The human touch: Kellyanne Conway explains key to Trump’s major N.C. win

by WorldTribune Staff, June 4, 2017

It was Donald Trump’s personal impact, fueled by campaign rallies rather than ubiquitous TV ads, that inspired the “forgotten man and the forgotten woman” to give Trump a key victory in the swing state of North Carolina, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said.

“We literally could not have won North Carolina without our two greatest assets: President Trump and his family and Vice President Pence,” Conway, the featured speaker, said at the N.C. Republican Party’s annual convention in Wilmington on June 3.

Kellyanne Conway speaks at the N.C. GOP Convention on June 3 in Wilmington. / News & Observer

Conway said Robeson County was a prime example of the effectiveness of Trump’s strategy. The southeastern North Carolina county, a longtime Democratic Party stronghold, went for Trump in November.

“In Robeson County, you see a great example of the forgotten man and the forgotten woman standing up,” she said.

Conway said that Hillary Clinton spent more in the state and relied heavily on traditional TV ads, a strategy that didn’t work. “It’s expensive, it’s repetitive, and it’s just not the way people consume their information or share their information,” she said.

Conway added that the Trump campaign worked to “manage our deficits” in urban counties like Wake and Mecklenburg, where strong numbers in Democrat strongholds would help propel Trump to a statewide win.

Conway appeared with Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump (married to Eric Trump), who grew up in the Wilmington area and was a frequent surrogate for the campaign in North Carolina last year, the Raleigh News & Observer reported.

“This is quite a time for the Republican Party,” Lara Trump said. “The Trump campaign is still active, and I’m proud to be part of it.”

Conway and Lara Trump’s appearance drew a few protesters to the Wilmington Convention Center, the report said.

Progress NC Action issued a news release criticizing the GOP’s choice to invite Conway.

“It’s no surprise that the NCGOP is embracing the politics of deception enough to invite Kellyanne ‘Alternative Facts’ Conway to speak at their convention,” said the group’s executive director, Gerrick Brenner. “What better way to improve their talent for deception than by studying from a master?”

During her June 3 speech, Conway joked about her use of the phrase “alternative facts,” which she has used to describe inaccurate information.

“I love to carry around pictures on my phone of the last polling numbers before the election by the mainstream media,” she said. “Talk about junk science. Talk about alternative facts.”


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