Reporter's Notebook: What My Uber Drivers Say About the Presidential Candidates
Most are leaning toward Hillary -- but not all are excited about it.
WHITE PLAINS, New York -- Over the past 17 months covering Hillary Clinton’s campaign, I’ve met lots of fascinating people, but some of the most interesting have been the men and women who take me to and from campaign events.
My Uber drivers.
The men and women who work for the ride-share service aren't necessarily the type who attend political rallies, but they all seem to have a lot to say.
The former professor who picked me up in Boston during the Massachusetts primary who said: The “best thing going for Hillary Clinton were all the other candidates.”
The father who drove me in Raleigh, North Carolina, who wished Americans could just start all over again and pick new presidential nominees.
The woman who picked me up from the presidential debate in St. Louis last month who thanked me for watching the debate so she didn't have to.
Each of these drivers gave me insight into what ordinary Americans are thinking about this tumultuous election.
I wanted to hear more, and so recently broke away from the daily grind of the campaign trail to travel on my own to battleground states to interview Uber drivers.
I took 25 Uber rides in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania over the past week. What I found through my admittedly unscientific reporting is a diverse group of people largely leaning toward voting for Clinton over Trump. But most of them aren't excited about it.
Here's some of what they had to say.
PHIL HARRISON, 64, COLUMBUS, OHIO
African-American, retired garbage truck driver.
“I’m a male chauvinist to a certain degree … I listened to the debates and I was swayed towards Hillary. She ain’t no saint. She done dirt in her life, too. She’s just the best of the two evils.”
VOTING FOR: Clinton
ROB SHERMAN 70, DUBLIN, OHIO
White, retired businessman.
“I’m more Republican than Democrat, but I try to think I vote for the person. I’ve voted many, many times. But lately I’ve voted against somebody than for somebody… A lot of people say I look like Joe Biden. I wish he would have ran. I think he has burned less bridges than she has and would get more cooperation with the government.”
VOTING FOR: Undecided, bit leaning toward Clinton
MARK WOLF, 38, COLUMBUS, OHIO
White financial planner for families with children with special needs. Named his daughter after Ronald Reagan.
“You look at Trump as a person, I’m not sure if you can so, ‘Oh, I love Trump.’ OK? It’s more the issues, where he stands on the issues, that I prefer ... I do believe a lot of what [Hillary Clinton’s] done is very criminal. It’s hard for me to say I hate anyone. But a lot of the things that she did is very, very shady. You see her, watch her on TV and you see that smile. I think I’m a pretty good judge of character, and she just seems like somebody I would not be friends with.”
VOTING FOR: Trump
KISHA, 31, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
African-American woman.
“I watched the last debate and it was crazy. I was like ‘Oh my God, can you stop being kids?’… I feel like the only reason why I feel a little more comfortable about voting for [Hillary Clinton] is because her husband, and I thought he did good in office. But with her, I feel like she’s a little sneaky and I think it definitely has to stem from her emails and all the things that’s come out with the emails situation.”
VOTING FOR: Clinton
BILLY, 55, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
African-American truck driver who has 14 kids.
“If [Trump] gets some experience behind him and knows exactly what he’s talking about and can control his temper, he’d make a great president. But not right now.”
VOTING FOR: Clinton
BILL, 67, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
White, retired engineer and Vietnam War veteran.
“I don’t want Trump. He’s a, well, he’s a chauvinist pig. How he treats and talks about women, they should boot him out. Get someone else. No Trump for me.”
VOTING FOR: Clinton
RANA AHMAD, 34, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Muslim woman who emigrated from Pakistan nine years ago and became a U.S. citizen last year.
“For me, it’s a situation of selecting bad and worse. So, who would you choose? Bad. Not the worse ... I’m not anti-Trump, but I believe, like there’s nothing personal, but he doesn’t know a thing about politics. [Clinton] is the more appropriate candidate because she knows how to run government. But the point I support about Trump: We should deport all the illegal immigrants. There should be a grand operation because we don’t know who they are. They are stealing jobs.”
VOTING FOR: Clinton
IVAN RAMIERZ, 31, MIAMI, FLORIDA
Born and raised in Miami by parents who came to the U.S. from Nicaragua.
“I think both have their flaws. I’m not a huge fan of Hillary. But I don’t know that Trump is wise enough and has the temperament to be president. I think he’s more wanting to become president for an ego thing. It’s something he wants to do for himself.”
VOTING FOR: Clinton
LUKE ICARD, 27, HARRISBURG, NORTH CAROLINA
White musician and engineer who supported Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary.
“I’m definitely ready for the election to be over, to be honest, because it’s all I ever see on TV -- the slander and the commercials. I’ll tell you, I did watch the final debate, but honestly both of them are just full of so much B.S. I don’t even know if I’m going to vote for either one of them … I think a lot of people are going to fall for Hillary’s talk, but I don’t think she’s actually going to do anything.”
VOTING FOR: Nobody/Undecided
CATHY ELLER, 40, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
White, former union activist.
“I would just really like to see a woman elected ... I’m 40 years old so, you know, when I was a kid I couldn’t even play on boys’ teams. I wanted to play like football or hockey or something and I wasn’t even allowed. So, to see a woman become president, it just means a lot.”
VOTING FOR: Clinton
DAVID FREEMAN, 48, COLUMBUS, OHIO
White, information technology consultant.
“I just don’t think we have a good choice between the two candidates right now. But I think of the two, Trump scares me the most. If I wasn’t in a swing state I’d vote for Jill Stein.”
VOTING FOR: Clinton
TERRY, 59, ROCK HILL, NORTH CAROLINA
African-American, full-time Uber driver.
“It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen out of grown people."
VOTING FOR: Nobody
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