Local Democrats arrived at the Metro Blue Line Willow station in the early morning of Oct. 29 for a trip to Las Vegas that weekend to canvass and encourage Nevadans to do two things— vote and vote for presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
That morning, a bus was waiting for residents— that included volunteers and local Democratic affiliates— who would go door-to-door in Vegas all weekend and return Sunday evening as part of the CA2NV program, in which volunteers travel to areas in Nevada to persuade voters.
The program is led by Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, who said he took a similar group to Nevada during the primary election, also made the trip that weekend and was seen boarding the bus that morning.
In his mind, it’s no question that Hillary Clinton is a better candidate than Donald Trump.
“The big difference for us is that Hillary Clinton reflects the values of supporting working people,” Garcia said. “It’s making sure that people are taken care of… rights for women, rights for LGBTQ people, rights for supporting immigration reform— all of those are important to support the community.”
He also touted her support of cities and ports and the increased security that guns will not be in the hands of criminals as reasons to vote for the Democratic candidate.
Ashton Baker, 55, a Long Beach resident and volunteer, said the population in Nevada consists of mostly minorities, a demographic he feels presidential nominee Donald Trump has negatively targeted and is “trying to send home somewhere.”
“What he wants to do is look at me and bring things back to me,” said Baker, who is African-American, implying that Trump believes minorities are a source of the country’s problems. “Trump represents more of a borderline dictatorship. He doesn’t realize it, but that’s what it is. And we don’t do that. This is a free democracy in this country… and he wants to have, for me personally, control of the world.”
Baker added that Trump doesn’t understand people’s struggles, adding how he was instead given everything with a “silver spoon.”
Robert Namath, 46, a volunteer from Newport Beach in Orange County, said Trump’s anti-minority rhetoric does not appropriately represent “the serious job of being president.”
“You can’t just say anything that comes out of your mind and just say it that way,” he said. “You have to be the president for all of the people, and you have to be respectful of everybody… you don’t want to insult the American people or any segment of the American people.”
Both Namath and Baker criticized Trump’s decision to not release his tax returns, his stance on nuclear weapons and business methods, but Clinton has controversy surrounding her campaign, as well.
Clinton’s use of a private email server, which consequently led to leaked confidential information, specifically in regard to the 2012 attack on Benghazi, has been met with heavy criticism, mostly from Congress members and FBI investigators.
Last week, FBI Director James Comey announced that the bureau had discovered additional emails and was reviewing them to see whether they are related to its investigation into Clinton’s handling of classified information.
Baker was dismissive of Clinton’s email situation, his justification being that he himself emails people every day, and that she didn’t release anything destructive, such as bomb codes, he said.
“They are trying to say that she used that as fuel to give out government information,” he said. “She has said that she’s not trying to hide anything. She’s released everything… they are trying to influence the outcome of this election.”
When made aware that it may not have been Clinton’s intent to leak out information, but she did so anyway, Baker admitted that it might have been “careless” but ultimately concluded that most people might not understand the details of the emails.
Others think the situation has been blown out of proportion.
Coleen Maldonado, 46, resident of Long Beach and affiliate of the city’s Lambda Democratic Club, believes that nothing has been proven for people to suspect that Clinton’s emails have criminal or sneaky intentions.
She even brought up previous secretaries of state who have utilized private email servers, such as Colin Powell or Condoleeza Rice.
However, according to politifact.com, sources close to the situation told the website that the only habitual email user in office was Powell, and even he didn’t utilize a private email server based in his home, unlike Clinton.
Mayor Garcia added that the issue has already been fleshed out.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”500px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Screen-Shot-2016-11-03-at-4.02.15-PM.png” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia (far left) and his office’s field deputy, Abigail Mejia, mull over some paperwork minutes before embarking on a trip with local Democrats to Las Vegas on Oct. 29. Garcia said that he personally feels that it’s “no question” that Hillary Clinton is a better candidate for the presidency than Donald Trump.” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off”] “The private email server has been a big issue with her, and I think that she has talked about it extensively,” he said. “I think most folks realize that, at the end of the day, you have to pick who is going to be the best president.”
Maldonado also affirmed that it might not have been Clinton’s smartest strategy.
“While it was ill-advised and careless, and perhaps maybe not well thought out… for me, I’m comfortable with the fact that she’s already been investigated and has been found with no criminal intent of that,” she said. “I am much more concerned about the issues and what she’s going to do for us.”
Domestically, Maldonado is in support of Clinton’s policies on the economy and LGBTQ rights. She also highlighted the fact that Clinton has been established as the most qualified presidential candidate ever.
“The comparison to Trump is just unbelievably different,” she said. “When I see Trump, who criticizes just about everyone, and insults all kinds of groups on everything based on ethnicity, income status, treating women like this and all that, I can’t possibly see a man representing our country like that. If anything, I’d do anything I can to make sure he doesn’t.”
Namath commends Clinton’s pro-labor and pro-business approach to creating jobs. As far as national security is concerned, he said she has the ability to get the job done and mentioned her heavy involvement as secretary of state when the Obama Administration orchestrated the mission to kill terrorist Osama bin Laden in 2011.
He also feels that Trump will bring the country back to the “Republican policies” eight years ago that “took us nowhere,” referring to former U.S. President George W. Bush’s tenure.
“Trump is just very bombastic,” Namath said. “His economic benefits are going to be like it was in the past— when all the benefits went to the wealthy. I just think she’s the better candidate.”
Baker’s fear is that Clinton’s presidency will mirror U.S. President Barack Obama’s, with Republicans rejecting ideas before “they’re even put on the table.”
He said government should be more unbiased.
“We need to be more open-minded, then make a decision,” Baker said. “Don’t just make a decision because you’re assuming, and then you just want to stick with your decision because you already made it. Be open-minded and hear what the other side has to say.”
Baker knows that whether it’s Clinton or Trump who becomes the presidential-elect of the United States on Nov. 8, that person will have to work together and work with opposing parties every day.
But, he wants people to understand that everyone, at the end of the day, is just that— people.
“We’re all for one country, one nation, under God,” Baker said. “Red, blue and all of that— big deal. We’re all people first. We are here to protect life. We’re united with the idea that your opinion may not be my opinion, but we are still here together, and we can live together.”
