One year before 2016 election, voters share messages for candidates
One year from today, voters will decide who becomes the next president of the United States. Over the past several days, we asked people around the country what they want to hear — and not hear — from candidates over the next 12 months.
Brenda Alston is a retiree from Orlando, Fla.
"Anything that really doesn't relate to improving the status and position of the American public, you can stop that. We don't talk about what people look like. We don't name call. Things like that I think are ineffective, unproductive. They don't move us forward in terms of solutions to issues. Talk about the issues."
Mark Gannon of Dublin, Ohio, voted for Mitt Romney in 2012
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"I think the economy is probably number one in my mind, defense is certainly important, immigration is something we need to address as a country as well...I think a lot of the social issues I'm just really tired of hearing about. I mean, I think people use those to divide people."
Kimb Williamson of Phoenix, Ariz., voted for Barack Obama in 2012.
"Many of the candidates state their interpretation of the Constitution as saying that that is what our forefathers intended, and I don't believe that there's that many constitutional specialists that are currently running for candidacy in either party."
Fred and Maria LaCourt are Republican voters from Milwaukee, Wisc.
"Tax reform, national security, immigration, most of the main issues Americans are concerned about because I believe all of those issues are affecting the economy and the future of the United States."
Jonathan Weber is a Democratic voter from Los Angeles, Calif.
"I definitely want to hear the candidates talk about income inequality. I think that's a big problem in this country. I think that too many people are benefiting from a system at the expense of others."
Cassy Stevens, a college student from Conway, S.C., is voting in her first presidential race and is fond of Republican Rand Paul.
"I get so tired of hearing all of them bashing each other. Whether or not they disagree or agree with people's concerns."
Angela Frinch of Phoenix, Ariz., voted for Obama in 2012 and says her political hero is Jesus.
"Really picking at one another, and we're not interested in hearing — at least I'm not interested in hearing that. I'm interested in hearing their plans for the country, their desires, their hopes, their dreams for the country."
Majeed Aziz of Silver Spring, Md., is a U.S. citizen who was born in Afghanistan.
"There's a lot of smearing right now between Hillary [Clinton] and Bernie [Sanders], and Donald Trump is a bit of a side show. So all in all, I'd say I'm pretty disappointed with the quality of the candidates and what they're actually promising, and what they're actually gonna be able to deliver on. So we'll see what happens."
Reporting contributed by Renata Sago of member station WMFE in Orlando, Fla., Jude Joffe-Block of member station KJZZ in Phoenix, Ariz., NPR's Tamara Keith and NPR's Jessica Taylor. Edited by Arnie Seipel. Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.