Neither Trump nor Clinton: Disillusioned Americans Explain Their Dilemma

TESTIMONIALS – Either undecided or abstaining, these voters are struggling to identify with the aspiring presidents’ manifestos, which they feel are too far removed from their own concerns.

“I’ve not actually seen a very solid plan from either candidate for what I’m concerned with, which is the residents, the ordinary people here,” notes Christopher, in Charleroi, Pa. With less than two weeks before the election, when the public will have to decide between the Republican Donald Trump and the Democrat Hillary Clinton, this 43-year-old man would like, for example, “to hear about new industries that we can actually train our people in.” He also regrets the lack of “good programs that help businesses start and grow.” Consequently, it is difficult to determine which candidate to support on November 8. The Californian Arbazz Mohammed, 24, is in a similar situation. He intends to decide depending “on local issues.”

Some Americans are going even further and consider voting in the presidential election to be a waste of time, notably because citizens can’t vote for a candidate by direct universal suffrage but only through their electors.

“I probably would vote Democratic or Libertarian but regardless of who I vote for, the state will vote Republican,” sighs Debra Period, 28, in Birmingham, Ala.

Others believe that the fundamentals are decided at an even more restricted level: “What we have to worry about is, who is running for the school board, who is going to be our mayor, or on our city council. We have to get people into those positions because that’s where political power starts,” affirms Crystal, a New York theater director of 73 and a former supporter of Bernie Sanders.

Disgusted by the media circus surrounding Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, Kris, 30, an executive producer of a documentary on music therapy, thinks that civil society can take the reins from politicians: “I feel like we could get to other issues and solve them by ourselves, as people, if we just break down some of the barriers as far as race, religion, and all just come together.”

Interviews carried out as part of the EuropeGoesUS operation.

Editor’s Note: Changes have been made to the original article since first publication and this translation is correct as of Nov 1, 2016.