The Florida Battleground
With less than a week before the election takes place, both camps are doubling down on their efforts in important battleground states. Florida in particular is vital for Trump to win. Without Florida’s 29 electoral votes, Trump would have to win Ohio, North Carolina, Iowa, Colorado, and Nevada. Strategists on both sides of the aisle agree that Clinton winning Florida means a national win for her. With Florida playing such a significant role, it’s interesting to note the differing communication strategies Trump and Clinton are utilizing there.
The Hassling Hustle
Since early voting began on October 25, Clinton and her surrogates have been heavily present in 
Florida, with Hillary visiting 3 different cities in just one week. Donald, on the other hand, has made only two visits since October 25. While Trump has been using locations that garner massive crowds, Clinton has been appealing to the coveted middle class voter set by visiting smaller locations, always a short stroll from an early voting site. This tactic proved extremely successful for Obama in both 2008 and 2012. Clinton’s people are spending more time than ever communicating with Democrats who have voted only sporadically in the past. One staffer even joked, “we’re definitely hassling you.” The Clinton camp realizes that now is not the time for large rallies that energize a solid base. Now is the time to go into towns and talk to independents to energize new voters.
Polling Results
So is this strategy working? While we might have to wait until next Tuesday to find out, a recent poll has Hillary winning Florida by 2.6 percentage points. Another poll states that Hillary is already winning 28% of registered Republicans in Florida. These polls reinforce the fact that the middle class in Florida wants to be spoken to. Not just spoken about in large rallies. By meeting in more intimate locations that are located within individual communities, Clinton is communicating directly to voters about the middle class themes that have already dominated her campaign. If her camp maintains this drive, they can motivate voters to go to the polls and vote for Hillary. As Clinton herself said, “If we can keep this up, there is no doubt. If we vote, we win.”
I agree with everything that you said. I really like how you pointed out how imperative that it is for Trump to win Florida, I think many people overlook that. I also like how you described how Hillary used the same methods that Obama did by visiting smaller locations in order to appeal to the middle class.