Being in the field a month prior to the elections, going door to door and meeting a diverse range of people—from rich to poor, from White to Black, and including Asian, African, and other communities—was an experience like no other.
Each of these individuals was preparing to choose the upcoming leader of the most powerful nation on Earth, a person who would hold intrinsic and potentially global influence over American lives and those in other countries.
This leader would decide which conflicts to continue, which wars to end, and where new battlegrounds might emerge, even deciding, at times, who might face ruthless elimination. Through these intimate connections with people on streets, in homes, and in their communities, four primary issues emerged without question.
The most pressing concern were jobs and the economy, followed closely by inflation, then women’s rights, with many others expressing a general sense that “everything needs to change, stop, and reset.”
Some people, upon finding an attentive ear, were moved to tears as they shared their struggles. One woman in her 40s, living in a relatively well-maintained home within a middle-class neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan—a key swing state—pointed to a shipping container filled with her household belongings when asked about the biggest issue in her life.
She explained that she had lived in that house for 28 years. It was where she had built her family, investing her heart and soul into making it a beautiful home. However, after both she and her husband lost their jobs several months ago, they depleted all their savings and finally decided to leave in search of work in another state, uncertain but hopeful it might offer better job opportunities. As she recounted her story, she nearly broke down in tears.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
The writer is a former Press Secretary to the President, An ex-Press Minister at Embassy of Pakistan to France, a former MD, SRBC Macomb, Detroit, Michigan
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