The waiting, as they say, is the hardest part.
In the second of our continuing series, reporters for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution went to five bellwether Georgia counties to ask voters about what they wanted to hear from the candidates for president.
For some, it was details on their plans for education, housing or the economy. Others were just waiting — waiting for anything substantial in a contest that has so far centered on personalities and controversies more than policy.
In Washington County, voter Tabitha Hatfield is listening to hear from the candidates about what they will do to protect educational opportunities for children. In Chatham County, there were concerns over matching the Black voter turnout crucial to the outcome of the 2020 election.
In Clayton County, voters talked about the availability — or lack thereof — of affordable housing, while in Peach County, local business owner Sara Jo McLean walks a delicate political line in a closely divided community. In Banks County, a deep-red county where former President Donald Trump brought in nearly 90% of the vote in 2020, many voters are just waiting on Election Day while reflecting on the county’s long-gone Democratic past.
This month, President Joe Biden and Trump will meet in the first of two scheduled debates. Georgia voters will be watching and hoping the waiting for substance is over.
