What’s going well in the United States?
What’s going well in the
United States?
“The judicial system”
Carrie,
55, Mich., white
“Jobs”
Andreia,
45, Va., Latina
“Innovation”
Reed,
37, S.C., white
If opinion polls are to be believed, Donald Trump has the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in the bag. But in a recent Times Opinion focus group with 13 Republican voters who are looking at candidates other than Mr. Trump, the idea that the race was all but over sounded off base, either because they don’t know any other Republicans who want Mr. Trump back in office or because he seems beatable for the nomination.
“My Republican friends say they are for anybody but Trump,” said one focus group participant, Carrie, a 55-year-old from Michigan. Referring to the pro-Trump polls, she asked, “Where are these people?” Andreia, a 45-year-old from Virginia, argued, “There has to be another person out there that is more responsible than this man.”
But who is that other person? Ron DeSantis came in for a mix of criticism and grudging praise, and Vivek Ramaswamy seemed a figure of fleeting interest. The enthusiasm was strongest (but not universal) for Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina. One reason is that she is talking about the top issue on these voters’ minds: the economy, specifically inflation and the debt. Few of these voters cared about immigration or wokeism, by contrast. “People are losing their jobs and can’t afford health care, and you’re going to legislate whether or not somebody can read a book?” said Sara, a 53-year-old from South Carolina.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday night’s second Republican presidential debate, the focus group dug into the qualities, ideas and priorities that they would like to see in the next Republican nominee and grappled with ways that the various candidates do and don’t measure up. In the end, we wanted to know, if the race came down in 2024 to Mr. Trump and President Biden, would they give in and vote for Mr. Trump? It was the most painful question for some of them — and yielded bad news for Mr. Trump but no silver lining for Mr. Biden, either.
Participants
Alex
36, Massachusetts, white, H.R. manager
Amanda
43, California, white, assistant principal
Andreia
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
Carrie
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
Chad
32, Utah, white, real estate
Charla
64, Texas, white, H.R. manager
Deborah
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
John
64, California, Latino, finance director
Mike
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
Pamela
52, Texas, white, network analyst
Reed
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
Rodney
53, Michigan, white, health care claims analyst
Sara
53, South Carolina, white, office manager
Transcript
Moderator, Margie Omero
Fill in the blank: When I think about the direction of the country right now, I’m most worried about: blank.
Charla,
64, Texas, white, H.R. manager
Economics.
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
The debt.
Rodney,
53, Michigan, white, health care claims analyst
The situation.
Moderator, Margie Omero
The situation?
Rodney,
53, Michigan, white, health care claims analyst
[Laughs] Yeah.
Reed,
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
The economy.
Sara,
53, South Carolina, white, office manager
The economy.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
The debt and the economy. The debt scares me.
Amanda,
43, California, white, assistant principal
Education.
John,
64, California, Latino, finance director
The economy.
Chad,
32, Utah, white, real estate
The economy.
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
Inflation.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Rodney, tell me what you mean by “the situation.”
Rodney,
53, Michigan, white, health care claims analyst
Trump and his indictment. Now Biden and his son’s indictment. I have no clue who I’ll vote for. It seems like everybody’s just underhanded.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Carrie, you mentioned the debt and the economy.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
I’m worried about Social Security running out. And the debt just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger. I mean, it went big under Trump too. It’s not just Democrats. It’s Republicans. And everybody just eats at that trough like they’re all pigs.
Moderator, Margie Omero
How does the debt affect you?
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
It’s going to impact my children. They’re going to have higher taxes on Social Security. When I get to 65, even though they say they’re not going to touch Medicare, they have to touch this kind of stuff. There’s just not enough money.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Amanda, why are you worried about education?
Amanda,
43, California, white, assistant principal
I’m an educator. For California, I feel like we’re just going in the wrong direction. Our governor is a pistol. There’s not enough money going into education. Teachers aren’t getting paid enough, so there’s a huge teacher turnover. And they’re sending the curriculum in this different direction, and it’s causing a bigger hole in our kids’ learning, and it’s setting them up for failure.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Here’s a related question: What’s going well in the country?
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
Jobs.
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
Not much.
Chad,
32, Utah, white, real estate
Employee rights.
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
The judicial system.
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
I do like the judicial system.
Charla,
64, Texas, white, H.R. manager
Jobs. We have jobs now.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
Yeah, the judicial system.
Sara,
53, South Carolina, white, office manager
Local communities are making positive impacts in trying to circumvent some of the strife that they’re getting from national economics.
Reed,
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
Innovation.
Amanda,
43, California, white, assistant principal
The entertainment industry. Taylor Swift brought in $300 million to Los Angeles.
John,
64, California, Latino, finance director
America’s leadership in the world.
Alex,
36, Massachusetts, white, H.R. manager
Advancements in technology. Innovations. And social services.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Mike, tell me what made you say the judicial system?
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
I think it’s the one branch of government where people continue to be evaluated fairly. It’s not perfect, but people are still evaluated in a court of law by a jury of their peers.
Moderator, Margie Omero
I want to hear from a couple of other people who said judicial system.
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
I think there’s a fair balance to it. Right or wrong, you have the process. And if it has to go all the way to the Supreme Court, that’s fine.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
The judicial system is there to stop the executive branch, especially, from just having executive orders and saying, “I’m going to do this.” Like on student loans, for example. I like the balance of powers between the branches of government — the three legs is really good.
Rodney,
53, Michigan, white, health care claims analyst
I voted for Trump, but what he was doing was wrong. And they’re taking that all the way to the courts. I can’t believe he’s going to do time for it, but he needs to be penalized somehow.
Moderator, Margie Omero
John, you said our leadership abroad. Tell me a little bit about that.
John,
64, California, Latino, finance director
We’ve done a very good job of marshaling the NATO allies against Russian aggression. I don’t think that would have happened with a different administration than the one that’s in there now.
Moderator, Margie Omero
A couple of people said that jobs were going well. Jobs, workers, worker power. Who do we give credit to for that?
Charla,
64, Texas, white, H.R. manager
Businessmen. They’re trying to keep jobs and improve their companies. I don’t think politicians could walk a day in our shoes.
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
Yeah, big corporations that refuse to lay off workers, that refused to lay off workers during Covid, that are refusing to lay off workers now with some kind of recession looming in the atmosphere.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Sara, you said the economy was not going well. Who do you blame for that?
Sara,
53, South Carolina, white, office manager
Politicians in Washington, D.C., collectively. They have lost sight of how we live and work as middle-class people. We can give free Narcan to whoever we want to in the parking lot of McDonald’s because they’re OD’ing, but we cannot get diabetic medication to those kids who did not choose to be diabetic. People are losing their jobs and can’t afford health care, and you’re going to legislate whether or not somebody can read a book?
Reed,
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
I’m 100 percent with Sara. We’re legislating the wrong things. We’re not trying to take care of our middle class.
Moderator, Margie Omero
We’re going to talk next about the Republican primaries for president. What’s a word or phrase you would use to describe how you feel about former President Trump?
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
Go away.
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
Immoral.
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
Betrayed.
John,
64, California, Latino, finance director
Disgusted.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Anybody have a different kind of word? Like, a positive or a neutral word?
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
Disappointed.
Chad,
32, Utah, white, real estate
That was going to be my word. Yeah, disappointed.
Charla,
64, Texas, white, H.R. manager
Power trip and insane.
Moderator, Margie Omero
If we had done this group three years ago, would you have said the same word?
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
No.
Moderator, Margie Omero
When did it change for you?
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
Jan. 6 had a big thing to do with it.
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
Amen.
Did Jan. 6 change how you feel about
former President Trump?
Did Jan. 6 change how you feel
about former President Trump?
6 people raised their hands.
<!–
Alex, 36, Mass., white
–>
Alex, 36, Mass., white
<!–
Amanda, 43, Calif., white
–>
Amanda, 43, Calif., white
<!–
Andreia, 45, Va., Latina
–>
Andreia, 45, Va., Latina
<!–
Carrie, 55, Mich., white
–>
Carrie, 55, Mich., white
<!–
Chad, 32, Utah, white
–>
Chad, 32, Utah, white
<!–
Charla, 64, Texas, white
–>
Charla, 64, Texas, white
<!–
Deborah, 60, N.C., white
–>
Deborah, 60, N.C., white
<!–
John, 64, Calif., Latino
–>
John, 64, Calif., Latino
<!–
Mike, 42, Va., white
–>
Mike, 42, Va., white
<!–
Pamela, 52, Texas, white
–>
Pamela, 52, Texas, white
<!–
Reed, 37, S.C., white
–>
Reed, 37, S.C., white
<!–
Rodney, 53, Mich., white
–>
Rodney, 53, Mich., white
<!–
Sara, 53, S.C., white
–>
Sara, 53, S.C., white
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
I saw his speech. He riled everybody up. There’s no other way to put it. There are no words to describe how angry I get when I think about Jan. 6. People got hurt, they lost their lives. And a responsible person, let alone the leader of a free country — there had to have been a better way to speak his mind without instigating so much violence.
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
I work at an election polling place. I’ve been doing it for years. We’re real careful.
North Carolina doesn’t require IDs, but we check their information. We try to make sure that no one is denied the right to vote or is influenced to vote. I did not want to see Biden win, but I do not feel that Trump handled it properly. I felt like he deliberately created a division in the American people to get them to come to the capital. Who does that? I don’t care how angry I am at someone. I’m not going to threaten them with a ball or a bat or with a gun to have my way.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Carrie, you said you were disappointed.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
When he lost the election, Georgia had a runoff election for two senators. And Republicans could have won those races. But Trump had so much negativity. At a certain point, you lost. Move on and help the people who still have a chance.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Were you surprised by that?
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
Yeah, I think so. I would have thought that he’d want other people still to win and to have the Senate be Republican.
Moderator, Margie Omero
How would you feel if Trump was the Republican nominee for president this time around?
Sara,
53, South Carolina, white, office manager
Shocked.
Reed,
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
Democrat. [Laughs]
Amanda,
43, California, white, assistant principal
Not surprised.
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
Horrified.
Rodney,
53, Michigan, white, health care claims analyst
Disappointed in the country.
John,
64, California, Latino, finance director
I wouldn’t be surprised. I think there’s a core base that will support him, no matter what, and that will carry him through the primaries.
Amanda,
43, California, white, assistant principal
Yeah, no offense to anybody, but I think a majority of the United States is just delusional. How can you listen to someone like that talk and be like, “Oh, yeah, let’s vote for him”?
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
I would be surprised. His tantrums, the narcissism. It’s too much. There has to be another person out there that is more responsible than this man.
Chad,
32, Utah, white, real estate
To Andreia’s point, with everything that’s happened in the last few years with him, this is the best that we could do?
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
I just can’t believe all the surveys or the polls that are coming out that said Trump is the favorite. I mean, unless people are lying to me. My Republican friends say they are for anybody but Trump. I just don’t get it. Where are these people?
Moderator, Margie Omero
How fit do you think he is to be president?
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
Not at all.
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
I would agree. He is not a great leader in terms of morality and setting an example for America’s youth as just something that you should aspire to be.
Reed,
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
I think he’s a great showman. But that’s all he is.
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
But we don’t need a showman.
Reed,
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
Exactly.
Moderator, Margie Omero
What are his strengths? What’s he good at?
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
He’s a straight shooter. You can’t not say that. He says what he’s going to do, whether you like it or not.
Amanda,
43, California, white, assistant principal
He’s very bold in what he says.
Alex,
36, Massachusetts, white, H.R. manager
His strength is in negotiations. He’s good in business. I voted for him the first time because he’s a straight shooter. He’s not afraid to speak his mind.
John,
64, California, Latino, finance director
He’s not a straight shooter. He’s a pathological liar. Yeah, he’s a charlatan. What he does have is charisma. He does have the ability to rile up a crowd. He does have that charisma. But he’s not using it to a good end. He’s using it for his own selfish agenda.
Amanda,
43, California, white, assistant principal
I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, just because I liked the show that he had on, “The Apprentice.” I thought he was very patriotic, and I thought that was going to be a good thing. It didn’t turn out that way.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Imagine Donald Trump became president again. How would that affect you?
Chad,
32, Utah, white, real estate
It would cause even more political divide in the country.
Reed,
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
People will either be all Trump or no Trump.
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
I told my grandkids, I wouldn’t be surprised to see another Civil War because people get so divided over politics.
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
I think if my 401(k) went back up, I would be happy. That’s all. I really don’t care about his rhetoric and things like that. As long as he has results, ultimately, that’s what’s positive.
Reed,
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
My family and I would live in far more fear than we currently do. Fear of a national disaster, of a civil war. And also a fear that he’s going to pop his mouth off about something and piss off the wrong overseas entity and get us all blown off the map, to be honest.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Everyone here has identified as a Republican. How does Trump make you feel about being a Republican?
Charla,
64, Texas, white, H.R. manager
I was raised as a Republican. I was always a very proud Republican. And with the crap that’s happened in the last few years, I have looked at the other party, just for somebody that seemed more sane.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
Well, I understand the populism behind him. Because people are working hard. And they can’t save, and they can’t get ahead. And that’s great if they can go toward the Republican Party. I don’t wish ill on either Trump or Biden, but I just want both of them to go away so we can have a new choice. And I’m a person who’s big on age. There can be great people who are older, but we need some younger people.
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
It’s made me ashamed for people to know I’m a Republican and that I voted for Trump. I’ve always tried to feel like I voted for the man, not the party. The individual, for who I thought was, to use a phrase from earlier, the lesser of two evils. And I really thought Trump had potential, that he was going to help the United States. And he gets in office, and it turns out he’s just an insane dirty old man. And I’m creeped out.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Imagine the Republican Party 10 years from now. Do you think it will be more like Trump or less like Trump?
Chad,
32, Utah, white, real estate
It’s either going to work or it’s going to blow up in their face. For better or for worse, it’ll be a different party whichever way that goes.
Sara,
53, South Carolina, white, office manager
When I look at young people today and hear some of the stuff that comes out of their mouths, I think, they are our future politicians? They don’t even understand the Constitution. That we have 50 United States.
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
Maybe we need to go back toward working with Democrats and independents, and seeing what we can actually get done to make the country get better.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Let’s talk about the Trump indictments. He’s facing charges in four separate cases.
Do you think that former President Trump
likely committed a crime?
Do you think that former President
Trump likely committed a crime?
10 people raised their hands.
<!–
Alex, 36, Mass., white
–>
Alex, 36, Mass., white
<!–
Amanda, 43, Calif., white
–>
Amanda, 43, Calif., white
<!–
Andreia, 45, Va., Latina
–>
Andreia, 45, Va., Latina
<!–
Carrie, 55, Mich., white
–>
Carrie, 55, Mich., white
<!–
Chad, 32, Utah, white
–>
Chad, 32, Utah, white
<!–
Charla, 64, Texas, white
–>
Charla, 64, Texas, white
<!–
Deborah, 60, N.C., white
–>
Deborah, 60, N.C., white
<!–
John, 64, Calif., Latino
–>
John, 64, Calif., Latino
<!–
Mike, 42, Va., white
–>
Mike, 42, Va., white
<!–
Pamela, 52, Texas, white
–>
Pamela, 52, Texas, white
<!–
Reed, 37, S.C., white
–>
Reed, 37, S.C., white
<!–
Rodney, 53, Mich., white
–>
Rodney, 53, Mich., white
<!–
Sara, 53, S.C., white
–>
Sara, 53, S.C., white
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
Would normal D.A.s be going after a person for this kind of stuff? I don’t know. All the people that are going after him are so politicized.
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
With the First Amendment, Trump will say that he has a right to say whatever he wants. And in the long run, if it goes all the way to the Supreme Court, he’ll get off. But it’ll be on our tax dollars.
John,
64, California, Latino, finance director
On the documents case, for any other person, that person would be in jail right now. That one seems like a slam dunk to me. And the other ones, I believe he’s guilty as well. The Jan. 6 trial as well. The Georgia one.
Reed,
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
Is he guilty of a crime? Absolutely. Is it even the crimes that they’re charging him with or trying him for? I don’t know. I do think that he has at some point or another committed one or more felonies and/or misdemeanor crimes.
Charla,
64, Texas, white, H.R. manager
He’s gotten off for so many years that he just thinks he’s going to get off of this too.
Reed,
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
The rich people get off of everything.
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
The violation of his oath of office and the 14th Amendment — promising to protect and preserve the United States and then inciting a riot — that should disqualify him from office.
Moderator, Margie Omero
In the Republican primaries, what characteristics are you looking for in a candidate?
Amanda,
43, California, white, assistant principal
I just want someone that has faith in God and talks about it. That’s important to me and my family. And I think that would be important to bring people back together.
Sara,
53, South Carolina, white, office manager
Somebody who really understands this country, who’s had some really strong experience in politics.
Rodney,
53, Michigan, white, health care claims analyst
Somebody trustworthy, somebody who’ll look out for the country and bring it together.
Moderator, Margie Omero
How can you tell that, Rodney?
Rodney,
53, Michigan, white, health care claims analyst
Exactly. You can’t. That’s the problem.
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
I’m looking for a person who has a moral compass and who is willing to reach across the aisle. Somebody that’s grounded.
Moderator, Margie Omero
How could you tell a person has those things?
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
I want to see what people have done. Proof is in the pudding. I don’t want to go by hope anymore. I want to go by results.
Reed,
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
I’m looking for follow-through. Mr. Trump had a lot of great ideas. Drugs are a major problem in our country. But his proposal was to build a wall and have Mexico to pay for it. I think any sober human would understand that that’s not going to happen. So I would like to see a candidate who can provide an example of a plan that actually makes sense.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Does anybody have an issue they’re really committed to?
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
I’m a huge pro-life person and that’s one of my things I vote on. But I understand that most people don’t think that way. Nikki Haley, she’s pragmatic. She understands that we can’t force issues down people’s throats. I want people to reach across the aisle.
Charla,
64, Texas, white, H.R. manager
The economy. We have to be able to pay our bills, and have a house that we can raise our families in. I’ve had my job for 26 years. And I think I do fairly well at it. But I’m still having three generations living in our household just to survive. How are they going to fix that?
Sara,
53, South Carolina, white, office manager
I’d like to have a candidate that speaks about spending American tax dollars on Americans, versus overseas all the time.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Is age an issue for you in the Republican primaries?
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
I want someone below 70.
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
Sixties, 60s-ish.
Charla,
64, Texas, white, H.R. manager
Thirty-five to 70.
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
As long as they meet the minimum age set out in the Constitution, that’s good enough for me.
Sara,
53, South Carolina, white, office manager
They might prove that they’re too old to really handle the job. That’s part of vetting it yourself.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Let’s talk about specific candidates.
Could you support this person in the primaries?
Could you support this person
in the primaries?
Ron DeSantis
Alex,
36, Mass., white
Carrie,
55, Mich., white
Chad,
32, Utah, white
Pamela,
52, Texas, white
Sara,
53, S.C., white
Nikki Haley
Carrie,
55, Mich., white
John,
64, Calif., Latino
Mike,
42, Va., white
Rodney,
53, Mich., white
Sara,
53, S.C., white
Mike Pence
Amanda,
43, Calif., white
Carrie,
55, Mich., white
Chad,
32, Utah, white
Charla,
64, Texas, white
Deborah,
60, N.C., white
Mike,
42, Va., white
Vivek Ramaswamy
Deborah,
60, N.C., white
Pamela,
52, Texas, white
Reed,
37, S.C., white
Tim Scott
Andreia,
45, Va., Latina
Carrie,
55, Mich., white
Deborah,
60, N.C., white
Mike,
42, Va., white
Pamela,
52, Texas, white
Sara,
53, S.C., white
Chris Christie
Andreia,
45, Va., Latina
Carrie,
55, Mich., white
John,
64, Calif., Latino
Pamela,
52, Texas, white
Reed,
37, S.C., white
Moderator, Margie Omero
Tell me why you could support Ron DeSantis.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
I liked the way he handled the pandemic. He’s very clear on what he stands for. He’d be a fine president.
Rodney,
53, Michigan, white, health care claims analyst
A lot of negative stuff has been said about him. He just seems really iffy.
Amanda,
43, California, white, assistant principal
My sister lives in Florida, and he just seems like a bit of a lunatic. With the pandemic and what’s a mask. The stuff with education and this whole stuff with Disney. Any time I hear stuff like that, I automatically think of Trump, and then I think, nope.
Charla,
64, Texas, white, H.R. manager
That exact thing. And I’ve heard so many things about him trying to take kids and split up families, just because he doesn’t agree with the way that they are doing their particular household. It’s their household. Leave them alone. They’re not hurting the kids. Why are you trying to separate families? He acts crazy like Trump.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Anybody have a positive reason to vote for DeSantis?
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
The positive thing is that he’s stubborn, but that’s also the negative thing. Tenacious, I guess, is a better word than stubborn.
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
He has a military background. And he has a strong family. Sometimes that will keep you grounded, because his wife will nip a lot of that stuff in the bud.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Mike, tell me why you had your hand up for Nikki Haley.
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
She seems to tell it like it is. I watched the last debate, and she was the one who was saying that a nationwide ban on abortion isn’t something we could get past Congress. She also seems to have a strong grasp of foreign policy, with what’s going on in Ukraine and Russia.
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
She’s fake.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Fake?
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
Yeah, I know people that know her. She does really good with talking points. But if you go outside the questions she’s prepared for, she has no answer.
Rodney,
53, Michigan, white, health care claims analyst
But maybe a woman might shake things up a little bit, who knows?
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
I feel excited about Haley just because she’s had experience. She’s had foreign policy experience, which is, like Mike was saying, a huge plus. And she knows her way around Washington, but she doesn’t seem like an insider.
Sara,
53, South Carolina, white, office manager
I like her. I think she’s part of a military family. She understands. I mean, her husband’s deployed right now. I think she did great for our state when she was governor.
John,
64, California, Latino, finance director
I think Mike made some good points, but the thing about her that I don’t like is, she’s wishy-washy. She’ll come out on an issue, and then 30 days later, she’s on the other side of it.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Chad, you had your hand up for Mike Pence.
Chad,
32, Utah, white, real estate
With what he had to deal with, with who was his president, I think he did a decent job at trying to manage that and temper that.
Rodney,
53, Michigan, white, health care claims analyst
He knows what not to do.
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
I think he’s a good Christian family man. And I think that he has a moral compass and he never let Trump’s craziness rush over him.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Amanda, earlier, you were saying, “I want someone who is a man of faith.” What do you think about Mike Pence?
Amanda,
43, California, white, assistant principal
I think he’s a little too radical, if we’re going to put it that way. And for me, guilty by association. Even though he had this “aha” moment, like, “I’m now the good guy because I’m turning my back on Trump,” it’s not good enough for me. The fact that he supported him for so long — I would never, ever vote for him.
Alex,
36, Massachusetts, white, H.R. manager
He was kind of like Trump’s puppet, and now he’s saying, all of a sudden, that he’s opposed to him, even though he wasn’t, just so he can become president. He’s disloyal.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
How about Vivek Ramaswamy?
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
Well, when he first came out, I was really encouraged by him. And then, he started talking about getting rid of the F.B.I. and already saying he’ll pardon Trump.
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
First of all, he’s too young. I’m sorry. I’m like a hair older than he is. But he’s 38. He doesn’t know anything. He talks too much about the woke stuff. He’s totally paying attention to the wrong thing. And then, on top of that, the fact that he has his background as a C.E.O. of a pharmaceutical company just, to me, says money bags. Just money, money, money. It’s all he’s going to care about.
John,
64, California, Latino, finance director
I think he’s a phony. Mehdi Hasan ripped him apart in an interview, just couldn’t get him to answer a straight question about what he said about Trump. He would not answer it. He’s out there for himself.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Could any of you support Tim Scott in the presidential?
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
I don’t know where he stands on the issues. I know he’s mostly kept his name out of the newspapers or off the internet. So that’s a positive thing.
Sara,
53, South Carolina, white, office manager
I don’t know if he’s the bulldog that the Republicans need, that the country needs. I’m just a little iffy about him. I think he does great for the state. I don’t know how that would translate as a president.
Reed,
37, South Carolina, white, manufacturing
I think he has a lot of great ideas. He is very charismatic. I think he’s reasonably outgoing. But at the same time, he was extremely pro-Trump for a long time there. And for me, I don’t identify Trump as a Republican. I identify him as a psychopath.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
He has an amazing back story, a story of how he came up from poverty. But for a presidential election, that’s not going to get you to the big time.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Could anyone see backing Chris Christie?
John,
64, California, Latino, finance director
At first, I really thought he had a chance. But now, I don’t think he has any chance. But he is the anti-Trump, and that’s why I’ll support him.
Andreia,
45, Virginia, Latina, compliance analyst
He does have experience in government. So he piques my interest.
Charla,
64, Texas, white, H.R. manager
A long time ago, he did some things that I disagreed with, and so therefore, he’s not my man.
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
Didn’t he go to the beach? Or something like that?
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
Yeah, I think that was it.
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
I’m not against Chris Christie. I just don’t know where he stands on the issues other than the issue of Trump. He spends so much time talking about Trump, that I don’t know where he stands on abortion, states’ rights, the economy, any of the other talking points that are out there.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
We’ve just talked about Trump and six other candidates in the Republican field. Is there anyone in this group who feels strongly that they know who their candidate for the Republican primaries is going to be?
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
I think it’s Nikki Haley for me. But I don’t know if she’s electable.
Moderator, Margie Omero
When you say “electable,” you’re meaning electable in the primaries?
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
Correct. By the time my state gets there, she may already be off the ballot.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
I agree with Mike. If there’s a candidate that seems to be gaining momentum that’s not Trump, I’ll go on that train. But I like Nikki Haley right now.
Sara,
53, South Carolina, white, office manager
Yeah, I’m a Nikki Haley fan. I think she checks all the boxes for me.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Are any of you looking for a candidate who is similar to Trump in terms of policy positions or leadership ability but just isn’t Trump himself?
Chad,
32, Utah, white, real estate
I do think that he did good things and it was just his personality overall that was his downfall. Trump did do a lot of things to help the economy.
If it’s Biden, Trump, a third-party candidate or
not voting, will you vote for Trump?
If it’s Biden, Trump, a third-
party candidate or not
voting, will you vote for Trump?
2 people raised their hands.
<!–
Alex, 36, Mass., white
–>
Alex, 36, Mass., white
<!–
Amanda, 43, Calif., white
–>
Amanda, 43, Calif., white
<!–
Andreia, 45, Va., Latina
–>
Andreia, 45, Va., Latina
<!–
Carrie, 55, Mich., white
–>
Carrie, 55, Mich., white
<!–
Chad, 32, Utah, white
–>
Chad, 32, Utah, white
<!–
Charla, 64, Texas, white
–>
Charla, 64, Texas, white
<!–
Deborah, 60, N.C., white
–>
Deborah, 60, N.C., white
<!–
John, 64, Calif., Latino
–>
John, 64, Calif., Latino
<!–
Mike, 42, Va., white
–>
Mike, 42, Va., white
<!–
Pamela, 52, Texas, white
–>
Pamela, 52, Texas, white
<!–
Reed, 37, S.C., white
–>
Reed, 37, S.C., white
<!–
Rodney, 53, Mich., white
–>
Rodney, 53, Mich., white
<!–
Sara, 53, S.C., white
–>
Sara, 53, S.C., white
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
If there’s a third party that has a chance —
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
It’d be a Ross Perot issue again.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
Yeah, I know.
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
So we don’t want that to happen.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
But it could hurt the Democrats, though, too.
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
It depends who they have. But if it’s leaning conservative, then it’s going to take away from the Republican Party, just like Perot did.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Pamela, why would you vote for Trump?
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
I could never vote for Biden. He’s too old, and he will not make it through another year if he was elected. And it would be whoever his vice president is that would be the president.
Alex,
36, Massachusetts, white, H.R. manager
Same. I will not vote for Biden, no matter what. I don’t care if Trump is a criminal, if he blew up a building. I will not vote for Biden.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Why?
Alex,
36, Massachusetts, white, H.R. manager
Because Biden is not fit to be president. He’s too old. He’s mentally unstable. He can’t complete sentences, and God forbid something would happen to him. There’s no way that nasty woman could be president.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
How many people are torn about voting for Trump or not, if it came down to it?
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
I’m the same way. I just can’t vote for Trump. And I can’t vote for Biden. And the idea of not voting as an American is just — I feel like I need to vote for somebody, or else I really can’t complain about who’s in the office.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Why couldn’t you vote for Biden?
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
He has no grasp on reality at this point.
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
He’s senile. He’s old.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
And he’s gone so far to the left. Like, he was elected president as a kind of a consensus builder, which I’m all for. But he has gone so far and pandered so far to the left, I can’t vote for him.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Deborah, would you vote for a third party? Would you not vote?
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
I have to vote, because I’ve voted ever since I turned 18. I thought that was one of the greatest privileges that I was ever afforded as an American — to go to vote when I turned 18. But I could not vote for Biden in good conscience, because I think he’s senile. I can’t vote for Trump, because I think he’s a lunatic. So therefore, I would have to go for a third-party candidate, even though I know my vote will be wasted.
Chad,
32, Utah, white, real estate
I did vote third-party last election. Because at that point, I didn’t like where Trump was going. I’m so far to the right that I can’t consider voting for a Democratic candidate. I knew my vote was, quote unquote, “wasted,” but I’d rather do that than not vote and vote for people that I didn’t think I wanted in office, so.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
Maybe it depends on who the vice president running with him is.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Let’s say you could design a Republican candidate for president — not for this election, because there are already candidates we’re talking about, but for down the road. What kind of person would you like to see run?
Charla,
64, Texas, white, H.R. manager
Honest, stands by their word.
Alex,
36, Massachusetts, white, H.R. manager
Yeah, somebody who’s honest, somebody who’s going to help the economy.
Moderator, Margie Omero
If you could describe that person, does that person exist?
Alex,
36, Massachusetts, white, H.R. manager
George Bush. I thought he did pretty well.
Moderator, Margie Omero
For the future, eight or 12 years from now, Chad, how about you?
Chad,
32, Utah, white, real estate
My perfect, ideal candidate would be somebody who is younger and new to the scene, so at that point in time, maybe like early 40s, and somebody who grew up more in this generation or this century than last century and is somebody who’s versed with what’s going on in today’s society.
Mike,
42, Virginia, white, real estate investor
Ronald Reagan would be great. Can you find him?
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
I was actually thinking that, too. Can we bring back Reagan?
Moderator, Margie Omero
OK. All right. Anybody else?
Pamela,
52, Texas, white, network analyst
I think Reagan and W. Put them together. That would be the perfect candidate.
Deborah,
60, North Carolina, white, homemaker
Make one president. Yeah, clone them.
Carrie,
55, Michigan, white, subject matter specialist
In Michigan, there’s a gentleman called Peter Meijer. He was a congressman who’s a Republican from the conservative West Side. But he lost in the primary for his second run, because the Republicans put up this MAGA guy who then lost in the general election.
John,
64, California, Latino, finance director
No, I agree with Mike. I would have said bring Reagan back.
Rodney,
53, Michigan, white, health care claims analyst
Reagan.
Source: Elections - nytimes.com