Philadelphia – With Election Day looming US President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden were hard at work Sunday. But while Trump moved from rally to rally in five different states, campaigning until almost midnight, Biden decided to focus on Pennsylvania, where he held two events.
The first event was held at the Sharon Baptist Church Philadelphia, the congregation of which is African American. It was held in association with an organization dedicated to mobilizing African American voters.
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Biden arrived at the event in a motorcade. It was unclear whether the move was driven by security concerns or whether he wanted to exude the air of the presidency.
The event took place in Wynnefield Heights, a middle-class neighborhood. I met one of the participants, an African American woman named Trudy, as she walked out of her house – right across from the church. She told me she had already voted – for Biden.
"I really hope he wins. It will be good for America but it [a Biden victory] is not a sure thing at all."
Many participants arrived by cars and honked whenever the chief speaker praised Biden, declaring, "He will fight for you!" But strangely enough, no one honked when she exclaimed "Victory!" three times. Everything was much more reserved.
At some point, participants began to pray. One of the participants told me that this was a large - even impressive – event. "How many people were here?" I asked, to which she replied, "There were a lot of people, 25."
Biden's pseudo-presidential motorcade passed just a few yards from where I was standing. It was a night-and-day difference from when I met him in winter-hit Iowa.
It was during a tiny city hall rally, with barely any supporters in attendance. Back then, he was accessible. Now - whether because of the coronavirus or because of his Secret Service detail - it is almost impossible to reach it.
There lies the huge difference between Biden and Trump, who always manages to project a sense of proximity wherever he goes, despite the very tight security all around him.
In Pennsylvania, the air is steeped with rust. It's very gray and rainy, in the metaphorical sense as well. This state is no stranger to hardship.
Biden manages to bring supporters to his events, but not in the thousands as you see in Trump's rallies. True, there are restrictions over the coronavirus, but if Trump had held such an event, the numbers present – even if some would have to stay out of the compound over these restrictions – would have been much greater.
Support for Biden is very reserved, but he hopes that it will still deliver on Election Day.
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