United or Divided? What I’ve Learned About American Voters from Crossing Party Lines for A Job
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By Nikki Slusher
Like most people this year the Coronavirus had completely altered my world. As I was preparing to graduate from my dual-degree graduate program I had also finalized my job search with one of the largest sheriff’s departments in the country. My position was to conduct risk-assessments on individuals who were reentering the community after incarceration and were being placed into community supervision for probation. Just one week before I was set to start at the academy a global pandemic had completely shut down the country, while new hires, such as myself, and current employees in both the public and private sectors were required to overload the unemployment offices in hopes that it would only be a month or so until we would be back to normal. That was March, and now we all know returning to normal never came in those two months — it still has not.
By June it was evident things would not be changing anytime soon, and eventually I received the email rescinding the offer for a job that was supposed to be the beginning of my career. Eventually my graduation came and went via a slideshow presentation posted on YouTube. It seemed as everything I spent the last seven years in college working for was gone in an instant.
Starting to become desperate I began applying to every job online that fit with my past experience and background. Restaurants, banks, office receptionist – you name it and I applied. It was during one of these evenings while I was searching for jobs hiring immediately that I came across a posting for one of the largest campaign management and consulting firms in Texas. While attending college in Orlando, FL, I had interned and worked for many local, state, and political officials in their offices and campaigns from 2013 to 2017. What I did not expect was to get a call the next day, complete a phone interview, and accept a position with the largest Republican consulting firm in the state.
As most of the RSR readers probably know I am, for the most part, a true FDR Democrat. With the country so divided, the decision to take this position was made on the basis of being able to speak with people in the community and understand what issues they find most important. Also, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to speak with those who have different views and grasp why they have the beliefs they do. In less than 24 hours I went from being an unemployed college graduate to the next Kellyanne Conway. Now that we are only weeks from Election Day, it seems like an appropriate time to share how this experience has really helped give me back some faith in my fellow Americans; and hopefully restore some of yours too.
On average, I visit 135 to 140 houses a day and speak to an average of one-third of these households. It is these discussions where exchanging with people on their views has truly enlightened me. When I started the position, I was nervous over what kind of answers people would give considering how tense the political climate in the US is currently. Would I be barraged with MAGA supporters or yelled at by Bernie Bros? How was I going to connect with them? As time passed it became clear that the majority of voters from all political ideologies expressed the same concerns and wants for the country.
The issues that are most commonly brought up shows a different side to what Americans are perceived as. Of course, the usual answers like tax relief are mentioned. But concern over significant issues mostly align, including the future of Social Security; healthcare coverage for every person, either through the government or a private company but it must be affordable; lowering the costs of pharmaceutical prescriptions; education funding and mental health services for students; set rates based off income for rent/mortgages for retired seniors; and implementing a monthly supplemental income check for everyone. Many of these suggestions for these problems are a more liberal, socialistic approach that one does not normally think would be so widely supported in the US. Where their opinions differ is specifically on issues like abortion, 2nd Amendment rights, and the possibility of police departments being defunded. Regarding the latter, the greater consensus is that we need to provide more funding for better law enforcement training and providing officers with better access to mental health services to cope with what they experience in the line of duty.
These conversations also have another side to them. Initially, my job is to promote the plans a candidate has and their accomplishments. Unlike what the general public might think, we never bash another candidate for any race. This is imperative because 1) it makes the entire campaign look really bad, and 2) it lets people open up more on their own personal beliefs when you are one-on-one. By allowing people to open up and be honest with me the dialogue always ends on a positive note. The fact is most people agree that they wish the current president stopped talking the way he does and tweeting every five minutes. On the opposite end of the spectrum it is Joe Biden’s age is of concern, rightfully so. Yet, Trump’s health is also mentioned because he is not much younger than Biden.
A lot of frustration is shared at the fact that we have two old Caucasian men as our choices for president. Paraphrasing the words of one woman our president should really be in their 40’s or 50’s because anyone over 65 should be able to retire and enjoy life after decades of working. Another man also mentioned that the requirements needed to be changed. He believed certain degrees and/or years of work experience in certain areas of expertise that are related to running a government effectively (i.e. law, economics, finance, political science, public administration, etc.). Another frustration collectively shared is that the greater portion of voters have moderate beliefs but the two-party system that dominates the country’s political structure makes it near impossible when voting. Some have even said what we need to focus on changing over the next decade should be strengthening the Independent Party and promoting third-party candidates.
These beliefs do vary to certain extreme, but overall Americans seem to be on the same sinking boat. We are unsure what the future of this country holds, and nobody really has an answer for when things will start getting better. There is empathy for those who have lost their jobs, gotten sick, or passed from Coronavirus. No one wants to see people be homeless, without health insurance, or killed by the police. Arguments over unemployment and other social welfare programs are no longer the dominant attitudes after the issues many faced with these agencies themselves this year. What do voters across the board want? To heal the Earth, take care of our neighbors, and rebuild the country into a place where the American Dream still exists.
As tumultuous as the Trump era has been, the division that has split this country in recent years may not be as irreversible as it has seemed for so long. The US in 2020 is on the brink of a moral civil war. It is Red Vs Blue. Rural Vs Urban. Us Vs Them. Regardless of the election results, we are all in this together. We are not just red or blue dots in a national poll, nor are we only suburbs, country roads, or big cities. We are equal yet completely different. It is going to take us all working collectively if we are to fix the predicament the country Is facing.
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.
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