Undecided Pennsylvania voters describe “scary and insane” choice between Biden, Trump

Undecided Pennsylvania voters describe “scary and insane” choice between Biden, Trump
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(WHTM) – This is a presidential year but the presidential candidates in the two major parties are decided ahead of Pennsylvania’s April primary. In that race, Pennsylvania voters don’t have a voice, but they certainly have opinions.

Susquehanna Polling and Research has Joe Biden leading Donald Trump by 5% in Pennsylvania, different from several other polls showing Trump up.

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This Week in Pennsylvania

“I believe very, very passionately that a lot of the polls are overstating Trump support in the polling,” said Jim Lee, President of Susquehanna Polling & Research.

Lee, a mostly Republican pollster, says in 2016 Trump supporters were too shy to admit it and Trump’s numbers were under-represented.

“Now you see the opposite happening,” said Lee. “The only people that have enthusiasm right now are Trump voters, and they’re the ones responding to polls.”

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Third-party candidates could play a major role. In 2016, Hillary Clinton lost Pennsylvania by 44,000 votes. Libertarian Gary Johnson got 147,000 and Green candidate Jill Stein got 50,000.

In 2020 Trump lost Pennsylvania by just over 80,000 votes. Libertarian Jo Jorgensen got just under 80,000.

“The question is,” says Lee, “who do they take more votes from? The conventional theory right now is third party candidates take more from the incumbent than they do the challenger.”

Also key, according to Lee, about 4% of voters in his poll are undecided and they could decide the race. Lee convened a focus group with undecideds who were decidedly displeased with the presidential ticket options.

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Voters described the choices as scary, insane, irritating, and annoying. One called Biden mentally inept and others called Trump cocky, arrogant, divisive, and sexist.

Lee calls those voters “double haters” who don’t like either option and don’t like their predicament.

A Trump-Biden rematch may be on the horizon in 2024, whether voters like it or not

“You could see the anxiety. You could see the fatigue in the way they describe the election,” said Lee. “They’re not enthusiastic towards the election itself. They’re not looking forward to voting. They don’t know what they’re going to do.”

But ultimately, those voters could decide the presidency.

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