TRANSITION | Forming the next government
13 February 2008
Strong Motivation Evident at the Polls in Potomac Primaries
American voters continue to voice their desire for change
Washington -- Freezing temperatures and predicted snow did not discourage voters during primary elections in three jurisdictions, dubbed the “Potomac Primaries” after the river that runs through Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. The February 12 primaries put presidential contender Democrat Barack Obama ahead of Hillary Clinton in the race for delegates. John McCain won most Republican votes.
Not all voters were willing to discuss with America.gov what motivated their choices, but those who did were unified in their desire for change, some citing specific issues.
Eric Durland in Silver Spring, Maryland, volunteered that he voted for Obama. “The Number 1 thing for me is Hillary [Clinton] voted for the [Iraq] war,” he said. “It showed bad judgment. Obama at the time was against the war, and I think that’s a better place for the Democratic Party to be.”
He also said he believes Obama can unify the party, and would gain more support in the November general election. Durland says he is voting for a particular candidate rather than against the Republicans for the first time in 20 years. “He [Obama] brings something different.”
Clinton supporter Elizabeth Deibert took a different view. “What brought me out here today? Maybe to change the world, to get a woman in there,” she said, “Absolutely, we need a change.”
Other voters were less forthcoming. One woman said, simply, “It’s very important for us to vote. We’ve voted in every election.”
David Perez, a United States resident for 20 years, is an immigrant from El Salvador. He voted for Clinton, and likes the idea of a woman president.
“That would be history, American history,” he said. “Mr. Bush, I never agreed with him. I came from a country in war, and war is not the answer,” he adds, “I think we are going to have a new season.” Perez says American democracy is “better than other countries. It’s not perfect government, but it’s better than where I came from.”
Perez said the immigration issue was not a major factor in his decision. “I go for her experience,” he said. “I think she knows what to do and the other candidate, he’s good, but he’s still got to go and get more experience.”
Danelle, a young Rockville, Maryland, voter who did not give her last name, said, “We need to change our country, and we also need to get reputable internationally again. … I think the most responsible thing for me to do is to vote.” She declined to say for whom she voted.
Despite past election disappointments, she said, “You’ve got to keep the dream alive. You can change the regime,” adding, “This is the way I show my patriotism.”
Republican Greg Bland said he voted for McCain, but if he had been registered a Democrat -- necessary by Maryland rules -- he would have voted for Obama, “a more motivating person, less divisive, more unifying, sort of like the next Kennedy of our generation.” He said he likes Obama’s can-do attitude.
BROAD VOTER INTEREST, DIVERSE POINTS OF VIEW
Letitia Combs, a precinct captain at a George Washington University polling place in the District of Columbia, said it was “busier than usual for a primary election.” Primaries often draw only the most committed voters, but judging from large voter turnouts, the 2008 polls are attracting a broader base.
A student intern for a television network news bureau said he supports Obama because “He’s the one person who, I think, when he talks and says things … you are actually inspired enough to think anything is possible,” comparing Obama to John F. Kennedy.
“The country was very optimistic about what the country could do in the years after [Kennedy] was president, and I think that same … optimism could be brought if Obama was president.” Obama’s promised tax credits for students and foreign policy position are pluses to him.
But another voter who also requested anonymity cast his vote for Clinton rather than Obama. Why? “Foreign policy,” the voter said.
Among the few Republicans who spoke to America.gov, an Illinois student at the polls for a class project said she had been a Mitt Romney supporter and hopes he runs again in 2012.
Student turnout at the poll was significant. Corrine Farrell who runs a university residence hall, said student enthusiasm for the election is unprecedented in her experience. She voted for Obama, but said, “I was torn between Hillary and Barack.” The deciding factor was “who I think would win in the national election. I think too many people loathe Hillary on the other side.”
Barbara Ucko had the same dilemma, “and decided that I would rather go with somebody charismatic, somebody untested but unsullied by a past that’s very complicated. … It’s a matter of choosing between what you think might be more integrity, more charisma versus more sheer experience and political savvy. And I’m not sure political savvy is such a great thing anymore.”
