Amish outreach: GOP, Trump supporters energize untapped conservative constituency
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Bikers for Trump founder Chris Cox said he has been working on connecting with Amish and Mennonite voters in Ohio for about two years. He said part of the challenge is overcoming “a 300- or 400-year-old tradition of not being politically active.”
“We weren’t sure how well we’d be received here,” Mr. Cox said. “They almost exemplify the silent majority. They’re very private. They won’t ever put a yard sign in their yard. They’re much more likely to vote on state and local issues that are affecting their families directly. It’s kind of like a political science project.”
Another hurdle, he said, is that “traditionally it’s hard for an ‘Englishman’ to gain their trust and to talk to them.”
The Amish generally shun modern technologies such as automobiles, televisions and computers. They are opposed to government aid and intervention, a philosophy that sometimes translates into spotty voting records.
Mr. Miller said he didn’t start voting until about 10 years ago because he “didn’t see a big difference between Republicans and Democrats.”
“Now we see this big gap between the right and the left,” he said. “That’s probably why the Amish are waking up. If we’re going to have this liberalism, where we can do whatever feels good, that’s not good for our children. We don’t have to have it shoved under our nose.”
Source:
Washington Time
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