in a county that was once solidly blue, and now has only a tiny majority<\/a> of registered Democrats.<\/p>\n

Voters of all ages, including students at Lehigh University, spoke about their desire for political unity, access to healthcare, reproductive rights, the economy, and their fears about the 2024 election.<\/p>\n

Some were aware of the significance of their vote as residents of a bellwether county in the largest U.S. battleground state.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes me feel a little responsible to try to convince people to vote the way I think is important, because I think we\u2019re in a crucial time here,\u201d Norah Hooper, a retiree who moved to the area two years ago, told The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s made me try to talk to people about it, and to work towards Harris to make sure that she wins,\u201d she said. Hooper feels \u201cscared to death\u201d about the election and wants a president who empathizes with all Americans.<\/p>\n

Northampton\u2019s diversity gives many different voter groups a chance to make their mark on the nation, Santana said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if it is a battleground state, I think it\u2019s nice to see that a lot of demographics are here and are having their voice heard<\/strong>,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ben Cohen, 43, said he would vote regardless. His support for Harris this year is a \u201cvery simple, binary choice\u201d as he does not think Trump is a good leader for the country, calling him a wild card. Cohen says he supports an economic agenda that focuses on the middle class.<\/p>\n

Others downplayed the state and county\u2019s significance in the election, pointing out that every ballot nationwide contains many local and statewide races.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think every vote counts regardless of where you are,\u201d a man who declined to give his name told The Epoch Times. \u201cEvery vote counts in some way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concerns About Election Results<\/h2>\n

Some expressed deep concerns about what could play out on election day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI already voted by mail, and I\u2019m kind of scared that [Trump] might win,\u201d Mary Jean Langman, a retired teacher who moved to Northampton County from Scranton, told The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n

Mary Jean Langman in Bethlehem, Pa., on Oct. 26, 2024. Jacob Burg\/The Epoch Times<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

She\u2019s worried about the former president cutting Social Security, which, along with Langman\u2019s teacher\u2019s pension, is her lifeline. While Trump has said this year he would not make any changes to Social Security, he has discussed<\/a> making cuts to it in the past, including in 2020, during the last year of his administration.<\/p>\n

The economy is often named as one of the top issues on voters\u2019 minds in most polls, although some expressed optimism about the country\u2019s trajectory.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll these years that I\u2019ve been here, it was always the economy; that was the issue<\/strong>\u201d that mattered in most elections, Babak Kamyab told The Epoch Times. He owns a gift shop in downtown Bethlehem and immigrated to the United States from Iran in 1977.<\/p>\n

Despite economic woes since COVID, Kamyab says his business is thriving.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe economy is like an ocean, if it\u2019s turning whether up or down, it\u2019s going to make a huge circle, very slowly, to come back up or go down. That\u2019s the way [the] economy works,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Kamyab\u2019s shop is one of the only along Main Street with a Harris-Walz sign at its entrance. Given how close the race seems in recent polling, he expressed concerns about Trump\u2019s chances but said he thinks Harris will prevail if she stays the course.<\/p>\n

Babak Kamyab in Bethlehem, Pa., on Oct. 26, 2024. Jacob Burg\/The Epoch Times<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, the international situation is a terrible situation,\u201d Kamyab said, referring to the escalating military conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. \u201cBut at least I know with [Trump], the Ukraine situation is going to get worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frankie Lozada, 37, and Timear Haley, 30, both moved to the Lehigh Valley to join Hogar Crea, an international drug rehabilitation program that has a location in nearby Allentown. While Lozada doesn\u2019t pay much attention to politics, Haley is inspired by Harris\u2019s messaging.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Her slogan] \u2018When we fight, we win,\u2019 it kind of caught me, because I was at a stage in my life where I wanted to give up, and I just didn\u2019t want to live life anymore<\/strong>,\u201d Haley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen she said that, it kind of took to me, and I was just like, I would keep going with her with that slogan, so fight and win. So far, so good, I\u2019ve been a month clean,\u201d he said. Haley hopes to start a business when he gets back on his feet.<\/p>\n

Timear Haley (L) and Frankie Lozada (R) in Bethlehem, Pa., on Oct. 26, 2024. Jacob Burg\/The Epoch Times<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The College Vote<\/h2>\n

Many of the students at Bethlehem\u2019s Lehigh University are deeply engaged in the 2024 election. For some, it is the first time they\u2019re old enough to cast a ballot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want younger candidates\u201d and smaller generational gaps between them<\/strong>, Raquel Romero, 19, told The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur financial state right now is absolutely horrible with the fact that living expenses are almost that height of this generation, at least mine,\u201d she said. Bodily autonomy as a woman is also a central issue on her mind this election.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely difficult because it\u2019s almost choosing between two evils. I definitely understand how difficult it could be for the candidates themselves,\u201d Romero said. She sees no quick and easy solutions for inflation, as raising salaries could also increase the prices of goods.<\/p>\n

Raquel Romero after an interview with The Epoch Times at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., on Oct. 25, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu\/The Epoch Times<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, we\u2019ve had so many experiences where one candidate says one thing, and then they just never do it,\u201d she added. Romero knows who she\u2019s voting for, but declined to say.<\/p>\n

Even though Haksheel Alleck, 23, an international student from Mauritius Island, can\u2019t vote in this election, he\u2019s concerned about illegal immigration and the nation\u2019s geopolitical tension with other countries.<\/p>\n

Haksheel Alleck after an interview with The Epoch Times at Lehigh University in Bethlehem,\u00a0Pa., on Oct. 25, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu\/The Epoch Times<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

He\u2019s also worried about how both candidates could affect visas for international students like himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always on my mind, would my visa still be relevant in the next few years? Would my status change [as] the political landscape changes here?<\/strong>\u201d Alleck added.<\/p>\n

Other students, acknowledging the voting enthusiasm among their social circles, expressed frustration with the choices of candidates.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really sad,\u201d Max Denbow, 20, told The Epoch Times. \u201cIt\u2019s also tough because \u2026 each candidate has aspects that appeal to me, but I can\u2019t get myself to vote for either of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Max Denbow after an interview with The Epoch Times at Lehigh University in Bethlehem,\u00a0Pa., on Oct. 25, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu\/The Epoch Times<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Denbow is writing in his own name on his ballot this year.<\/p>\n

When asked what kind of message or agenda he\u2019d like to hear from a future presidential candidate\u2014either Republican or Democrat\u2014to win his vote, Denbow was quick to respond.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone that prioritizes unity. We need to be unified.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Tyler Durden<\/a><\/span>
\nMon, 11\/04\/2024 – 20:55<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200bhttps:\/\/www.zerohedge.com\/political\/pennsylvania-county-built-america-and-may-decide-next-president<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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