In the battleground state of Maine, Todd Cox, 63, has supported the state’s incumbent Republican senator Susan Collins not once, but twice, in previous elections.
asserted
Cox → support → elections
On Tuesday, Cox, a technology professional, cast his vote for Collins’ Democratic challenger Troy Jackson – driven not by pressing local issues, but broader concern “for the direction the country is going in”, he said.
asserted
he → cast → direction
“We definitely haven’t become kinder and gentler under this administration,” Cox told the Guardian.
asserted
Cox → become → Guardian
“There’s a lot of bullying that goes on.
asserted
that → ’ → bullying
It goes back to affordability.
asserted
It → go → affordability
It’s the war in Iran – that shouldn’t be happening.
asserted
that → ’ → Iran
It’s the disregard for the rule of law.
asserted
It → ’ → law
It just seems like they’re thumbing their nose at it.”
asserted
they → seem → it
As millions lined up to cast their ballots nationwide, the question looming over Tuesday’s US midterm elections – with control of US Congress and key checks and balances on Donald Trump at stake – was just how many Americans felt the same way.
asserted
Americans → line → stake
To win control of the US Senate in Washington, Democrats must flip four Republican-held seats and retain all of those currently held by the party.
asserted
Democrats → win → party
They meanwhile need a net gain of just three seats to obtain a majority in the House.
asserted
They → need → House
In interviews with the Guardian across the country, voters cited affordability concerns, Trump’s war on Iran and his administration’s aggressive crackdown on immigration as among the key issues that had driven them to cast their votes.
asserted
that → cite → votes
Lines formed outside polling stations in key states including Texas and Maine.
asserted
Lines → form → Texas
In Maine, a steady stream of voters entered the Merrill auditorium polling station in Portland’s busy downtown district in mid-morning, leading to queues of up to half an hour to cast a ballot, according to organizers.
uncertain
stream → enter → organizers
“I’m concerned about ICE raids that have been happening here in Portland,” said Maple Razsa, 55, a global studies professor at Colby College in Waterville.
asserted
Razsa → ’m → Waterville
“The political system is just run amok at this point.”
asserted
system → run → point
“I voted straight Republican,” said a 63-year-man in Maine, who declined to give his name.
asserted
who → vote → name
“I don’t know much about the issues, but I’m not ready to throw away Israel yet.
asserted
I → know → Israel
I don’t really see the war in Iran as a real war.
asserted
I → see → war
What have we lost?
asserted
we → lose → What
We lose hundreds and thousands in these wars and if they have a nuclear bomb, we’re going to have a nuclear war anyway.”
asserted
we → lose → war
In Georgia, where heated races for the Senate and governor are playing out, David Boy, an attorney from Johns Creek, voted for Republicans yesterday despite his staunch antipathy for the president.
asserted
Boy → play → president
“I don’t like Trump.
asserted
I → like → Trump
I’ve never voted for him,” he told the Guardian.
asserted
he → vote → Guardian
“I want to go to my deathbed saying I never did.”
asserted
I → want → deathbed
But these are midterm elections – not presidential – and he looked beyond his view of the current occupant of the White House in a bid to elect candidates he believed would act on the issues he cared about.
asserted
he → look → issues
“I’ve got school-age kids, so making sure the schools are good for them,” said Boy.
asserted
Boy → get → them
I’m in the prime earning years right now, so paying taxes … and then also for me, personally, my faith and integrity and moral issues.
asserted
I → ’m → me
And then, I want things to be run well.
asserted
things → want → ?
Honestly, I want our government to be run efficiently and effectively.”
asserted
government → want → ?
These remain divided times.
asserted
These → remain → ?
Jason Griffin, an engineer from Johns Creek, Georgia, told the Guardian he was specifically motivated to vote for Democrats on Tuesday by Trump.
asserted
he → tell → Trump
“I used to like the policies of most of the Republicans,” he said.
asserted
he → use → Republicans
Others were driven by local concerns.
asserted
Others → drive → concerns
“Michigan is in a dumpster fire,” Sona, a Dearborn resident in her 60s who declined to give her last name, said of another key swing state that both parties have chased on the path to controlling the Senate.
asserted
parties → decline → Senate
She voted Republican.
asserted
She → vote → Republican
Sona described herself as a lifelong conservative who opposes abortion and is concerned about “transgenderism”, specifically transgender athletes in women’s sports – an issue Republicans have sought to hammer in recent months.
asserted
Republicans → describe → months
She also pointed to wages she said run about $10,000 below those in neighboring states, and to high electric bills.
asserted
she → point → bills
In Alaska, another battleground state, Republican voter John House had a mixed assessment of Trump.
asserted
House → have → Trump
“He talks too much, but he’s done so much for us,” he told the Guardian.
asserted
he → talk → Guardian
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
