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LATROBE, Pennsylvania— “If we win Pennsylvania, we win the whole damn thing.” Two weeks ago, former President Donald Trump announced these words to rallygoers in this Westmoreland County town at a packed event, which included several former Pittsburgh Steelers and steelworkers taking the stage to endorse him; the steelworkers even got the former president to put on a hard hat that ruffled his hair. It was a statement that made the thousands of supporters, most of whom were young, go understandably wild with emotion. Many attendees I spoke to were young women, many of them mothers with their children, who could not wait to vote in the first election they were truly excited about. Trump wasn’t wrong. Heading into the final stretch of the election, I’d rather be him than Vice President Kamala Harris in the Keystone State. Several pollsters across the political spectrum shared data showing that Trump has a consistent edge in Pennsylvania and that Harris is at a standstill. However, he’s a better fit for the commonwealth than Harris for reasons beyond just polling. In weeklong travels across the 67 counties in Pennsylvania, all the indicators told a story, outside the worldview, or bubble, of Washington, D.C., and New York City, of why Harris has failed in key places to earn people’s votes and Trump has found a way to bring out new voters and earn just enough support to win the state. In 2016, David Urban, a western Pennsylvania native, West Point graduate and former chief of staff to the late Arlen Specter, a Republican senator who changed his party to Democrat in 2010 but lost in the Democratic primary, was a senior adviser to Trump. Urban, who did not work with Specter when he changed parties, understood the importance of the smaller counties outside of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, explaining that there was an untapped center-right constituency in those counties that could sway the election for Trump over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Urban said most people thought he was nuts, except, of course, Trump, who had found appeal with traditionally unmotivated voters because he was not part of the system of either party. It worked. Trump overperformed in the smaller counties and, to the astonishment of both Democrats and Republicans, flipped the traditional Democratic counties of Luzerne, Erie and Northampton in significant amounts. He thus won the state that had not favored a Republican for president since 1988. “Those counties negated whatever happened in Philly and Pittsburgh,” said Urban. “Going in, I understood Trump needed 2,000 voters over Romney’s numbers in 2012 in 10 counties, less so in the more rural ones, and he would win the state narrowly.” The same holds true for today. In 2020, President Joe Biden was able to cut into those margins with the working class in those small counties, in part because of his years of referring to himself as “Scranton Joe” and the familiarity he earned campaigning for down-ballot Democrats in local races, and also in part because of the circumstances of COVID-19. Now, though, Biden’s policies as president and his comportment are turning those voters off. Voters in places just 15 minutes outside Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will tell you, more often than not, they do not have a voice in D.C. and are acutely aware of how people there, and in New York, view them as “lesser than” or “backward.” Former President Barack Obama reinforced this at a San Francisco fundraiser when he said Pennsylvanians “get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren’t like them.” Clinton reinforced it with her “basket of deplorables” and “irredeemable” remarks when she was running, and Biden himself reminded voters a week before the election, with a slip of the tongue, that he views them as “garbage.” Trump took Biden’s remark and rolled with it, dressing in an orange vest and riding in a garbage truck in Wisconsin. His ability to be nimble with the situation has earned him more votes than it cost him. The number of parents I saw either in person or posting on social media from Pennsylvania dressed in garbage bags or orange vests, or as McDonald’s employees, a hat tip to Trump’s decision to work at the fast-food chain two weeks ago, showed an undercurrent that has been missed. “It may surprise some people in the Democratic Party that folks don’t particularly like to be called fascists, or Nazis, or have their family members called that,” said Brad Todd, a Republican strategist and coauthor of “The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics.” Todd said it may turn out that the voters who determine Pennsylvania’s outcomes will more than likely be people who work with their hands, such as “a barber or a welder or a waitress.” Karen, Angela and Elizabeth are all working-class waitresses. One owns the small Main Street Diner in Westmoreland County, and the other two are servers. All three, just eight years ago, would have been Democrats, but today, they are all in for Trump. “It is the economy,” said Angela, who was busy bussing tables. Elizabeth, who just turned 18 in August, has worked at the diner since she was 14 and at the bar down the street as a server. She is also drawn to Trump. “It is all on the economy and the way he addresses voters from places like here,” she said. Gallup pollsters have shown, in survey after survey, that the economy remains voters’ No. 1 concern, and they don’t like the direction the country is going in. Conversely, Harris’ biggest struggle has been connecting with voters, such as Angela and Elizabeth, on the economy. She has also struggled to connect with voters on energy concerns in Pennsylvania, where the industry is a giant. Switching from “I would ban fracking on day one” in a hypothetical to “I won’t ban fracking” falls flat because her own administration has placed a ban on exporting liquid natural gas for the foreseeable future, and she has not only done nothing about it, she has not even mentioned it. Her events in the state have also often been very staged, with attendees coming from an invitation-only list, while her speeches have rarely tapped into the vein of the economic hurt people are feeling. In recent weeks, her comments have fallen into a darker narrative that has not inspired persuadable people. Her messages on abortion, “greedflation” and “snackflation” have also fallen flat. Almost everyone in Pennsylvania knows abortion in the state is legal for up to 24 weeks, and the only person who can take abortion away is the sitting governor. However, Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa., has repeatedly said he would not do that. Meanwhile, nobody thinks the increase in the cost of snacks was caused by Trump. His rallies have worked, despite ridicule and skepticism from reporters, because he showed up in places such as Butler, Luzerne, Cambria, Erie and Northampton, where people feel unseen and unheard and where climate change and pronouns mean less than the cost of food. In interviews across the state, middle-class voters, white, Black and Hispanic, are now voting shoulder to shoulder, not divided by race but by the economic despair they are experiencing together. Food costs, gas prices, utilities, car insurance, rent and mortgages (if they can even afford to buy a house) are driving their vote. These voters often did not attend college, but they are middle-class and have found their calling as artisans, such as hairdressers, medical technicians, welders, plumbers, waitresses, laborers or small business owners. Todd said those voters are the key: “There’s a real chance Trump will end up with less from college-educated women than he did in 2016, for sure. He is likely to make up for it with lower-income, lower-education Democrats, people who used to be Democrats and are not anymore.” He also said, “Gen Z is not turning out to be as liberal as Millennials. And we were all assured that demography was destiny. And turns out that when you’re coming of age with a pretty crappy economy, you’re not real happy about it.” There is also still a silent suburban mother cohort, which includes married and unmarried female voters, who preferred to keep their names out of the story, with children in the home in places such as Allegheny, Erie, Bucks and Northampton counties. Harris will win with women without children, specifically unmarried women without children, a bloc she’ll win by about 70 points, said Todd. “When we talk about a gender gap, what we really are talking about is a marriage gap and a parent gap, and that’s something that’s culturally changing in politics,” he said. The one thing that confused people as to why this cycle is leaning toward Trump in Pennsylvania is just two years ago, Shapiro and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., won statewide. This made some reporters believe Pennsylvania had gone back to being a blue state. What they missed is both Shapiro and Fetterman ran as centrist, “get-things-done” Democrats and stayed away from the left-wing cultural matters that drive moderate Democrats and Republicans away. “People have also missed how rightward the state has moved,” said Todd, referring to the stunning voter registration movement for Republicans in the state that has the Democrats with the weakest voter registration dominance in the state in decades. In 2008, Obama won the state by a landslide. He ran on “hope and change” and being part of something bigger than self, and it worked. In 2012, he ran on internationalism, division and social justice, and as a result, 280,000 fewer Pennsylvanians voted for him. While Obama still won (more narrowly), the parties were shifting. Clinton ran the same divisive race in 2016, and most of the media was shocked by her loss. She calculated that she could win with Obama’s numbers in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. She did win those, but she lost in the rest of the state. Biden was able to pick those voters back from Trump, but Harris has struggled to connect with them, and it appears just enough of Trump’s suburban voters are coming back to him to join the middle-class coalition to power his comeback. Now, there may be a surge of voters who do not account for supporting Harris. Still, based on the two candidates’ messages, delivery and understanding of what people are looking for, both pollsters and voters said they’d rather be Trump than Harris on Tuesday. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM The post Trump Has Reason in Pennsylvania to Feel Better Than Harris appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Every homesteading family should have a flock of guineas – even though they will never eat them or a single one of their eggs. Guineas are the junkyard dog of the poultry world. They will not only protect the flock of meat chickens, ducks, and turkeys, but pull double duty eat bugs and ticks that want to dine on garden planted to feed the family or take to market. Raising Guineas To Protect The Rest Of Your Poultry Guineas are the most low-cost and low-maintenance breed of poultry in existence. Except during the harsh months of winter, you will likely never have to spend a cent on feed for the free-ranging flock. From sun up until sun down guineas wander around the homestead plucking all the spiders, ticks, locusts, beetles, wasps, flies, tadpoles, frogs, worms, snakes, potato beetles, snails, and even cockroaches they can find. Endeared By Farmers Come night time, the real hunt begins for the flock of guineas. They just love to attack mink – the number one killer of poultry flocks. When guineas discover a mink, or any predator, near their living area, they carry on something loud and fierce. A guinea flock will even take on rattlesnake or a copperhead, which has endeared them to ranchers across the country. Sacrificial Lambs? Guineas do not grow as quickly as other members of the poultry world. They also require a mash feed with a higher protein ratio to develop properly.   Many farmers refer to guineas as sacrificial lambs. The old timers did not place such a label on the unusual members of the poultry family to be cruel or cold-hearted, they were merely being brutally honest. When you invest in starting a flock of guineas, losing some – perhaps even many, is a downright given. But, what you won’t lose, are your meat chickens and ducks, breeding pairs of the same, and laying hens. My Little Assassins I prefer to refer to my flock of guineas as “my little assassins.” That is truly what they are after all. Nothing short of a fox, wild boar, or hawk willingly come back twice when faced with an angry flock of guineas. Even if your chicken coop is several acres away from the house, you WILL hear them when they get excited over finding a snake – think free big juicy steak to properly gauge a comparable human level of excitement. When you hear loud whistling, chirping, and clicking, the guinea flock has found something significant approaching them and/or the chicken coop. Shelter Guineas most often roost in trees but should be provided with a 3-sided hutch to retreat to during extremely cold weather and storms.   Guineas do not live in the chicken coop with the rest of the flock, but should be trained from the time the hatchlings are old enough to leave a brooder that the coop and run are their home base. Guineas roost in trees much like turkeys but should be provided a shelter of some type to get into during extremely poor weather. A three-sided hutch or shed will suit them just fine – especially if it faces south to help them stay as warm as possible. Brooding Hatchlings The outdoor pen for guineas during their territory and free-range training stage should comprised of sturdy wood and either hardware cloth (the fencing commonly used for rabbit hutches) or a double layer of chicken wire. To offer added protection of the guinea keets, elevate the pen on barrels or blocks – this helps to keep them safe before they are old enough to defend themselves and places them up high – which they love.   My brooder doubles as transitional housing for guinea hatchlings. Once they are old enough to go outside I put them in their former wood, chicken wire, and hardware cloth enclosure and sit it next to the coop. Guineas are smaller than typical farm poultry and can be squished by them or relentlessly pecked if intermingled. The various flocks get to know each other this way and the guineas learn where their home base and protectees are located and will most often never stray too far away from the coop unless hunting for food and roost in nearby trees at night. Raising Keets Guineas thrive and have the best chance at survival, when they are in a flock of at least 10 to 15 others members of their breed.   The keets (young guineas or hatchlings) remain in their new enclosure until they are keets at least one month old, but typically two months old. Letting them free-range too soon will quickly zap the numbers of your flock, unless older guineas are also present to teach and help protect them. While the keets are in their outdoor enclosure I let them out in the late afternoon every day for at least a few hours even though their temporary habitat is spacious. Guineas require a substantial amount of exercise for both their physical and mental well-being. Being “cooped up” tends to make them very testy. Lure them back before the sun sets with the shake of a feed bucket or a treat. This helps to train them to come back to the same area near the duck and chicken coop at nightfall to protect your meat and egg flock. They can snack on anything that is also safe for chicks and ducklings, but millet seems to be their favorite treat. Packages of millet run only a couple of dollars and are readily available in the bird section of the pet store. Simply plant the remains of a millet stick onto the compost pile and soon you will be growing your own guinea treats. Protein Ratio Guineas need a diet filled with more protein than chickens, ducks, and turkeys. They can survive and thrive on the same feed but flourish when fed a high protein diet to supplement their foraged meals when necessary. Keets should be offered a feed with about a 25% protein ratio. Once they are older the protein level can be reduced to about 18 to 20% and then a 16% layer mash once they are more mature birds. Not Your Typical Farm Animal Do not try to catch a guinea by one leg as many folks do with chickens. It will go into attack mode immediately and possibly break its beak trying to get free. Guineas love their freedom and can be tamed to a certain degree, especially if you raise them from hatchlings (many homesteaders purchase eggs from local or online hatcheries) and handle them frequently, but do not expect them to warm up to you as is common with many breeds of chickens and ducks. Guineas will come running to you for a treat or a meal, which are the best ways to entice them to gather where you need them to be and to do a flock count. When raised among chickens and ducks, guineas tend to become a lot more tame than flocks raised isolated from more domesticated fowl. Laying Eggs There are a plethora of guinea varieties, many are quite beautiful in their own odd-looking sort of way. They typically lay eggs between March and May like other breeds of poultry after the hens reach about 25 to 30 weeks old. A healthy and average hen will usually lay about 100 eggs each year until she is at least five years old. No Nest? Guinea hens commonly lay their eggs in either the late morning or early afternoon hours. The hens typically lay their eggs on the floor of their hutch or the ground near their roosting spot and not in a nest. In all honesty, you probably won’t know your guineas has laid eggs until you see a string of hatchlings trailing along behind them. Eggs Guinea eggs are rather cute. They shells are a light shade of brown and speckled. The egg shells are a significant bit tougher than regular chicken eggs and have a sharper point on the rounded narrow end. Guinea eggs are smaller than chicken eggs. It usually takes three guinea eggs to equal the size of a standard chicken egg. Identifying Male From Female One guinea cock per every five hens is recommended – as long as the cock is no more than three years old fertile eggs should be readily produced. A cock and his harem of laying hens develop quite a tight bond and often run to each other like long-lost lovers in a cheesy romantic comedy when separated only a short while or by a small distance – it is quite a humorous sight to behold. Guinea hens are typically quite fertile. Rarely do they cross-breed with free-ranging chickens. If the unusual does occur, the end result is most often a vulture-looking type creature that is infertile. Sexing guineas based upon how they look is nearly impossible. Cocks are slightly larger than hens once they pass the keets stage, but it’s barely enough of a difference to notice. The red waddles on the neck of a cock are a little more vibrant and larger than the waddles on a hen – but again, it is quite a subtle difference. Guinea hens make a two-syllable sound which some folks hear as “come back, come back” and others think sounds more like, “good luck, good luck.” Cocks prefer to make a one-syllable noise that sounds an awful lot like the buzz of a chainsaw or a repeated, “chi-chi-chi.” A guinea hen who is in an angry state can sound a lot like a cock, but cocks have never been known to make a two-syllable sound like a hen. Survivalistboards shows us his guineas for when SHTF and the time he had to wait to get them: What do you think about raising guineas? Let us know in the comments below. Want another project to make your chicken-keeping easier? Check out here 10 Easy To Build Chicken Watering Stations to keep your flock well hydrated!  Follow us on Instagram, twitter, pinterest, and facebook!

Is This a Sign, or Just Biden Being Biden?

Polls & Lawsuits: Don't Mess With Texas

One Last Whiff of the 'If Trump Wins' Psychosis: He Will Ban the Writing of History Books

Entrepreneur and Donald Trump supporter Elon Musk will reportedly watch the presidential election results with Trump at one of his resorts.Musk plans to be at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump and a small group of people are watching election coverage as votes are tallied.A New York Times report cited three people with knowledge of Musk's schedule as sources for his attendance, while two people were the alleged sources regarding the viewing plan.'Men are voting in record numbers. They now realize everything is at stake.'Musk has been commenting on polling throughout Election Day using his platform, X, responding to posts about an alleged uptick in male turnout."Hearing reports from all over the country that men are showing up in huge numbers. The line at my polling station here in Florida is almost all young men," a post shared by Musk read."This is a massive sea change," Musk replied.Later that afternoon, Musk further asserted that male turnout was happening in record numbers."The cavalry has arrived. Men are voting in record numbers. They now realize everything is at stake," the X owner wrote. — (@) Trump is reportedly hosting several parties with varying levels of inclusivity. A dinner for a select few donors at Mar-A-Lago was reported as one example, while a smaller gathering in an evening setting will likely watch the results.Prospectively, this smaller group would include Musk but could also include podcaster Joe Rogan, who recently endorsed Trump and interviewed Musk. It is also likely that this group could include Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other close allies like Byron Donald and Tulsi Gabbard. — (@) Musk has also promoted an Election Integrity Community on X, which is linked to his pro-Trump America PAC. The community allows voters to share "potential incidents of voter fraud or irregularities."The group has over 63,000 members at the time of this writing.As reported by Blaze News, the simple social media community has sparked outrage among leftist sources.Wired described the group as "a cesspool of election conspiracy theories."Paul Barrett, deputy director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at New York University, called the community "an election denier jamboree."Outlet the Guardian likened the group to an "alt-right" message board that perpetuated "the baseless claim that the election was being stolen from Donald Trump" in 2020.CBS also weighed in, suggesting the group is a digital space where "false claims proliferate."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In a matter of hours, the ballot boxes will close and the trajectory of the nation will be decided. The Biden administration has failed Americans in every single area — the economy, immigration, disaster relief, crime, and the protection of our constitutional rights. It has weaponized the government against its political opponent. It has partnered with Big Tech, Big Pharma, and the mainstream media to control Americans and the narrative. It’s time to begin a new chapter. Donald Trump and the diverse coalition that has formed around him offer the opportunity to secure our borders, protect our communities, and ensure that we have a government that is pro-America. Join Glenn Beck, Allie Beth Stuckey, Liz Wheeler, Steve Deace, Sara Gonzales, Jason Whitlock, Dave Rubin, Stu Burguiere, Dave Landau, Alex Stein, James Poulos, Auron MacIntyre, Daniel Horowitz, Christopher Bedford, Jill Savage, Hilary Kennedy, Delano Squires, and Matthew Peterson for Blaze Media’s exclusive election-night coverage.For honest analysis, on-the-ground coverage, and commentary from some of the most brilliant contemporary political minds, tune in to our exclusive live coverage as we deliver election results in real time.Our coverage starts at 6:00 p.m. ET as the first polls close. Plus, tonight only, get $47 off your first year of BlazeTV+ with code 47.Watch on BlazeTV, YouTube, or X. Oh, and if you haven't already done so, vote today!

It’s Election Day 2024, and Americans across the country are beelining for the ballot boxes to ensure their voice is heard — and praying that their voice matches the masses. Stu Burguiere of “Stu Does America” accurately predicted the unfavorable outcome of the 2020 election, and he’s here to calm the minds of those dropping a vote for former President Donald Trump in 2024. “Gun to my head here, it’s time to make last-minute predictions,” Burguiere says. “We’re going to give Georgia and the 16 electoral votes over to Donald Trump.” While Trump only has a slight but consistent polling lead in Georgia, Burguiere explains that “the fundamentals of the state lean a little bit red.” Stu also predicts that North Carolina, a state whose citizens are still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, will vote in favor of Trump. “Donald Trump wins North Carolina with 16. Again, same situation roughly as Georgia, it’s a very close state, it could go either way,” he explains. “But I think Donald Trump again, with a small but persistent lead in the polls, holds onto North Carolina in a very close margin.” He believes the clearest state going to Donald Trump is Arizona, with 11 electoral votes. “It’s still a traditional red state,” Stu says, before setting his sights on Nevada. “This is one of these states I went back and forth on multiple times,” he explains. “I wound up going with Kamala Harris winning Nevada with 6 electoral votes. OK, I know everyone loves that, they love when I pick Kamala Harris in these states.” Stu believes that the traditionally blue state of Michigan will go to Kamala Harris, and Wisconsin will go to Donald Trump. Pennsylvania, the biggest swing state, is the most concerning — but if Stu is right — he has good news. “I’ve decided to put Donald Trump in control of those 19 electoral votes,” he says. “The final count, Kamala Harris, 247 electoral votes. Donald Trump, 291 electoral votes. All of that to say that the official prediction of the ‘Stu Does America’ program, with incredibly limited confidence, is Donald Trump.” “Donald Trump becomes the second president in history to have a presidential term, take one off, and then get the gig back,” he adds. Want more from Stu?To enjoy more of Stu's lethal wit, wisdom, and mockery, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Just 21 days before the start of early voting, Hurricane Helene delivered biblical-level destruction to the hills, hollows, and mountains of North Carolina. The massive storm brought devastating floods that killed 232 people — half of them in this state — and buried entire riverside communities in rivers of mud. Now, residents struggle for basic supplies. More than 2,500 families are homeless. Crowded shelters are well above capacity. Hundreds of road and bridge closures are disrupting transportation and the delivery of crucial aid. One-fifth of the state’s 7.3 million registered voters reside in the disaster area. Are candidate visits and pledges of support resonating with voters? Two days after the storm, Gov. Roy Cooper requested a major disaster declaration from the federal government in order to surge assistance to state and local agencies and provide immediate relief to suffering North Carolinians. FEMA claimed in a news release that it sent 25 trailer loads of food and 60 trailer loads of water to North Carolina. But Hendersonville resident Andrea Corn says she has not seen a state or federal worker yet. After the storm, Corn — a 55-year-old accountant who is more accustomed to preparing tax forms for local businesses than organizing relief missions — formed an ATV group to rescue elderly victims in Henderson County. Most roads and bridges had crumbled or washed away, and many folks could be reached only by going off-road. Andrea and her husband, a volunteer fireman, brought supplies to victims stranded in remote “hollers.” Many residents were without power for more than a month following Helene’s visit. Samaritan’s Purse, a nondenominational evangelical Christian charity, distributed solar-powered lights to light the dark nights. Abandoned by the state Well before the storm hit, these Western North Carolina mountain towns were imbued with a culture of self-reliance. Residents call it “WNC Strong.” But in the wake of Helene, residents needed critical help that only government can supply: large-scale search and rescue operations, power and water restoration, and infrastructure repair. Today, many of these residents feel abandoned by state and federal government officials. One question looming over the recovery efforts is whether it will impact voting behavior in Tuesday’s elections. “They are supposed to stand up for us, and we feel forgotten,” Corn said. “We’re going to need lots of money to recover, and our government is sending it to Ukraine.” Chuck Edwards, Republican congressman representing Western North Carolina, said state emergency officials cannot account for the whereabouts of 400 pallets of FEMA-supplied food and water meant for hurricane relief. He has requested 1,180 FEMA trailers to house thousands of displaced people. In Buncombe County, local artist and photographer Anna Hitrova said that volunteers — not government workers — brought her necessary supplies after the storm. “The only people I’ve seen on the ground in Buncombe,” she said, “are churches and Samaritan’s Purse.” Hitrova said she had a “black-pilled moment” when she drove through neighboring Swannanoa. She saw families camping on the lots where their homes once stood. They were without generators, phones, or anything else. “It was a shock; I was crying,” she explained. “It hit me how bad it was to be cut off from the world. The government waited to respond while people were dying.” The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has reported that most of the state’s deaths were in Buncombe County, home of Asheville and Swannanoa. “When I found out that FEMA had used money for housing illegal migrants and saw our government giving billions to Ukraine while families were getting $750, I was furious,” said Hitrova. Some assistance came from unlikely sources. Billionaire Elon Musk, for instance, stepped up to help. The SpaceX CEO donated 500 Starlink internet receivers to groups across the devastated area. Musk’s donation came after the urging of local state Rep. Danny Britt and former President Donald Trump. “Here, people had lost their homes and had nothing, but they had painted signs that read ‘God Bless Elon,’” Hitrova said. “I realized that Elon gave these people a lifeline that the government could not.” Election Day implications North Carolina is a key battleground state with 16 electoral votes. Trump won the state narrowly in 2016 and by an even smaller margin in 2020. The current RCP average has the former president leading by only 1.5 points. Both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have visited the storm-ravaged region while campaigning. During her Oct. 5 visit, Harris met with Asheville’s mayor and leaders of progressive groups such as NC Counts. After attending a local FEMA briefing, the vice president praised state and federal workers for the “nobility of their work and their calling.” Two weeks later, Trump appeared at an Asheville recovery site flanked by Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, an area native, and numerous North Carolina politicians and local business owners. The former president said the American people were the real heroes of the recovery efforts and that the state and local governments had let storm victims down. Trump said he had come to express a simple message to the region: “I’m with you, and the American people are with you all the way.” One-fifth of the state’s 7.3 million registered voters reside in the disaster area. Are the visits and pledges of support resonating with voters? In Henderson, a predominantly red county, it appears so. “I was shocked to see the level of highly motivated people out here voting this year despite their difficulties,” said Henderson County GOP Chair Brett Calloway. Andrea Corn said that access to voting was the number-one concern for Helene victims. “Some folks needed food, others had lost their home, and the first thing they were asking about was voting,” she said. “It was truly all that mattered for them.” Some residents told her they hadn't voted in two decades. Corn recently closed her accounting office so that her employees could help staff election sites. Calloway also says people are eager to help in the election campaign. A week after the storm, a man came into the GOP office to ask about volunteering. “I’ll have to do it around my wife’s funeral,” the teary-eyed man said. “My country needs me.” As of Friday, nearly 58% of registered voters in the county had cast their vote. Turnout this year is 19% higher than in 2020. “Many of the voters we’re seeing are on the inactive voter rolls,” says Calloway. “Only 7% of our voters are Election Day voters, so there is no danger of Election Day votes being cannibalized,” he said. By Friday morning, 3.7 million North Carolinians had voted, surpassing the 2020 early voting total. Later, the State Board of Elections reported over 4 million votes cast in 2024, with over half of registered voters participating. “This year, voting is a symbolic act for me,” declared Anna Hitrova. A onetime Democrat who now publicly identifies as a conservative activist, she says she has “given up” on the current government. “I am going to vote, I am going to vote for Trump, and I am going to do it on the first day of early voting in the progressive city of Asheville.” Editor’s note:This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.