>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOSH, FOR STAYING ON IT FOR US. %
>> SURE. %
>>> NBC NEWS IS FOLLOWING %
MICHIGAN CLOSELY AS PART OF OUR
COUNTY TO COUNTY SERIES. %
ZEROING IN ON FIVE COUNTY %
THAT’S WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE %
IN DECIDING THE 2020 ELECTION. %
PRESIDENT TRUMP NARROWLY WON %
THE STATE IN 2016. %
IN SOME AREAS OF THE STATE %
MODERATE FORMER REPUBLICAN %
VOTERS ARE QUESTIONING WHETHER %
THEY WANT A SECOND TERM OF %
PRESIDENT TRUMP. %
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN LEARNING %
ABOUT VOTERS IN THIS PART OF %
THE COUNTRY THAT IS SO %
INTERESTING TO STUDY AT THIS
TIME? %
TIME? % >> IT IS FASCINATING INDEED, %
SAVANNAH. %
SAVANNAH. % HEY. %
HEY. % SO GRAND RAPIDS IS IN KENT %
COUNTY WHICH IS ONE OF THE FIVE
COUNTIES WE’RE ZEROING IN ON %
FOR THIS PROJECT. %
THIS PLACE GIVES US A VERY %
SPECIFIC LOOK AT A PART OF THE %
ELECTOR ATE ELECTORATE THAT
WILL BE KEY TO WATCH. %
IT IS THE HOME TO GERALD FORD. %
AND MANY REPUBLICANS CALL THEM %
JERRY FORD REPUBLICANS. %
THEY ARE MODERATE AND CONCERNED
ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP. %
THEY DON’T REALLY RECOGNIZE THE
CURRENT REPUBLICAN PARTY AS THE
PARTY THEY GREW UP WITH. %
THEY’RE LOOKING AT THEIR %
OPTIONS LIKE VOTING FOR A %
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE. %
AND WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING IS %
WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING SOME %
SPECIFIC VOTERS FROM THIS AREA %
THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS %
ELECTION. %
ELECTION. % WE WILL BE FOLLOWING THEM ALL %
THE WAY TO NOVEMBER 2020. %
I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO A
WOMAN NAMED KATIE MORRIS. %
SHE DID VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP %
IN 2016 BUT HAS SINCE COME TO %
REGRET THAT DECISION. %
SHE TOLD ME SHE IS ON THAT
JOURNEY OF ATONEMENT. %
SHE HAS APOLOGIZED TO FRIENDS %
AND FAMILY ON FACEBOOK AND NOW %
SHE IS READY TO TAKE THAT
FORMAL STEP OF ACTUALLY VOTING
FOR A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE. %
WE CAUGHT UP WITH HER TODAY. %
SHE ACTUALLY CAME HERE TO THIS %
POLLING SITE TO VOTE THIS %
MORNING. %
MORNING. % TAKE A LISTEN TO A LITTLE BIT %
OF WHAT SHE TOLD US AFTER SHE %
VOTED THIS MORNING.
>> I CAME IN TODAY TO CAST MY %
VOTE FOR JOE BIDEN BECAUSE I’M %
LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING TRUMP
BE OUT OF OFFICE THIS FALL. %
I THINK HE HAS THE MODERATE %
PROFILE I WAS LOOKING FOR. %
AND I THINK THAT HE IS THE %
PERSON WHO CAN ACTUALLY BRING %
AMERICA TOGETHER. %
I THINK HE’S GOT THE EXPERIENCE
TO GET IT DONE. %
HE HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD. %
UNLIKE SANDERS. %
I THINK HE IS THE BEST EQUIPPED
TO BEAT TRUMP THIS FALL. %
JUST TALKING TO FRIENDS AND %
FAMILY, THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE
OUT THERE THAT ARE REALLY %
WANTING TO SEE SOMEBODY IN THE %
WHITE HOUSE THAT IS GOING TO %
NOT MAKE THIS COUNTRY SO %
DIVIDED AS WE CURRENTLY ARE. %
SOMEBODY WHO IS PROFESSIONAL %
AND SOMEBODY THAT OUR CHILDREN
CAN LOOK UP TO. %
I THINK PEOPLE ARE SICK OF THE %
TWITTER AND THE RHETORIC AND %
LOOKING TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO IS
REALLY GOING TO BE WILLING TO
LEAD EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND NOT JUST HIMSELF AND HIS %
OWN INTERESTS. %
I THINK PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR
SOMEBODY OUT THERE AND LOOKING %
FOR A CHANGE. %
AND THIS IS THE FIRST %
OPPORTUNITY THAT WE’VE HAD TO
GO OUT THERE AND PUBLICLY VOICE
OUR OPINIONS AT THE POLLS. %
WE MAY HAVE SUPPORTED TRUMP IN %
2016 BUT THEY NEED TO GET THEIR
ACT TOGETHER AND STEP UP AND %
SPEAK OUT AGAINST DONALD TRUMP %
AND GET THE COUNTRY BACK ON THE
RIGHT PATH. %
>> AND SAVANNAH, WHEN WE FIRST %
MET KATIE BACK IN NOVEMBER, %
THIS IS ALTHOUGH RECEIPT CAL,
RIGHT. %
RIGHT. % SHE WAS CONSIDERING SOME %
CANDIDATES. %
CANDIDATES. % SHE WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT AMY
KLOBUCHAR AND PETE BUTTIGIEG. %
JOE BIDEN WAS HER THIRD CHOICE.
BUT STILL SHE WAS EXCITED TO %
VOTE FOR HIM TODAY BECAUSE HER %
NUMBER ONE CONCERN BEYOND, YOU %
KNOW, SHE IS WORRIED ABOUT %
EDUCATION AND GUN CONTROL AND %
CLIMATE CHANGE. %
BEYOND THAT IT IS THE RHETORIC.
SHE IS WORRIED ABOUT SEEING %
WHAT COMES OUT OF THE %
PRESIDENT’S MOUTH. %
SHE WENT TO A TRUMP RALLY WITH %
HER 7-YEAR-OLD SON AND TALKED %
ABOUT HOW NOT TO TALK ABOUT %
OTHER PEOPLE. %
THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN %
FOR HER. %
AND NOT ONLY IS SHE PART OF
THIS KEY DEMOGRAPHIC OF
REPUBLICANS BUT A SUBURBAN MOM,
ANOTHER IMPORTANT DEMOGRAPHIC. %
FOR DONALD TRUMP THAT IS ONE
THAT HE IS STRUGGLING. %
A POLL SAID THAT 61% OF
SUBURBAN WOMEN DISAPPROVE OF
THE PRESIDENT. %
SEEING HOW THESE VOTES PLAY OUT
BOTH IN THE PRIMARY AND THE
GENERAL WILL BE FASCINATING TO
WATCH. %
WATCH. % >> IN SOME WAYS HER CASE MIGHT %
SPEAK TO THE IMPORTANCE OF
ENDORSEMENT IF SHE WAS EXCITED %
ABOUT PETE BUTTIGIEG AND AMY %
KLOBUCHAR AND NOW SHE IS VOTING
FOR JOE BIDEN. %
YOU’RE AT THE POLLS RIGHT NOW. %
MAYBE THE CONFLICTED %
CONSERVATIVES OR DEMOCRATS, HOW
ARE THEY FEELING, LEAVING %
TOWARDS BIDEN OR SANDERS. %
>> WELL, TODAY WE HAVE TALKED
TO A LOT OF DEMOCRATS. %
AND HERE IN KENT COUNTY, BERNIE
SANDERS ACTUALLY DID WIN IN %
2016 BY A PRETTY BIG MARGIN. %
BUT OF COURSE THEN DONALD TRUMP
WENT ON TO CARRY THE COUNTY IN
THE GENERAL. %
SO FOR THE VOTERS WE HAVE BEEN %
TALKING TO HERE THEY’RE TRYING %
TO FIGURE OUT WHO IS THE RIGHT %
CANDIDATE THAT CAN WIN BACK
KENT COUNTY AND MICHIGAN %
OVERALL. %
OVERALL. % THAT IS CAUSING A LOT OF %
TENSION FOR VOTERS TO FIGURE
OUT WHO TO VOTE FOR. %
A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE %
TALKED TO SAID THEY DIDN’T MAKE
UP THEIR MIND UNTIL LAST NIGHT.
SOME DIDN’T MAKE UP THEIR MIND %
UNTIL THEY WERE IN THERE. %
AND THE TENSION COMES BETWEEN %
SORT OF THE VOTING FOR THE
PERSON WHO IDEOLOGICALLY ALIGN %
WITH OR THE PERSON WHO THEY
THINK IS MORE ELECTABLE. %
A LOT OF VOTERS SAY THEY FEEL %
THAT BIDEN HAS IT LOCKED IN
HERE. %
HERE. % FOR SOME OF THE PROGRESSIVES %
THEY SAY I’M GOING TO STICK %
WITH BERNIE. %
THEY ARE WITH HIM AGAIN. %
EVEN THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT %
NECESSARILY SURE THAT HE CAN
PULL OFF WHAT HE PULLED OFF IN
2016 AGAIN IN 2020. %
SAVANNAH. %
SAVANNAH. % >> WELL, DASHA, AN INTERESTING %
MR.IS TO BE. %