In the key swing state of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the presidential debate held on Tuesday (September 10) has sparked rational thinking about what to do in November. While Americans in other states may have already made up their minds, many in the purple state of Pennsylvania are still carefully observing and making choices.
For Rosie Torres, this week’s presidential debate was a final insult to her lifelong Republican faith. Specifically, her loyalty to Trump has been affected by his stance on abortion, and facing the “eye-opening” confrontation between the former president and Kamala Harris, her loyalty to Trump is almost nonexistent.
Torres, 60, said in the riverside town of Bristol in the Philadelphia suburbs on Wednesday that it’s time to put “country before party.” As a patriot, she was dismayed when a Trump staffer pushed a cemetery caretaker at Arlington National Cemetery recently. She stated, “I am still willing to vote for Donald Trump, but you know, I think what he did at the veterans’ cemetery was very disrespectful to the veterans and I feel that our country was disrespected.”
In interviews in Bristol and Langhorne, a long-time Republican voter expressed interest in Kamala Harris’s debate but wasn’t optimistic about her; a first-time voter indicated support for Trump; a Democrat struggling to shake off the impression of people eating pets after Trump’s remarks on Tuesday evening.
Mary Nolan, 70, from Bensalem, a registered Republican for 50 years who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and supported Trump in 2020, was impressed by Harris in the debate but also left feeling frustrated, saying she needs to do more thinking.
When discussing President Biden’s decision not to seek re-election, she said, “I’m not happy with either Biden or Trump. I don’t think either of them is a good choice. I’m still not sure if we will have a good choice; maybe we will, but I want to know more about Kamala Harris.”
She mentioned that she and her Democrat husband keep their party affiliations separate, each with their considerations. Immigration, the economy (she mentioned she just spent $6 on a pound of butter), and Biden’s signed infrastructure bill becoming law are her main concerns.
Nolan added, “I like the way Kamala Harris said ‘I will be a president for all people,’ but I think generally our politicians don’t say that.”
She expects to make her voting decision at the end of October, just days before the election. During this time, she will actively gather different information.
“I collect different opinions, I don’t blog, I just watch the news, pay attention to different interest groups, like the AARP,” Nolan stated.
Despite the fast-changing world, Nolan said, “I still hold onto the values of the 1960s, valuing family, home, morality; you know, our children don’t have the upbringing you or I had, because the streets are different now. I think if a candidate says, these are the things I will do to improve American life, I will definitely vote for them.”
She thought Harris’s debate was impressive but avoided some questions.
“I don’t like how she skirted issues. When asked directly about abortion, she beat around the bush; another was about immigration, ‘You have been here (as vice president) for three and a half years, but you haven’t done those important things you said, why?’ She just stuck to her talking points, never giving a direct answer,” Nolan expressed.
But Harris made a good impression on her, while Trump did not.
“I think Kamala Harris’s performance yesterday was definitely very good, she was poised…she will be an excellent representative for our country,” Nolan said.
As for Trump, she said, “I think his policies are good, but I just want someone more steady, more dignified, someone who doesn’t shout, swear.”
Terry Culleton, 68, from Langhorne, a retired high school English literature teacher, supported labor, then civil rights and human rights, becoming a Democrat. He believed Harris performed well in the debate against Trump and effectively outlined her plans.
But what he found unforgettable was Trump’s erroneous remarks about immigrants in Ohio eating pets. He remarked, “That was too low, and to repeat such a thing, I simply can’t forget it, it’s unbelievable that someone would say that on national television.”
He felt a historical showdown between democracy and authoritarianism watching the debate, saying, “This is a battle between democracy and authoritarianism; I see it as a question of supporting a democratic government versus the type of government Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to export, which as far as I know, Trump has no objections to.”
Kelli Surline, from Langhorne, aged 50, a long-time Trump supporter and retired tractor driver and veteran, watched the debate with his hunting dog Sam on Tuesday.
He stated illegal immigration is a major issue, so Harris did not win his support.
“The biggest problem is, I don’t like her, and I don’t like Joe Biden either,” Soto said.
Desumma, 50, previously a Trump voter and the owner of a quaint salon on a street lined with antique shops in Bristol, expressed disappointment in both parties and said she will not vote in November. However, she mentioned favorable tax rates during Trump’s term and recalled the hardship the business shutdown during COVID-19 brought her.
Fed up with social media and Facebook, Desumma said online debates were creating conflict in her own household, leading her to opt out.
She said, “I’ve just made a decision, I’m not going to vote, and I don’t want to listen, I’m choosing not to watch, not to pay attention.” She found another pursuit.
“I am learning yoga, I have found myself,” she said.