As the city of Philadelphia has devolved into riots, cities such as Kenosha and Minneapolis are picking up the pieces from violent outbursts. Much of the legacy media has ignored or excused the riots, yet these disturbances are going to have an election effect in the swing states witnessing them first-hand.
Riots have been largely swept under the rug by legacy media during this election cycle. Eric Lipton of the New York Times complained that conservatives were “drawing attention” to the violence in Philadelphia’s streets. Between the two presidential debates and the vice presidential debate, Chris Wallace was the only moderator to bring it up, and he spent more time tying riots to white supremacy.
For comparison, climate change was a topic in all three debates, despite the fact it doesn’t even rank in the top 10 issues voters care about. Violent crime ranked fifth, just behind the coronavirus. In the suburbs of Minnesota, crime and public safety is second only to the economy, another of the issues President Trump holds the advantage on.
Clinton’s polling average lead over Trump in Minnesota was greater than Joe Biden’s is currently (starting from September). Clinton only won the state by 45,000 votes, and it’s not unreasonable to think that watching over $500 million in damages in Minneapolis might be a factor this time around. The same is true of Wisconsin, where Biden’s lead is less than Clinton’s was and where Kenosha saw over $50 million in riot and looting damages.
Now it’s Pennsylvania, where Biden was already in hot water for his multiple positions on fracking. Just like the previous two states, Biden is running behind Clinton’s numbers in Pennsylvania. Looters have taken to the streets in Philadelphia, and nearly a dozen people have been shot.
This effect might not be limited to the presidential race either. Minnesota’s Senate race is tightening as well, and there is no doubt that the violence on display in America’s cities has encouraged many Americans to become first-time gun owners, a long-term setback for gun control proponents and a short-term issue for a Democratic Party increasingly opposed to firearm ownership.
Trump’s personal unlikability might save Democrats and their media allies from reckoning with the effects of these riots now, but they will have an effect down the line. Yet, a Biden win is not guaranteed, and it would not be surprising to see swing state voters slip away from the party who governs the cities on fire.
