With the Presidential Election happening in just over a week, times are tense here in the US. There’s a lot of back and forth between the candidates themselves and the people who support them. While this is common, it has become so over the top with this election that it’s leaving many voters thinking they have nowhere to turn. We’re talking serious issues here; Sexual assault charges, terrorist acts, affordable healthcare, a wall to block immigrants, foreign relations, and many other issues are at hand. It’s been hard to truly support any one candidate when there’s so much going on that it has turned into a battle for the lesser of two (or more) evils. Despite this, there are still some people out there who are avid supporters of each candidate. What I’ve done here is taken some time to interview persons who are deliberately for each candidate as opposed to against the others. This piece is meant to be informative and helpful to those of us who can’t find themselves in favor of any one candidate. Each person was asked the same 4 questions, and given the one rule of not bashing any other candidate. Multiple people were interviewed, so questions may include answers from multiple people in support of one candidate in order to show the diversity of views presented.

What issues are the most central to you for this election that you feel your candidate will help with?

Jamey, Hillary supporter: "For my entire lifetime, the left agenda (Government that supports women and children, the poor and working class, vulnerable minority constituents, and aims to make our country more egalitarian and fair in general) has been under siege. Business interests have taken over the Republican Party, and with gerrymandering they have created a situation in which it is going to be very hard to change the legislative majority (in my majority Republican district, almost every local race is uncontested because it’s statistically impossible for a Democrat to be competitive, let alone win). Hillary Clinton, while not perfect is our best bet to begin to turn that tide. A Clinton White House would:

• Change the tax code so that corporations and the 1% pay their fair share again.

• Strengthen labor and workers’ rights.

• Protect our environment – the land and wildlife.

• Improve racial justice, including reforming our prison system.

• Stand up for increased rights for our LGBTQ citizens.

• Protect and improve universal access to health care.

• Invest in programs that will alleviate hunger and poverty, especially for children.

• Create a fair and just system to citizenship for our country’s undocumented immigrants.

I could go on for a while. The fact is, on almost every issue, Sec. Clinton is on the right side of policy. She might not be as militant about these issues as I am, or want to take them as far as I would like to, but she will take them all in the right direction one step at a time. And she has the political know-how actually to get things done."

Liz, Trump Supporter: "A few things actually, some of which concern jobs, healthcare, education, and foreign relations. In recent years I feel as if America has no backbone. Politicians have been easily bought by lobbyists and other special interest groups… You never know what to expect anymore. Trump can’t be bought and on top of that he’s an American first and he has expressed that numerous times.

• Trump believes in American exceptionalism and is committed to education and will not settle for low performance.

• If Elected Trump will immediately terminate President Obama's illegal executive order on immigration. It’s not only Mexicans who come here illegally. It’s a legal issue, not a racial issue.

• Donald Trump is tough; he doesn’t have time or patience for terror groups. We need someone that will put their foot down and not take any more shit from anyone. We can count on Trump to eliminate them.

• Politician or not, he’s a great businessman and there’s no denying that! Trump knows how to take a dollar and turn it into hundreds. He has a very strong understanding on finances and how to build an empire of success. America needs that. We are trillions of dollars in debt. People say “America is a country, not a business” and that “we need a politician and not someone like Trump.” Well… We tried the political route and only suck deeper in debt. It’s worth a shot.

• He literally wrote the book on making deals. Trump is undeniably a great negotiator, and despite his outrageous public statements in the recent past, he knows how to navigate complex deals and convince a wide variety of industries, businesses, and investors to do what he wants and work with him to achieve his goals."

Ashley, Johnson supporter: "Becoming a parent has really rearranged my focus. I have become a mom of 2 (almost 3!) since the last presidential election. Education, immigration, the environment, and equal rights for everyone have become pivotal for me. But what’s become a deal breaker for me lately? People that can’t compromise. People that can’t reach across these polarizing party lines to just TRY to move us forward. I’m not asking for perfect legislation and solutions, I’m asking for progress. With congress unable to function and compromise becoming a dirty word- this us vs. them is only going to divide us more. Governor Johnson AND his running mate were both re-elected in their blue states (where they served as republicans!) and have a record of working with the other side. I find this attribute CRUCIAL to the survival of this country and our democracy at this point in time."

What would you like to see your candidate improve on?

Jamey, Hillary supporter: "Things Hillary Clinton is not good at:

• Palestinians – who are owed a safe and recognized country of their own. One that is viable and free of Israeli military oppression.

• Black teenagers – who are not Superpredators, but are targeted by police and incarcerated at mind-boggling rates.

• Her husband's accusers – See below.

• Not drone bombing – Combatting terrorism is not an excuse for extrajudicial assassinations that kill many more civilians than actual targets.

• Not shipping union jobs out of the country – While Sec. Clinton is the best major party candidate when it comes to jobs and labor rights, she still has some work to do.

All that said, Sec. Clinton has the best record and policy platform of the candidates. There are definitely areas on which she and I disagree. I’ll be voting for her (enthusiastically, as I said) with the understanding that voting is only the first step in the process. First we get her into office, then we hold her accountable."

Katy, Hillary Supporter: "Overall I’ve been concerned about the lack of national dialogue related to environmental protections and climate change. I think there could be more explicit support of racial justice issues along the lines of the stance that Secretary Clinton took on abortion in the most recent debate."

Cameron, Trump supporter: "As far as improvements I do believe he should watch some of the things he says but for the most part I respect that he’s being truthful and real about his opinions and views. To me you don’t really see that too often in cases like this. I also believe he needs to work on uniting the Republican Party in getting them to fully support him."

Ashley, Johnson supporter: "I would love Governor Johnson to work on his media training. I think a lot of his snafus could have been avoided with some more training. I would also love it if he could speak a little better with foreign policy. I can’t say that it’s a lack of knowledge, it might go back to the media training, but I think that’s one area he could speak a little stronger to."

James, Johnson Supporter: "I would like to see him improve on military spending. He wants to drastically cut it and that worries me. First priority in that regard would need to be adjusting how the military spends money before you limit it's budget even more."

How are you handling any scandals involving your candidate?

 Katy, Hillary supporter: "I believe that the way the media has covered the ‘scandals’ involving Hillary Clinton is influenced by bias towards women. The media wants to paint a scandal that she’s untrustworthy because of her private email server. We want to paint her as corrupt because of connections to the financial industry and corporate donors. Male candidates are not subject to these same forms of scrutiny."

Jamey, Hillary supporter: "The biggest ‘scandal’ for Sec. Clinton (at least as far as Trump’s supporters are concerned) is Benghazi and the e-mails. But for me, it’s a non-issue. Firstly because she was cleared of wrongdoing. But mostly because while George W. Bush was president, there were 13 attacks on US embassies around the world in which 60 people died. Terrorist attacks on US facilities in countries around the world are a sad fact of life. They’re going to happen. To try to say that it’s one woman’s fault (or even that she wanted/helped it to happen) is disingenuous in the extreme. For me, the most damning scandal for Clinton is the accusation that she helped to silence the women who accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault while he was president. This one is difficult for a couple of reasons. First, because if we’re going to hold Trump to a certain standard (which we should. Sexual assault isn’t just wrong; it’s a crime.) then, we should hold Sec. Clinton to the same standard. Now, it’s tempting for Democrats to say, “Hey, Bill isn’t running. Hillary is.” But if she did pressure women to keep silent, that’s almost as bad. And since she's more than happy to take credit for Bill Clinton's economic successes as President (most recently at Thursday's debate), she needs to accept criticism for his record (and her role in those achievements), as well. After she's elected, the left needs to hold her accountable, but that won't be possible if her uncritical supporters continue to revise history. The second reason that this is an issue is that she is running on her record of being a champion for women. And it’s a great record – one she should be proud of. But if she is guilty of what she’s accused of w/r/t these women, then it becomes very easy to discount or impeach that record. In a perfect world, I’d like her to publicly admit whatever she may have done and make amends. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world. After she's elected, the left needs to hold her accountable. Charles, Trump supporter: As far as scandals go, you really have to take everything with a grain of salt. People are going to attack anyone running for president with anything they feel will help their cause."

Liz, Trump Supporter: "These rape claims against trump. I'm personally a victim of rape. There's no way I'd wait years and years to tell someone about it. It’s kind of odd that right before the election all these women are coming out with these accusations.... It ever odder when you see a good chunk of them belongs to the Clinton foundation and has very close ties with Hillary. Trump would t need to rape anyone anyways. Take a step back from looking at him as the republican candidate and just look at him as for what he is.... A very, very rich man. There are so many women that are opportunists that would lay down with him if they felt they'd get something out of it."

Charles, Trump supporter: "As far as scandals goes, you really have to take everything with a grain of salt. People are going to attack anyone running for president with anything they feel will help their cause."

Ashley, Johnson supporter: "Luckily, SCANDAL is not a word I would associate with Gary Johnson. There have definitely been some interviews that haven't gone as well as I'd have hoped, but, at the end of the day he is a human. At the end of the day, as president he will have a room of advisors to fill in any knowledge gaps. At the end of the day he is an honest, respectable, sincere and principled human being with a record of good judgment. It's easy to make some room for grace if you have a person you can respect and trust."

What is the #1 reason you're voting this November? Any advice to the undecided voter?

Jamey, Hillary supporter: "My reasons for voting are multifarious and complex. But if I had to sum it all up into one thing, I might say that this election is about respect, dignity, and opportunity for ALL Americans. For her entire adult life, Hillary Clinton has been championing the fight of women and children. Recently she’s come around to the right side of history on LGBTQ issues. And as a Democrat, she’s the best option we have to raise the minimum wage and strengthen unions. My advice to undecided voters is simple – Get educated! Read non-partisan sources to get the actual facts about each candidate’s platform and where they want to take the country. If someone is telling you something that sounds fishy, ask for a source and make sure it’s authoritative. Don’t believe the hype; get the facts; and make an informed choice."

Liz, Trump supporter: "To let my voice be heard and to show I/we demand change. It’s your duty as an American to vote. I'm sick of the corruption in this country and I'll be damned if I stand by and do nothing to try and change it. I may just be 1 person but every vote counts. James, Johnson supporter: As far as advice for the undecided voter, I would recommend writing a list of their top three issues and finding the candidate that most agrees with those issues. After that, evaluate whether that candidate is trustworthy. If not, move on to the candidate who next best fits your ideals. Repeat process."

Charles, Trump supporter: "As for voting, I've voted in every election I could since I was of age. I think its your duty as an American. You really need to look at the candidate's history and record. Don't believe everything you hear or read. Good unbiased info is very hard to come by."

Ashley, Johnson supporter: "The #1 reason I vote is because that is a right so many people have died to protect. It sounds cliché, but when you really think about it - we take our right to vote for granted. There's nothing worse than hearing someone say they aren't voting or their vote doesn't matter. That's where my advice comes in for the undecided voter...VOTE. Vote your conscience. Do a little research and decide what candidate you can live with. But, VOTE! I don't care how many people tell me I'm wasting my vote by voting for a third party. I am voting FOR a candidate I want to see in office, I'm not using my vote AGAINST anyone."

James, Johnson supporter: "The number one reason I'm voting this November is that it's part of my civic duty. I have no right to complain about the political situation if I do nothing to fix it.

As far as advice for the undecided voter, I would recommend writing a list of their top three issues and finding the candidate that most agrees with those issues. After that, evaluate whether that candidate is trustworthy. If not, move on to the candidate who next best fits your ideals. Repeat process."

And that’s it, folks. Hopefully these interviews have provided you with some introspection on why different people vote for different candidates. I hope that it has challenged your thinking, helped you pick a candidate, or was at least informative of differing views. It seems the one thing we can ALL agree on is that this election is important. While it may be fun to joke about it, our future is at stake, and we all need to do our part to let our voices be heard. Get out there and research for yourself, and make sure to vote no matter who it may be for!

At this point, I would like to offer a little insight into the lives of those that answered these questions. It may be surprising that the diversity of these people is great and their answers do not define them as people, something we seem to forget when election season comes around.

Jamey proudly describes himself as an “old-school commie leftist.” He works as a teacher and has a spitfire daughter that he’s raising to change the world.

Liz is a newly married twenty-something who has struggled with a past of addiction and has lived independently since the age of 17. She is now sober and loving the domestic life with her husband and fur-baby.

Ashley is a mom of 2, and soon to be a mom of 3. She enjoys comfy clothes and a night in with her sons and husband.

Cameron is a soldier by profession, living in the Southern US and raising a beautiful baby girl. He enjoys listening to metal music, serving his country, and spending time with his family.

Charles is a blue collar man who works as a mechanic and enjoys life with his children and wife. He is an avid republican with a wicked sense of humor.

James is a member of the Mormon Church, an avid gun enthusiast, and a school bus driver. He married the love of his life while he was young and hasn’t looked back since.

Katy is a passionate feminist and white anti-racist activist who works in higher education and hopes to change the world. She enjoys growing her own food, being active in her community, and looking at cute dog pictures.

Thank you to all the interviewees who were willing to put their voice out there and let their opinions be heard.