Obama’s Swing State Voters Sound Off
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JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GettyImages(NEW YORK) — On the Obama campaign trail over the past few months, ABC News has had conversations with dozens of swing state voters about the president’s record, his pitch for a second term and their view of the general election race shaping up in their states.
We heard a mix of emotions and viewpoints that run the gambit, from disappointment in Obama’s unfulfilled ’08 promises and anxiety over Mitt Romney’s competitiveness to confidence that grassroots organizers can turn out the votes.
Here’s a sampling of Obama voters sounding off on the state of the 2012 race as we listened:
• Delia Alkhatib, Columbus, Ohio: “We realize that the president did not do much of what he promised four years ago, we realize that. But you also realize the influence of the Republicans on his efforts. They have been a roadblock at every corner,” she said. ” So we’re keeping that in mind, and hoping that he’ll be more aggressive and more of who we voted for in ’08 in a second term because he’ll have nothing to lose.”
• Dan Bergeron, Nashua, N.H.: “Money is a big concern; naturally we’re going to be outspent. I’m seeing it all the way down to local politics.”
• Elaine Tomlin, Philadelphia: “We know we’re going to need an army with the obstacles put out there with the voter ID law and we know that we will be able to deliver for President Barack Obama and Philadelphia Co. and Pennsylvania. We know what we have to do, even though the GOP has the dollars, we have the grassroots campaign. And it’s one person, one vote.”
• Jim Kenyon, Roland, Iowa: “Sure, we’d like someone maybe a little more liberal, but he’s better than what we could have gotten from anyone else… I think it’s going to be a close race…but when you look at the alternatives, people will get on board.”
• Alison Janvrin, Epping, N.H.: “Obamacare, the economy and all that stuff – that’s what’s pushing people away [from Obama]. But a lot of people in New Hampshire have also seen what Romney did to Massachusetts. He couldn’t run the state of Massachusetts. How’s he going to be able to run our country?”
• Brandon Toyer, Columbus, Ohio: “It’s been a tough four years, I won’t lie. But things are looking up now. If we give him a little more time, he’ll see things through,” he said. “I’ve lived in Ohio my whole life. I think this is a key state for him.”
• Timothy Michael Sullivan, Ames, Iowa: “A lot of people are hurting, no doubt about that. It’s still tough, but I think people forget how bad a crisis we had in 2008 and no one is going to have brought us back from that in four years. Still tough spot, but steady progress. “
• Connie Arther, Philadelphia: “[It’s] going to be a little hard, going to be close…because of all the unemployment and people’s a little leery of what happened. But if I have anything to do with it, he will win.”
Between now and November, ABC News plans to bring you more of these voices from around the country — Obama backers, Romney supporters and the undecided. We’ll be listening. Stay tuned.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio