NEWPORT COUNTY RHODE ISLAND VOTERS TELL WHO AND WHY THEY VOTED FOR A CANDIDATE MARCH 4, 2008

At the Newport, Rhode Island Obama Campaign Office

Below is a front page article from our local paper today. Barack Obama won in Barrignton, East Greenwich, Jamestown, Newport, New Shoreham, Providence and South Kingstown of Rhode Island. Hillary Clinton won big with the elderly. In my town of Portsmouth Hillary won by 187 votes. Hillary won at my polling location by 33 votes.

People came to the polls and voted also for John Edwards and Uncommitted. Why does anyone take the effort to vote for Uncommitted, I wonder?

Voting results by towns and precincts can be found at
RI.gov/election/results/2008/presidential

Election

Posted: Wednesday, March 5, 2008 10:55 AM EST

Locally, many voters had trouble choosing

By Sean Flynn
Daily News staff

Many local voters were split in their sympathies between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on Tuesday as they went to the polls Tuesday. Some had just recently figured out which way they wanted to vote.

“I decided today to go with Obama,” said Kim Shute, 37, of Middletown. “I’m unsettled about my decision. I have concerns about whether Hillary would be able to win the general election. Still, I sort of feel like I’m betraying the sisterhood.”

“I did the opposite,” one woman said in response to Shute’s comments. “But I don’t want to say it in the paper. My family would kill me.”

“I like what Hillary stands for and what she’s going to do,” said Pat Vorro, 46, of Middletown. “I don’t dislike Obama; I just don’t think he’s ready yet.”

The women commented after casting their votes at Gaudet Middle School in Middletown. Other voters there, at St. Peter’s Church on Broadway in Newport and at Aquidneck Christian Academy on East Main Road in Portsmouth also reflected divided loyalties.

June Weeden, 62, of Newport said she voted for Obama because of his commitment to change.

“I’ve been listening to Obama the last two months, and I think we’re ready for him,” she said. “I was on Hillary’s side for a long time, but she’s just working on her experience. I was very pleased with what she did for health-care issues in the 1990s. I’d like to see her as Obama’s vice president.”

Patricia Archer, 63, of Newport said she came down on Clinton’s side.

“I’m going with her Washington experience and her ability to deal with Congress,” she said. “Her experience as first lady and now as a senator is invaluable. Compare that to Obama’s lack of experience and pie-in-the-sky attitudes. He thinks all these things can just happen, but he would have to persuade Congress.”

Colleen Pilat of Portsmouth said she voted for Obama.

“I think people are skeptical of Mrs. Bill Clinton,” she said. “Obama has that Jack Kennedy spark. He seems to be full of hope and promise to me.”

Divided on Hillary

Some of the voters had specific reasons for their late decision-making.

Jack Warner, 65, of Newport said he decided about a week ago to support Obama.

“What Hillary has done in the past week has turned me off,” he said. “There was that photo of Obama in a turban that showed up on the Internet. I think it came from her campaign. We can’t do any worse than what we have in the White House now. Let’s give someone new a shot at it.”

Kelly O’Connell, 35, of Portsmouth said she does not like what she has heard from Clinton during the campaign.

“It sealed the deal for me when she said she could get the troops out (of Iraq) in 60 days,” O’Connell said. “I thought that was reckless.”

But Clinton also has her staunch local supporters.

“I think she would do a lot for the United States,” said Luz Santos, 42, of Newport. “We all need health care and she realizes that. A lot of families are without insurance and her health plan addresses that.”

Theresa Burgess, 38, of Newport said she decided to support Clinton as soon as she heard she was running.

“She is a very smart woman,” Burgess said.

“I’m Scottish and I’m voting for Hillary,” said Lorreine Harrison, 49, of Newport, who has been a U.S. resident for the past 18 years. “Any woman who has put up with what she’s put up with and is still running for president — good for her. She’s been there, done that.”

However, her husband, Richard Harrison, 50, went with Obama.

“He and Hillary are basically saying the same things, but I like his plans a little better,” he said.

Inspired by Barack

Richard Osborne, 40, of Middletown said he decided he would support Obama 3½ years ago, when he heard him speak at the Democratic National Convention.

“I thought then he would be president someday, just not so soon,” he said.

Shannon Crutcher, 34, of Newport also said she voted for Obama.

“I’ve seen a lot of him and I like what he has to say,” she said. “We need a change and he has good values.”

Was there any particular reason for not supporting Clinton?

“Yes, mostly because of Bill,” she said.

“I decided early on to vote for Obama,” said Charlie Machado of Newport’s Point neighborhood. “I like the idea that he doesn’t have the lobbyists in his back pocket. The lobbyists tie the hands of many politicians.”

“Barack Obama is inspiring and we need to be inspired,” said Elizabeth Seveney of Portsmouth. “He is making us care again. He is getting people interested in politics again.”

Other favorites

The election was not all about Clinton and Obama, though. Some voters had trouble letting go of early favorites.

“I’m voting for John Edwards because I would have supported him for president,” said Kathryn Conrad of Middletown. “I will vote for John McCain in the general election, but I feel like I owe it to Edwards now.”

Conrad said she likes McCain’s personal story and even ran into him at an airport once. She said she has reservations about him, particularly because of his support for the Iraq war, “but not as many as I have with Hillary and Obama.”

Marty Dever, 37, of Newport said he is an independent and only decided in the past week to support Obama.

“I was waiting to see if (New York Mayor Michael) Bloomberg was going to run,” he said. “He decided not to. Now, I think Obama is the best of the candidates who are in the race.”

Low-profile Republicans

It was hard to find Republican voters at the polling places — at least among those willing to speak to a reporter.

“I voted for John McCain,” said Virginia Carrellas, 84, of Newport. “I preferred Romney, but he’s not in it anymore. McCain is more qualified than Huckabee. Huckabee’s a nice fellow, but he doesn’t have a prayer.”

Ray Farrow of Portsmouth said he is a McCain supporter, but he decided to vote for Clinton in the Democratic primary since McCain already had a lock on the Republican nomination. He cast a vote for Clinton because he believes she would be a weaker opponent for McCain than Obama.

“I’m voting for Hillary because I want John McCain to win the general election,” he said.

“I’m a rare breed in Rhode Island, a registered Republican,” said one man, one of several who said they voted in the Republican primary, but declined to give their names.

“My family are all Democrats,” one woman said. “I don’t want them to know I voted Republican.”

“Don’t discuss politics or religion, and certainly not in the newspaper,” another man said. “That’s a good rule to live by.”

Source:
NewportDailyNews.com