Heavy rains force early end to Biden rally in Tampa
A little rain didn’t stop Joe Biden on Thursday night in Tampa, Florida. But a lot of rain did.
The Democratic presidential nominee was forced to wrap his speech up early at a drive-in rally at the Florida State Fairgrounds after a brief shower turned into a torrential downpour.
Biden picked up his binder and dashed off the stage as the rain came down, scattering the crowd of people who had gathered near the stage to hear him speak. The campaign said 285 cars were there.
Biden focused his remarks on President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus and his efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act. He also went after the president for holding an earlier rally in Tampa without following social distancing guidelines to avoid the spread of the virus.
Biden said Trump “just had a superspreader event here again,” but added, “he’s spreading more than just the virus — he’s spreading division and discord.”
Earlier in the evening, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor jumped on a stage Thursday night, looked out at rows of cars and sensible SUVs and yelled into a microphone: “Honk if you are voting for Joe Biden.”
So began what was likely Biden’s first and only rally in the Tampa Bay area as the Democratic nominee for president. Hillsborough County has for decades hosted many campaigns in the final days of presidential races. None of those events looked like the one held Thursday at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
The vehicles, decked out in Biden signs, arrived early in the afternoon and were meticulously spaced out. Masked drivers and their passengers timidly ventured out for distanced hellos with other supporters.
Sen. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa: “You’re too damn close to each other. Spread out!”
Biden’s socially distanced rally could not have looked different than the Trump rally early in the day across town at Raymond James Stadium. But it certainly reflected the candidate: Understated, practical and adhering to public health guidelines that Trump has refused to follow.
Nadine Lima, a Hillsborough Community College teacher, appreciated the safety protocols. Her brother-in-law is in a Massachusetts intensive Care Unit with coronavirus. She couldn’t understand why Trump supporters would risk their health to see the president again.
“It feels like we’re in science fiction,” Lima said.
Tampa was Biden’s second stop in the Sunshine State on Thursday. He spent the early part of the day in Broward County. Biden’s swing through Florida five days before the election underscores the importance of the state’s 29 Electoral College votes. Most last-minute polls show the race is nearly tied and certainly within the margin of error.
Hillsborough County voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 by a seven-point margin. The gap was even wider in 2018 for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum.
Biden has run even with Trump in Florida thanks in part to his seniors, polls show, but Richard and Mary Frillici don’t see it in their Ellenton neighborhood. They’re the only Biden sign on the block, they said.
“I wish the young people would get more involved because they don’t know what they’re losing,” Richard Frillici, 77, said.
His grandson, Jack Lafayette, was in earshot and offered a rebuttal. “All of my friends are voting for Biden,” said Lafayette, who at 19 is a first-time voter.
Early voting numbers have so far shown Lafayette’s age group turning out at higher rates than they did in 2016.
The Associated Press and Tampa Bay Times contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 29, 2020 at 8:47 PM.