A few takeaways from the road now that the primary races have been called.
I stopped at two polling places today on my way back to Atlanta from Donald Trump's packed rally at Valdosta State University, one in the Azalea City and another in Perry.
For all that divides voters in this year’s primary battles, there were also several similarities between the two parties. Indeed, sometimes divisions were more prominent within each party, as opposed to between them.
Here are some broader themes that I saw at play today:
-Many voters focused on major national issues instead of local or regional ones as they were deciding who to vote for. Parochial concerns appeared to take a back seat to big national ones for voters from both parties, including national defense, education and healthcare. Those big issues voters care about, though, tends to depend on which party a voter aligns his or herself with. Republicans, for example, focused on broader themes such as the balance of powers between branches of government and the country's standing in the world, while Democrats seemed to focus more on policies that impact their day to day lives, such as healthcare and the country's social safety net.
Earline Mace of Perry, a 65-year-old who recently retired after working as packaging machine operator at Frito Lay, said she chose to vote for Hillary Clinton since high on her mind are healthcare, social security and retirement benefits.
Meanwhile, Josh Nealey, a 30-year-old contractor in Valdosta, said he voted for Ted Cruz because he liked that the Texas senator is a constitutionalist.
“The system is not really set up the way it used to be in as far as we are in this day and age in comparison to the way that our forefathers set the Constitution up. We’ve come so far, we’re so far removed from the way the system was originally set up as far as there being very limited government, very limited powers,” he said.
-The tension between uncompromising political visions v. the ability to govern (and yes, the compromises that tend to come with that) was also a major theme that impacted races on both sides of the aisle. Voters from both parties are unhappy with the current stagnation in Washington, but people have very different notions on what it takes from a presidential candidate to break through.
Voters for billionaire Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz on the Republican side and Sen. Bernie Sanders on the other said they were attracted to their strengths of vision.
When discussing his support for Cruz, 82-year-old Valdosta resident William Gregory said he liked that the Texas Senator stuck to his principles in Washington.
“Most of our other senators they want to go across the aisle, capitulate and I’m sick of that. I’m wanting Republicans to represent conservative values,” he said.
Emily Rankin, a 21-year-old first-time voter from Perry, said Sanders’ vow to not take corporate money resonated with her.
On the other hand, voters favoring the likes of Hillary Clinton and Sen. Marco Rubio said they liked that their candidates would seemingly be willing to work across the aisle in order to get stuff done.
“Clinton, to me, feels like she could do more. Sanders, to me, was offering too much that I don’t think that he could own up to,” said Darren Mobley, a 52-year old truck driver from Perry.
-Voters from both sides of the aisle agreed that the political stakes felt higher this year. For many Democrats, it's a critical moment to continue President Barack Obama's pat. Republicans see a change of course as long overdue.
“The stakes are the highest they’ve ever been. We’re about to lose this country to a socialist and as they call themselves now, a progressive group that are against everything that I am for,” said Gregory of Valdosta.
“Eight years ago when we were voting, I voted for Obama because I wanted change. The economy was all upside down and I have seen some of those changes, so I want somebody who’s going to do what they say as opposed to changing when they get into office,” said Kathy Cobb, a 55-year old nurse from Valdosta.
The Supreme Court vacancy caused by the death of Antonin Scalia last month only appeared to raise the stakes.
“Scalia, when he died, it made a big difference because whoever’s president is going to basically put that judge in there,” said Perry’s Mobley.
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