Trump wins in close race, Republican says

 Col. Bill Connor of Orangeburg, left, with Prince Harry in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, during the Christmas season in 2007.

Republican Bill Connor believes President Donald Trump will win re-election, but the race will be tight.

Col. Connor, an Orangeburg attorney and conservative columnist, addressed the 2020 election with Panther reporters on Sept. 24. The news conference was held via Zoom.

“I honestly think Donald Trump is going to win,” Connor said.

The economy will be a key reason for the victory, Connor said. “Polls show that Donald Trump can handle the economy better.”

In terms of the economy amid the coronavirus, Connor said the virus is an aberration. A rebounding economy is making “amazing gains.”

At the end of the day, “The president who doesn’t have a strong economy will lose,” Connor said.

In terms of the impact of COVID-19 on the race, Connor said there will be some, but Trump is not to blame. “This was something out of his control.”

“The media are trying to blame Trump,” Connor said. “The ultimate blame comes down to China.”

Connor cited riots, socialist positions of Democrats and the Supreme Court as other issues on the road leading to Election Day.

“There is a tiredness,” Connor said about protests becoming riots. He cited the violence that took place in Louisville, Kentucky, surrounding the Breonna Taylor indictment, stating there is a belief that no matter the outcome in controversial cases, there will be riots.

“We don’t want to go in that direction,” Connor said.

Stating that Democrats have disregarded the “over the top rioting,” Connor said, “Trump is better with strong national security.”

Connor attributed the tightening of the race to the Democrats’ socialist bend.

“The other side set up issues that are kind of unique,” Connor said when discussing the shift from traditional Democratic ideals toward socialism. “Capitalism is becoming a bad word.”

Connor said it is important to seat a new U.S. Supreme Court justice ahead of the election.

He gave the example of Bush vs. Gore in the 2000 election, stating if the courts must become involved in the election outcome, a 4-4 split could deepen the crisis.

With nine justices, the court will make a legal ruling, he said.

He believes pollsters are being misled, stating that “during the George Floyd incident, it was unpopular to be a Trump supporter.”

Although people may be reluctant to say they support Trump, “polls will show secret supporters,” Connor said.

He said the feeling among conservatives is, “We may not like Donald Trump’s tweets or behavior, but he has delivered on promises.”

Trump is better than the alternative, Connor said. “Passion on our side will drive people to the polls.”