Doctor Jill Biden, the wife of Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden, is the latest in a procession of politicians to hit the Badger state. Earlier this afternoon, Biden made a campaign stop at Daisy Café and Cupcakery on Atwood Avenue.
She arrived at the café around noon, escorted down Atwood by Madison police and the Secret Service. Despite the threat of inclement weather, she drew a crowd of about 150 to the intersection of Atwood and Elmside Boulevard, shutting down the area to traffic.
“I’m so glad to be with you in person after so many virtual Zooms to your state in the last few months,” Biden told the crowd.
Biden’s stop today is an attempt to energize one of Wisconsin’s key Democratic bases. About three quarters of Dane County residents voted for Hilary Clinton in 2016.
In the small east side ward where Daisy Cafe is located, Clinton received 2,067 votes to Trump’s 97. Third-party candidate Jill Stein received 88 votes, and 49 other third party candidates or write-in candidates received votes.
In her speech today, Jill Biden criticized the Trump administration’s response to COVID-19.
“These aren’t Democratic or Republican issues, these are American issues,” she said. “We feel the chaos of Donald Trump’s America. It’s easy to watch what is happening and feel discouraged. But, right now, we don’t have to watch what happens, we have to decide what happens.”
Biden was joined today by Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, who urged those in attendance to organize and register to vote. He also used the opportunity to take a swipe at Republicans.
“Republicans have unfortunately proven over and over again that they’re willing to put their political priorities over our Democracy itself,” Barnes said. “We know that the path to the White House runs directly through Wisconsin. If we don’t win Wisconsin, we don’t win the White House.”
In 2016, Trump won Wisconsin by fewer than 23,000 votes. Wisconsin is a key battleground state for this election and neither party is taking the state for granted.
Last week, three Trump administration members–Mike Pence, William Barr and Mike Pompeo– made stops in Wisconsin. This Saturday, the President will campaign in Green Bay and La Crosse.
Joe Biden, meanwhile, has been largely missing from Wisconsin during the campaign.
His first visit to Wisconsin as the Democratic nominee was on September 3rd, followed by a second trip last Monday. This month is the first time Biden has visited Wisconsin since 2018, a fact the President has been quick to point out in his rallies.
A new poll out of the UW-Madison Elections Research Center has Trump trailing the Democratic nominee by five percent among registered Wisconsin voters. That poll, however, has a margin of error of plus or minus four percent.
Dr. Biden wrapped her remarks to the crowd today shortly after one o’clock.
“This is our moment, this is our election, this is our nation and we will choose our future together, now let’s get to work,” Biden said, to applause from the crowd.
As the autumn rain began falling and the crowd slowly dispersed, the former second-lady hopped back into her vehicle and, a little over half an hour after she arrived, drove off down Atwood, en route to another campaign stop in Waukesha County.