While Donald Trump’s vulgar and lewd comments about women are too explicit for young ears, organizers behind a 413 for HRC canvassing event Monday in New Hampshire designed it as family-friendly.
“I rallied the family-friendly event because I have two small children,” said Jordana Amato, a Hillary Clinton supporter who campaigned with her two young children and about 50 others from Hampshire County in Keene, New Hampshire, on Monday.
Amato, 37, of Florence said the day offered an opportunity to show her children what is like to be engaged citizens, which has been challenging since so much of the subject matter around Trump has been too graphic for her son, 5, and daughter, 2.
“It’s been pretty hard to have to keep on turning off the news,” she said, referring to tape of footage of Trump talking about forcing himself on women. “I really don’t want either one of these children to think that this is OK.”
Monday’s campaign event was already planned, but Lilly Lombard, teen and family canvass organizer for the local campaign, said canvassing for Clinton over the holiday weekend seemed to go more smoothly now that Trump is making more enemies than ever.
“I’ve been coming up (to New Hampshire) every weekend for probably a month and a half,” she said. “It seemed easier this time in terms of people moving solidly to Hillary Clinton after Trump’s latest remarks — it definitely pushed them over the edge.”
The pro-Clinton organizers also had their eyes on pushing votes for Maggie Hassan, the Democratic candidate for running against incumbent U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte.
“We are all up here as much to affect the outcome of the Senate race as the presidential race,” Lombard said. “A lot of voters forget how critical it is to have a Senate majority.”
Ayotte become one of several notable Republicans to distance themselves from Trump in recent days, withdrawing their support and calling for him to step aside.
Still, Lombard said the recordings of Trump provide no revelations.
“This is really nothing new about Donald Trump, and if this tipped you over the edge then I think you haven’t been paying attention to the mountain of testimony and evidence that he has acted like this his entire adult life,” Lombard said. “That’s why it’s so shocking that Kelly Ayotte has taken this long to sever herself from him.”
Canvassing will continue every weekend through the election, Lombard said, and canvassers will head to New Hampshire daily in four shifts each day for the last 10 days before Nov. 8. Lombard said anyone interested in joining should contact 413forHRC on social media for details.
Her daughter, Magsy Lombard, 15, said it’s important for young women to take a stand against Trump.
“Trump is frankly a misogynist and I really do not feel comfortable with him leading women, or men or really anyone else,” she said. “Looking at his recent video and audio, he doesn’t respect women’s rights and it makes me feel really horrible that he would touch women when they have not consented, and that he thinks that’s OK and that women want that.”
At least one recent poll suggests voters are standing by their man.
According to the latest Politico/Morning Consult poll, 74 percent of GOP voters surveyed Saturday said party officials should continue to support Trump. And 36 percent said Trump’s comments did not affect their opinions of the candidate.
William Z. Nardi, a registered independent from Springfield, college student, journalist and conservative commentator, said he is waiting to see whether Trump has any more “October surprises” before resuming his personal support of Trump’s candidacy.
“I truly was disgusted by what he had said in that video about women, and do not find it acceptable under any means,” Nardi, 19, said in a social media message. “However, as disappointing as a revelation as this was, I still cannot support Hillary Clinton,” who he described as corrupt and a liar.
Nardi said Trump is a person who never apologizes. But he seemed genuine and regretful in his apology following the release of the video, which speaks to his character today. “He knows what he said was disgusting and wrong, and the apology was the first step he had to make to come back from that,” Nardi said.
For now, Nardi will continue to watch the race. He lauded Trump’s performance in Sunday’s debate, which he said was solemn and measured, a counter to Clinton’s arrogance.
“If he continues to act as he did in the debate (Sunday) night, not only will be make a fantastic president, but he will have my vote in November,” Nardi said.
Amanda Drane can be contacted at adrane@gazettenet.com. Chris Lindahl can be contacted at clindahl@gazettenet.com.