Ohio and Pennsylvania are historically considered important “swing” states on the road to electing a new U.S. president. Ohio and Pennsylvania have one thing in common: fracking sizable Amish populations. By last estimate, there are almost 50,000 Amish living in Ohio and a little more than 40,000 living in Pennsylvania. This election cycle has brought us Donald Trump and all of the “innovation” that comes with the Donald. So it is no surprise that desperate Republicans are trying to get out the Amish vote! Meet the Amish PAC.
When Amish vote, they vote for individual rights, personal responsibility, less government, lower taxes, and to protect their right to bear arms.
The objective of Amish PAC's Plain Voter Project is to drive up Amish voter registration and turnout.
Increasing Amish turnout by even 5% in 2016 could be the difference between a Republican president and Hillary Clinton.
Now, the Amish are not forbidden to vote, but don’t as a general rule. However, that hasn’t stopped this group from trying before.
The campaign is, in part, a move to build on a similar effort here in 2004 on behalf of George W. Bush. But the leaders of the new effort, who are raising money through a political-action committee called the Amish PAC, say they are not affiliated with a candidate.
“The Amish and Mennonites are one of the most conservative blocs of potential votes you have in this country, and Republicans have done a very poor job over the years of doing that outreach,” said Ben Walters, the committee’s co-founder.
So far the PAC has supposedly received $8,000 in donations over the span of a month. In 2004 this group was able to motivate about 13 percent of the Amish population—1,342 votes. Retired professor and Amish and Mennonite authority Donald Kraybill was interviewed by Lancaster Online about the possible chances of success in this circumstance:
“It’s very hard for me to know,” Kraybill said. “I think on the one hand they respect business leaders and they view him as a successful business leader. On the other hand his personal style and his sense of hubris and vanity are completely antithetical to Amish values of humility and so on.”
“George Bush had a sort of down-in-the-farm style and was pretty explicit about his Christian faith,” said Kraybill, noting that Trump’s three marriages would be an issue for Amish voters if they were aware of it.
Trump’s potential Amish campaign promises:
- Will get you guys a great deal on wood.
- I develop the best houses and can get you guys a great deal on raising a house.
- I make the best hats.
- Make Amish great again!
