These Detroit Area Neighbors Agree On Most Things — Except at the Polls

As Election Day draws ever closer, Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson has been checking the political, social and cultural temperature of voters throughout the region.

Related: Metro Detroit Voters Share What’s On Their Minds Ahead of 2020 Election

In this installment of those conversations, Henderson speaks with two Farmington Hills women who are neighbors and longtime friends, but pretty much completely opposite when it comes to their political opinions. 

Listen: Two Farmington Hills women dig into their differences and discuss the issues that matter to them ahead of November 3rd

Guests:

Sharon, a Farmington Hills resident, describes herself as a mother, a psychologist and lifelong Democrat. “A defining issue for me… is [Trump’s] refusal to consider the input of key advisors. I don’t think any candidate can be an expert in all areas, smart politicians surround themselves with people who can advise,” she says. 

“We are as divided as we’ve ever been, I certainly have even had concerns about a civil war, which I thought was [a thing of the past]. I’m concerned about whichever the way the election goes, that there will be some unrest,” says Sharon, who says she is planning to vote for Biden in person on November 3rd. 

Denise lives on the same street as Sharon in Farmington Hills and is a native of the Detroit region. She says that she’s mom to four children and considers herself an independent voter, who voted for President Trump in 2016 and Governor Whitmer in 2018. “Our families and views on most things are in alignment except at the polls– that’s where we differ,” says Farmington Hills resident Denise of her neighbor.

As to why she supported Trump in 2016, Denise explains that from hew view “there was a lot of same old same old in politics and I think I liked the fact that he was not a career politician, he was a businessman coming from that background.” Looking back at the last four years, she goes onto say that she has “agreed with some of [Trump’s] policies with China trade and other things. I don’t like the way he went about it, he’s brash and angry and I think it’s getting worse,” she says.

Ultimately, Denise says she’s made up her mind but doesn’t plan to share who she’s planning to vote for.