Political Focus Group: What's at stake in this presidential election?
What is at stake for you in this presidential election?
Whether we choose build or demolish is the question
The most important thing at stake in this election is not who is elected, but how our country responds afterwards. We are living through a time where forces continually try to separate Americans and encourage fighting amongst ourselves.
Neither presidential candidate is wholly right nor wholly wrong. Regardless of who wins, our nation still must move forward. There is a definite threat to democracy when we attack our fellow neighbors instead of searching for common ground. America's values of freedom should provide space for people to have different opinions and different perspectives, but the rhetoric of our current moment seems to challenge that freedom. We could continue to support partisan media sources and the politicians who seek to break apart communities, or we could choose to do the hard work of listening to others, identifying facts, and trying to find actual solutions. When it comes to each of our individual actions, the president in the White House doesn't matter. We can choose to build and change or we can choose to demolish and divide. – Mathew Townsley
Future will be impacted by expenses, interest rates
The stake as an adult in this election is looking at how these next four years will shape and impact my future. Interest rates are insane as a home buyer, the cost of groceries has skyrocketed, energy costs have increased across the board, and insane government spending is through the roof.
My American dream is to get married, raise a family and live a comfortable life without having to slave for a job just to pay my bills or have my hard-earned tax money to go to overseas countries. Meanwhile, I'm left with little to save for having a family or retirement.
I know under Trump, my life was better. At the end of the day, I think everyone can agree that we are all Americans who want to live a safe, secure and prosperous life, not be called garbage. – Kaelyn Hagens
Widening wealth gap is fracturing our society
Three critical issues stand out for me in this election. First, the transformation from education to workforce: our nation's prosperity hinges on a system that equips the next generation, including my sons, with the skills to succeed in a rapidly evolving job market. We urgently need policies that prioritize affordability and access to quality education with seamless pathways to good jobs.
Second, the widening wealth gap is fracturing our society. Inequitable access to opportunity undermines upward mobility, and without deliberate intervention, I am afraid this divide will continue to destroy the basis of the American dream. We need a leader committed to addressing structural inequality through access to capital, home ownership, fair wages and healthcare, and tax reforms.
Finally, America's standing as a beacon of democracy for the world is at risk, and the current heated political rhetoric has exacerbated this. How we handle today's budget deficits, domestic challenges, and international relations signals our resolve to maintain our democratic principles in an increasingly polarized world. This election is about choosing a vision for America that upholds opportunity, fairness, and leadership on the global stage. – David Cumberbatch
Our republic and its liberties are at stake
As a conservative, it is my duty to preserve to the best of my ability the republic and the rights and liberties it holds in sacred trust for the next generation. This includes avoiding unnecessary foreign military entanglements, maximizing our energy production, establishing sound fiscal policy, building a strong military, and ensuring the national borders are secured against foreign incursion, no matter the point of origin. We also need a vibrant education system that has prepared young people to take their places as healthy and informed citizens.
Our nation needs a strong executive that will defend these United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, while respecting the limits imposed by the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Nothing less than the continuation of the Republic I love, and the liberties she guards are at stake. – Jonathan Talbot
U.S. at risk of losing itself; freedom is on ballot
"We're under a lot of pressure, you know, and you put us there. Nothing's riding on this except the, uh, First Amendment to the Constitution, freedom of the press, and maybe the future of the country." Ben Bradlee, editor of the Washington Post talking with Woodward and Bernstein in "All the President's Men."
The country was at risk of losing itself 50 years ago, and we are once again. Freedom is on the ballot.
That's how I feel about this election. – Tim Wynes
Freedom to not be censored and live in peace
Freedom and Peace. Freedom to speak and not be censored. Freedom to search for things on the internet and not have topics throttled. Freedom to own a gun and defend myself. Freedom to not be burdened by rising taxes that are going to make any future retirement impossible. Freedom to decide who I want my doctor to be and when I choose to have surgery. Freedom to drive a gas-powered car if that's how I roll. Freedom to worship freely and live my faith.
Peace in the world so that I don't have to watch my sons, and their friends get drafted to fight a meaningless war. Peace in my community, because crime is down, and we are locking up criminals who break the law. Peace of mind knowing our Constitution is being followed and our government is spending our tax dollars to help Americans, FIRST...and then the world. – Jessica Hurd
Women's autonomy over bodies at stake
The future of women's autonomy over their own bodies is what is at stake. Under a Supreme Court majority appointed by Trump, we've already witnessed the reversal of Roe vs. Wade, leading to total abortion bans in 13 states. It's deeply concerning that a woman's access to reproductive healthcare is determined by her state of residence, a reality that weighs heavily on my thoughts about where I want to live in the future.
I want to support a president who believes in women's rights to make their own healthcare decisions and ensures equitable access to resources across all 50 states. Kamala Harris is the only candidate committed to advancing a congressional bill to re-enact Roe vs. Wade while also prioritizing funding and support for communities in need of reproductive services. Who better to champion this cause than a woman herself, rather than a man found liable for sexual assault? – Laura Meloy
As a Trump supporter, it seems I'm a defendant
For me, my personal pride is at stake Nov. 5th.
My grandpa, born in 1896, was a WW1-era Army vet, but didn't fight in that war. My late father, U.S. Army draftee, arrived in Korea as the war wound down, and was "over there" when I was born.
I joined the Army in 1984, aged 30, partially because of the economic downturn in the local farm equipment industry. Three generations, three U.S. Army vets.
Last week, I listened closely as Democrat Presidential candidate Harris, her surrogates, including former candidate Hillary Clinton and Dr. Jill's husband's teleprompter called former President Trump and his supporters "fascists" and "Nazis."
I'm a Nazi? Perhaps I'm overly sensitive, but rhetoric like that almost offends me.
As a Trump supporter, it seems I'm a defendant, in some Nuremberg-esque tribunal, facing charges I'm somehow complicit in supporting fascism.
The trial will be held Nov. 5th. America, please find me "not-guilty." - Eugene Mattecheck Jr.
Won't change my life, but Trump not worthy
As I have answered before, I don't think any president has made that much of a difference in my life.
I would prefer that Ms. Harris wins because I think that Donald Trump is unworthy of being our country's commander and chief.
His bar room banter, constant lying, and vicious personal attacks eliminate him, to me, as someone who should represent us on a world stage. But, I'm not hand-wringing or leaving the country if he wins. We've survived worse.
It's just really hard for me to believe that half the country wants to elect (again) a man who, on July 18, 2015, said this about John McCain, a Navy Pilot who was shot down and spent six years in a North Vietnamese prison camp: "He's not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was shot down. I like people who weren't captured." Donald Trump's making light of a political opponent's horrific time in an enemy's prison camp is unconscionable.
How electing this man president makes America great again baffles me to no end. – Matt Mooney
+17 +17 +17 +17 +17 +17 +17 +17 +17The Quad-City Times-Dispatch-Argus' Political Focus Group includes 10 members from the Quad-Cities who respond to questions about the U.S. presidential campaign.
