Billboard campaign across state backs Biden
Republican Voters Against Trump pressing for Democrat
Billboards featuring everyday Republicans and independents who are so turned off by President Donald Trump that they’ re voting for Democrat Joe Biden have come to Florida.
The campaign starts Monday in Republican parts of the state and the important swing territory of the Interstate 4 corridor from Tampa to Orlando—areas where organizers figure they have the most potential to help influence voters in the final weeks of the campaign.
Republican Voters Against Trump, which has been waging a digital and television campaign with people explaining why they can’t vote for their party’ s presidential nominee, has a $3 million billboard campaign that has already started in other battleground states, of Arizona, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
The group said it would have 100 billboards in Florida with brief, direct messages showing Republicans that people like them are voting for Biden.
“I’m a conservative. I’m an Army veteran. I’m voting Biden,” proclaims the one featuring Robert Harding of Lake Worth. Jim Zaenglein of Fernandina Beachexplains that “I’m aRepublican. I’m a veteran. I’m voting Biden.” And Richard G lo mb from De Land states“I’ m a Republican. I’m a Christian. I’m voting for Biden.”
The signs will be in Fort Myers, Lake land, Melbourne, Orlando, Tampa, Tit us ville, north of Daytona Beach and between
Fort Pierce andVero Beach.
Amplifying their views inphone interviews, several of the five people featured on the billboards expressed strongly negative views about the president. For most, voting for aDemocrat is a big deal, something they’ve done once or twice— if ever— in their lifetimes.
“Trump is not fit. He doesn’t conduct himself in a manner that I think a president should. He lies. He doesn’t have any integrity. He’s a womanizer and I consider him a racist. I think there’s a spectrum of racism, and he’s toward the extreme,” Zaenglein said.
He said Trump “has interests, obviously in Russia,” and has “alienated our allies and coziedup to our enemies.” And, Zaenglein said, “his holding theBible infront of that church was bad, disgusting.” That happened after Trump had peaceful protesters forcibly removed froman area outside the WhiteHouse so he could hold the photo op with the Bible.
Zaenglein, 59, a registered Republican and radiologist who served 10 years as an active duty Army doctor, said he cast a protest vote for Libertarian Gary Johnson in 2016.
Harding, 67, is a registered no party affiliation voter. He said he voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 for one central reason: Trumpwas theRepublican nominee.
“He’s a subversive. He’s a real danger to the future of the country, the present and the future,” he said.
Harding met the future president years ago as one of several contractors who installed the gold leaf in the ballroom at the Palm BeachestateTrumpturnedintothe Mar-a-Lago Club. (Other builders atthetimewarnedhimthatTrump had a reputation for not paying his bills, butHarding said he got what hewas owed. “Therewas no issue getting paid.”)
Separate from the Republicans AgainstTrumpeffort, Hardingand his girlfriend wrote a song, “Ode to the Bloated Zero,” aboutTrump and posted it to YouTube. One of the lyrics describes the president as “Apowder-puff bully.”
Glomb, 84, alifelongRepublican, hasvotedforonlyoneDemocratfor president: JohnF. Kennedyin1960. In 2016, he wrote in the name of U.S. Sen. MarcoRubio, R-Fla.
He said he has some “trepidation” implement.
But he said Trump gives him no choice.
“Theguy is a liar. I can abide a lot ofthings, butIcannotabidethefact that he lies,” he said. He also thinks the president is notwell. “Imay be wrong, but I think if this man had togothroughpsychological tests, I think theywould find him in need of some help.”