An assassination attempt. Monumental Supreme Court rulings. A former president convicted of multiple felonies. A shocking debate performance. And an abandoned bid for a second presidential term.
American politics has rarely felt mundane in recent years, but the past few weeks have delivered an unrelenting cascade of developments that have imbued new uncertainty onto the political landscape.
Washington Post reporters fanned out across the country to ask Americans how they view this moment in the nation’s history. Their responses have been edited for length and clarity.
‘Oh my God! No, he didn’t!’
The texts came in so furiously I couldn’t ignore them.
I opened my phone and reacted for everyone in the store where I was shopping to hear: “Oh my God! No, he didn’t!”
The guy next to me asked me what was wrong, so I shared the news. In this part of South Texas, the Rio Grande Valley, people spend more time trying to live and survive than following national politics. But then we became the news with our proximity to the border with Mexico and recent influx of migrants.
“I knew it,” he said. “When they said he had covid, I knew it was over.”
As a lifelong Democrat, I had wanted the party to unite behind Biden. Yes, he had a bad debate. Yes, he’s old. But God bless him, he’s been a hell of a president.
Kamala Harris is not very popular around here. But I will support anyone … as long as it’s not him [Trump].
-Laura Torres, 53, a property manager from Mission, Tex.
‘People are so frustrated’
I actually did not vote for Trump in 2016. But Trump proved to me in his first term that he actually did what he said he was going to do, so I became a supporter, and I voted for him in 2020, and I intend to vote for him this year.
I don’t think we’re the most divided we’ve ever been. It’s hard to top 2020, when everybody was locked in at home. Then you had the George Floyd incident, which erupted into racial turmoil and riots in the streets.
I think at the basic level, we have to be more tolerant of other people’s viewpoints. The people you know and love, they’re going to have different opinions from you. But you still love them because they’re your brother, your son, your daughter, your mother.
I think people are so frustrated because neither side comes together in Washington, D.C., to handle the things that affect most Americans.
-Francisco Gonzalez, 46, an entrepreneur in Boynton Beach, Fla.
‘I’m really energized’
I’ve been kind of down because of the chaos. I am by all means anti-Trump, but at the same time, it wasn’t a good look for the party to be so chaotic. I can’t have that constant barrage of news and speculation. I just shut it down.
But now that this has happened? I’m really energized. And I feel like if I’m energized — and I’m not even that political — I hope there’s a ripple effect of all this energy, and the Dems can really put this together and organize and put on a good show.
I really don’t know much about Harris. But I think this visual of her being a prosecutor going against a convicted felon is too juicy to pass up.
-Mark Lilley, 57, who is self-employed and lives in Denver
My initial thoughts were, Trump would wipe the floor with any other Democratic candidate. Trump has so much fuel. Any other candidate trying to step up this late in the stage, this close to November?
I haven’t done a lot of research. But I like Governor Newsom. California is a big task. What he’s been doing there is noticeable.
-Weston Lilley, 20, Mark’s son and a student in Boulder, Colo.
‘Where do we even go from here?’
I don’t normally follow politics so closely, but the last few weeks have been a complete circus. I’m glad Biden stepped out of the race. He was too old. He was so bad in the debate. I understand politics is messy, but what was his end game?
I plan to vote for a Democrat this election. The country and the people need someone that’s going to back up what they believe in. For me it starts with my community, and for too long they [Democratic politicians] have taken our African American community for granted. I don’t think they really care about us.
Maybe Kamala could be different, but I’m not sure. I just hope she stays true to herself and doesn’t let the thirst for power cloud her judgment.
It’s hard to even follow what’s been happening in our country, with this and the Trump assassination attempt. Where do we even go from here? I hope it will cool down. I just want someone that’s competent as our leader. Until then, I think we should all just move to an island.
-Olivia Massenburg, 30, a corner store employee in Minneapolis
‘America has made some racial progress’
The selection of Vice President Harris as the Democratic nominee for president will be remembered as a watershed moment in American history.
Her multicultural background running for president shows that America has made some racial progress over the past 50 years. I am hopeful for an election that will bring Americans together.
I am fearful that race may be used to further divide Americans. Race has been used already to divide Americans, but I think this election is going to be nasty.
I think the bright spot is that independents are going to look beyond race and look at what’s in the best interests of the country.
-Larry E. Rivers, 73, a history professor in Tallahassee
‘There’s a lot of fear out there’
I don’t think with a candidate like Trump that you’re going to ever have a normal campaign season.
But it’s unfortunate because we’re at a time now where people can’t even talk to their neighbor or people in their own family without getting into a deep argument. And that’s wrong. We need to be able to have these conversations, because I feel we have far more in common than we have differences.
I come from a strong military background. My father was in the Air Force for 34 years as an officer. Both my parents are buried at Arlington. I’m a strong conservative, so this is not coming from some whackadoodle Democrat. I think there’s a lot of fear out there, and I think our democracy is at stake.
It’s hard for people to speak up. They don’t want to put signs in their yard.
It’s hard to judge history from this moment when we’re in the midst of it. But I do think it’s a very pivotal point in our history. I think it was a hard, difficult thing for the party to do and for the American public to see, but I respect President Biden for putting his country first and finishing out his term.
-Debie McDonald, 67, a retired stockbroker in Celebration, Fla.
‘Keep that stuff out of the bar’
I haven’t been paying close attention to what’s been going on. As a bartender, you keep things simple — no religion, no politics — you’ve got to keep that stuff out of the bar.
But now I’m wondering, what’s the backup plan?
Trump is a nightmare. Watching this whole thing unfold, it’s been so depressing. Like, “Is this what it all comes down to?”
I just hope they [Democrats] can find a good viable candidate who is a good solution.
-Rob Salinas, 37, a bartender in Lawrence, Kan.
‘Leaving the country’
I am moving to El Salvador. It’s cheaper and I think it’s going to be the next Costa Rica. I will be a digital nomad.
I am a huge government and political person. I worried about the U.S. Supreme Court when they decided to give him [Trump] full immunity. I don’t think anyone should have that much power.
I had planned to vote for Joe Biden. I will still vote for the Democratic Party, but I don’t think Biden could have won it. I love the man. I do, but I don’t think he could have done it. I don’t think [Vice President Harris] will get it either.
I know three other couples leaving the country. It makes me sad. I feel like I am getting pushed out. I am not choosing to leave.
-Lisa Kinsinger, 40, a small-business owner in Baltimore
‘High time we had a woman as a president’
I could’ve been like Joe. Biden, that is.
But when you reach your 80s, things start to go wrong. That’s why after more than 50 years in local politics I decided to hang up the bandanna, the staple accessory I wore during the live evening covid updates I delivered to San Antonio-area residents during the pandemic.
But I knew at 81, when I left office, that the body is bound to betray. I wanted people to see and remember me when I was thriving and not see me deteriorate. That’s what I saw in Biden on debate night.
Biden should’ve known better. He made the right decision even if he took too long to make it. He’s done a good job. But it’s high time we had a woman as president.
-Nelson Wolff, 83, a retired politician in San Antonio
‘We need a strong man’
There are a couple of colorful phrases, mostly in Spanish, that came to mind when I think about Joe Biden’s debate performance.
Ilusión perdida. Hope lost.
Sin kilate. Low caliber.
But there’s really just one word for it: Weak.
I wasn’t going to vote for the man. But I did four years ago before the Democratic Party drifted away from me on issues that conflict with my faith. But I felt bad for a guy I respect and like to call “el abuelito” (the grandpa).
I wanted to see him “morir con las botas puestas,” as the refrain from my native Puerto Rico goes. I mean “to die with his boots on” or stay firm in his conviction amid adversity. But with wars and rumors of war, we need a strong man. I don’t think Biden had it. And I’m not sure Harris does either.
The calculus I’m making is that Donald Trump’s sheer force of personality may be enough to stop wars — even if he’s half crazy. Trump is who he is; dominant, impactful and I think he can convince Putin to barter for an end to the war in Ukraine.
I come from a place where politics have always divided families, but they stay together. The United States is a place where differences of opinion are becoming impenetrable walls between people, and I don’t know what that means for us.
-Joe Alvarez, 65, an art teacher from Winter Haven, Fla.
Source link : https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/07/23/joe-biden-drops-out-2024-election-americans-react/
Author :
Publish date : 2024-07-23 18:44:18
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
