Depending upon when you are reading this, the presidential election is about a month away. In an effort to find out what our neighbors think about the election, I visited some of the hotbeds of political activism, namely the sidewalk in front of both the Pennington Market and the Pennington Circle ShopRite as well as the Sunday Farmers Market in Hopewell Borough. Got to go somewhere where the crowds gather in our semi-rural community.
Perhaps we need a township square.
Over the course of a week, I interrogated (and perhaps annoyed) 145 Hopewellians, 77 women and 68 men, asking two very quick questions:
1. Are you registered to vote?
2. What is the most important issue to you in the impending presidential election?
Many had very fast responses. Others seemed tongue-tied, saying that there were so many issues that selecting one was just too hard.
Since I assured people that the questions would be quick because everyone appeared to be in a rush, I did not solicit follow-up questions. However, many folks eagerly elaborated on their one-word responses.
While some couples shared the same views, in most cases, men and women held different viewpoints as to what was most important to them.
All but one person was registered to vote, although two said vaguely, “As far as I know.”
The issue that produced the largest number of responses was The Economy (28 citations) which included comments on inflation, cost of living, jobs, tax policy change, student loan forgiveness and income inequality. One woman called for, “doing good things for the poor.”
The next most frequently identified issue (25 citations) was Women’s Rights, often refined to specifically mention reproductive rights, women’s healthcare, IVF, and abortion rights. One woman asserted “the freedom to pursue one’s own life choices.” Another woman likened the Dobbs decision to Jim Crow laws making for a two-tier system and “creating a patchwork of inequality.”
One man who mentioned abortion added that he was pro-life.
Eighteen respondents said, “Preservation of Democracy” was the most important issue, a phrase often repeated. Related comments included: supporting the Constitution, loss of freedoms, and the need for a peaceful transition of power.
Sixteen individuals referred to immigration or the border as crucial. Several spoke of limiting immigration of undocumented people.
Seven emphasized the environment or climate change.
* * *
Other issues mentioned were gun control, parental leave and childcare, Ukraine, never-ending war, revolving door lobbying and corruption.
Only one person said: “I’m registered but won’t vote. There’s no difference between the candidates. I’m not political.”
Another individual, when asked about the most important issue of the election said: “I don’t know. I haven’t looked into it yet.”
Various respondents provided abstractions regarding what they considered the most important election issue including civility, internal peace, kindness and character, decency, integrity, inclusivity, unity and vanity.
Not surprisingly, the strongest comments were directly related to the candidates. One woman said, “Vote for Kamala. That’s all I’m going to say.” One man said, “The first woman president would produce the biggest change ever seen.”
Another man said, “I’m voting for Trump ,and so are my wife and three daughters.”
Respondents called for a “good, honest, wonderful president,” “a president we can trust,” “someone who wants to do what’s best for the country,” “someone to put it back together,” and “someone I like who has not offended me.”
Then there were the less gentle statements such as calling for, “Someone favoring country over self. Narcissistic behavior is a threat to national security.”
One man said dolefully, “Will our democratic institutions and Constitution survive? If we can preserve it, everything else including the economy will be fine.”
Not surprisingly, when I approached people, notebook in hand, they tended to react with leery looks, no doubt assuming that I was trying to sell them something. However, except for those people who declined to answer any questions because they had to pick up children, get back to work or were outright hostile to being questioned, most folks were delighted to be asked for their opinion.
And in case you are totally out of touch with the real world, Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. for in-person voting.
Vote as if your life depended on it, because it does.
,
