A conversation with an undecided voter in Wisconsin

All across middle America, a handful of undecided voters will decide the fate of the most consequential election of our lifetimes. My friend Jordan is one of those voters. Jordan is 21 years old, lives in northern Wisconsin and is the proud owner of a small marine service business which he started after graduating high school. He identifies as conservative, but is open-minded and does not feel bound to any political party. I know him to be an upstanding member of his community, a hardworking guy and a loyal friend.

By writing this rather unconventional opinion piece, I am working to uphold The Campus’s mission of airing a diverse range of opinions — a range which I feel is somewhat limited given the predominance of left-leaning voices among Middlebury’s student body. In times when the country is so divided, it is important not to vilify those with contrasting political views, and to instead encourage thought-provoking discourse on important issues. Let’s take a moment to tune out the mainstream narrative and listen to the nuanced perspective of people like Jordan, who are grappling with genuine uncertainty and a daunting civic task on Nov. 5.

Haydn Suske-Funk: Does character matter to you in a president? 

Jordan: It does matter, and voting based on character, I would vote for Kamala. I think Trump is a corrupt businessman, and that everyone would have a hard time voting for Trump when it comes to his questionable behavior. 

HSF: What is the most important issue for you in this year’s election? 

Jordan: The most important issue for me is the economy, followed by the environment. An issue that I wish was discussed more is the influence of Big Pharma and big industry. That’s why I was interested in Robert F. Kennedy [Jr. ] (RFK) — transparency is important to me.

HSF: What is your biggest issue with Kamala Harris? Do you think her policy proposals are concrete?

Jordan: I don’t think she cheated her way into candidacy; that being said, it doesn’t sit well with me that she breezed through the nominating process at the DNC. Until his poor performance in the debate, I was ready to support Biden in the general election. But Kamala’s rise to power felt undemocratic, untrustworthy and poorly handled. 

As far as policy goes, I like her border policy. It’s more comprehensive and doesn’t include massive deportations. However, I dislike some of her economic policies, like her $50,000 business startup tax credit. As a business owner, that money would be helpful, but too many people would take advantage of it, and I worry that it would blow up the deficit. Same with her $25,000 credit to new homebuyers — that would just increase home prices by $25,000. I think it’s designed to appeal to uneducated voters. In my book, there’s no such thing as free money. 

HSF: Donald Trump has been endorsed by RFK Jr., and has made appearances on podcasts like The Joe Rogan Experience that have a young, male audience. Do you feel like he’s reaching out to voters like you?

Jordan: The RFK endorsement meant a lot to me. He reached out to Kamala’s campaign to offer his endorsement, and they turned him down. Trump alludes to RFK being a part of his cabinet, and I like that. I also think that RFK would go against the grain and speak his mind. Maybe he would keep Trump in check. This isn’t the first time Trump has reached out to a young, male audience. He’s appeared on Theo Von and other podcasts that would skew towards young, conservative men. I’d like to see Kamala do the same — that would be a gamechanger for me. Voters in my demographic don’t feel like they know Kamala Harris. To some, she seems like a puppet, a clown. Frankly, her lack of appearances concerns me.

HSF: Anything you’d like to say to a liberal college audience? 

Jordan: Look at the last three and a half years. Look at Biden’s America. I know that a lot of people can be blamed, but the reality is that Americans are concerned about the country’s economic direction. Trump’s strongest points in an otherwise abysmal debate performance were his economic proposals. I strongly believe that Trump’s pre-pandemic economy would have placed us in a better position than we are now. The revenue that would have been generated from tariffs and increased business (in spite of lower taxes) would have been used to reduce the deficit. Trump’s presidency deserves a more objective look. If you are a confident voter, and you believe that the election choice is crystal clear, you have more research to do. 

HSF: Lastly, do you plan to vote in this election? If so, for whom?

Jordan: I will vote, although I would rather not, given the choices I am presented with. That is my duty as a citizen — to maintain my role in the democratic process. I have not decided on who I’m voting for; I’ll be taking in every last piece of news and context until Nov. 5. I want to keep an open mind until the last minute. 

I think it is important to acknowledge that many in the Middlebury community have a superiority complex when they talk about swing voters from middle America; clearly, Jordan has attempted to do his research and now faces the unenviable job of aligning his personal values with imperfect candidates. Although I disagree with many of Jordan’s opinions, I respect that he is trying to do what is right for himself, his business and his country. 

I encourage you to reach out to friends and family that do not share your political opinions — we can’t fix America’s problems by remaining in ideological bubbles. Instead of immediately disparaging people that we disagree with, let’s challenge ourselves to listen, and to learn. Our nation’s quest for a more perfect union depends on it.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.