Estimated two-thirds to three-fourths of PolAms back Trump
Polonia may not command a monolithic voting bloc, but…
PolAms could still tip the presidential balance
By Robert Strybel, Warsaw Correspondent
WARSAW–The Polish-American community cannot boast a primarily pro-Democrat voting bloc comparable to those ascribed to Jewish, Black and Hispanic Americans, but that might not be a bad thing. For generations, Polonians have been swing voters more aware of and attuned to ever-changing political issues than to blind party loyalty.
They voted for Woodrow Wilson who had championed an independent post-World War I Poland after 123 years of foreign occupation. But when the re-emerging Polish state turned out to be weak and divided and his cherished League of Nations failed to live up to its lofty ideals, Polonians cast their ballot for Republicans in the following three presidential elections.
FDR enjoyed widespread PolAm support in his successive presidential bids, but after World War II many Polonians believed he had “sold Poland down the river to Stalin” and switched their allegiance to Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower. As a Catholic ethnic, JFK did re-attract Polonia to the Democratic fold. Nevertheless, by 1967 they my well have supported Republican Gerald Ford. But when he foolishly claimed that “Poles do not feel dominated by the USSR,” many Polonians voted for Democrat Jimmy Carter instead.
To a sizable section of the PolAm electorate this year’s presidential race boils down to a choice between the lesser of two evils. In general, conservative PolAms equate with the current administration’s support of war-torn Ukraine which Kamala Harris pledges to continue. She has tried to convince Polonia that if Ukraine falls, Poland could well be next in line. However, many PolAm voters are turned off by the Democratic Party’s hard-left, pro-Woke, agenda.
Republican Donald Trump could be an effective antidote to Democrat pandering to the whims of the LGBT minority, the gender-pronoun fanatics and the increasingly powerful transition industry. He is also committed to stopping the flow of illegal migrants to America, another issue of PolAm concern. But Trump has said he would not give Kyiv even a penny more and blames Biden for prolonging the conflict by feeding money to Zelensky. Considering the war’s toll of death and destruction across Ukraine, he argues that “even a bad (land for peace–RS) deal would be better than what we have now.”
That approach worries some PolAm voters who still have loved ones in Poland. Nevertheless, according to unofficial estimates, anywhere from two-thirds to three-quarters of Polonia’s voters appear likely to support Trump, especially in the larger Polish-American communities. Considering the Democrats’ pro-Woke and pro-migrant alternatives, they appear willing to overlook the former president’s reckless rhetoric. unsavory vices and even his lack of support for the beleaguered Ukrainians.
The uniqueness of this year’s race to the Oval Office centers on the expected razor-thin vote margin separating the two candidates and the fact that large Polish-American communities exist in such key battleground states as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. A mere handful of votes could swing the election one way or the other.
Considering the wide political and ideological chasm separating the two highly polarized candidates, the winner appears likely to determine the direction in which America will move over the next few years. Another term in office could enable Trump to complete the “draining of the DC swamp” of the life-long professional politicians who have built their multi-million-dollar careers and nepotistic dynasties under the guise of serving the average American citizen. If Harris wins, the “progressive” Wokification of America will more than likely be taken to a new and higher level.
