Fear and insecurity.
These are the prevailing emotions among many Americans a month before the presidential election. Both Democratic and Republican supporters are anxiously following the election campaign.
In Minnesota, a traditionally “blue” state, voters are taking Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race and to make way for Kamala Harris with relief. The debate between Harris and her opponent, Donald Trump, which took place in mid-September, gave the liberal-minded Americans optimism. Yet many also fear former President Trump will return to the White House.
Just a hundred miles to the south in Iowa and east in Wisconsin the political affiliations are different, but the sentiment remains the same. Unlike Democrats, many Republicans are not worried about the outcome of the election. But they fear whether their candidate, Donald Trump, will be alive by the election day because of the two assassination attempts on him in less than three months.
Anxious anticipation has gripped both political camps in the States, but instead of uniting people, American society is more divided than ever. Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to have normal conversations about political issues. Discussions on topics like abortion rights, housing policy, immigration and the economy often lead to severe disputes, resulting in many Americans to try to avoid such conversations.
Julie Siple from Minneapolis admits she has a hard time talking to her mother, who openly says she will vote for Trump. Siple’s mother is Catholic and approves the Trump-led decision to overturn federal abortion rights, leaving the decision to each state. The farm owner Jordan Hansen from Iowa says everyone in her family is a Republican except her. They rarely talk about politics, but when they do, they manage to keep a good tone, Hansen says, adding: “It would be terrible if we let that destroy our family.”
For residents of small towns, the polarization in society poses a real challenge.
“It is simply impossible for us to turn our backs on someone who does not share our political views,” says Laura Durenberg, who works in local media. “In Grand Marais, that means depriving ourselves of the services of many people, while the alternative is miles away. That’s why we simply avoid talking about topics that would spark heated political discussions.”
She hopes that after the elections the division between the parties will disappear and people will start working together.
According to David Schultz, a political science and law professor at Hamline University, the prospects for that are not optimistic, because the fractures are too deep. He explains that over time, the percentage of voters who identify as centrist has declined dramatically. Instead, the number of far-left or far-right voters has increased.
According to Catharine Richert, a reporter at MPR and host of “Talking Sense,” one of the main causes of this divide is social media, which has been a key source of disinformation and provides a platform for people to speak anonymously.
“People living outside our major cities might feel undervalued,” Richart explains. “Meanwhile, urban dwellers often assume that people of color or members of our LGBTQ+ communities aren’t welcome in more rural parts of the state. These are broad-brush stereotypes on either side, but increasingly I see politicians leverage ‘fear of the other’ to motivate people to vote – not so much for a candidate or platform, but against what the other side has to offer. I think this geographical division has contributed greatly to political divisions in the country.”
She says the only way to overcome this polarization is by respecting diversity of opinion, even when we strongly disagree with them. “We need to learn from that diversity of opinion, even when it doesn’t change our own views,” Richart says. “And we need to seek out the good in people, even if we feel like their political values are antithetical to ours.”
