What "Walmart Moms" think of their choice between Clinton and Trump
It's a well-known fact that voters do not particularly like Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton: the two pols consistently have the lowest favorability ratings of any major party nominees in recent political history.
But "unfavorable" doesn't quite capture the particular level of disgust some voters have for both candidates in the race this year--a fact underscored by a pair of focus groups of undecided swing-state moms Tuesday night.
Asked to describe their feelings about their two major-party options, the women's responses ranged from "frustrated" and "conflicted" to "fearful" and "screwed."
As one woman in Phoenix put it, the choice between Trump and Clinton is "like choosing which arm to cut off."
"I'd pick Minnie Mouse right now" if the election were today, said Ivania L, a radiation safety officer from Columbus.
The focus groups in Columbus, Ohio, and Phoenix, Ariz., were part of a series of "Walmart Moms" groups, jointly run by Democratic pollster Margie Omero of Penn Schoen Berland and GOP pollster Neil Newhouse of Public Opinion Strategies since 2008. They were conducted Tuesday night and screened live for reporters in Washington, D.C.
"Walmart moms" are predominantly white, 18- to 44-year-old women children who have shopped at Walmart at least once in the last month--and they're representative of a swing demographic that makes up roughly 14 to 17 percent of the American electorate. These women largely voted for President Obama in 2008 and 2012, but chose Republicans in the 2010 midterms; of the 20 women who attended both groups Tuesday, all have said they are undecided in the 2016 race.
"What you get here is an incredible frustration with the campaign--they feel irritated, they're tired of the candidates," Newhouse said of the focus groups, adding that the women are "disgusted" by their choice in November.
And unlike in past elections, both Trump and Clinton have almost universal name ID--meaning that not only did the women in Columbus and Phoenix know a lot about each candidate, but they had pretty strong opinions about both of them.
On Trump, the one-word descriptions women offered up included "racist," "derogatory" and "petty."
"He kind of acts like a 2-year-old," said Lukisha H., a teacher from Phoenix. "I have a 2-year-old--I see the similarities."
"He's a jerk," said Ruth P., a client services specialist from Columbus. "To call a woman a 'fat pig' on national television--yeah, you're doing that intentionally."
Though some of the women admitted that they liked his brashness, they also felt it would inevitably get him--and the country--in trouble.
"I think his weakness is his mouth," said Donna G., a clinic manager from Columbus. "To me he has no filter ... when you're in a political office that high, I think it could be a huge issue with him on all levels."
As for Clinton? The word that kept coming up is the same one that has consistently dogged her in national polling: "untrustworthy."
The various Clinton scandals that have been swept under the rug are so numerous, said Linda C. from Phoenix, that it's hard to keep track of them all: "There's so much stuffed under there they can't even lay the carpet down flat now," she quipped.
"I think she lies about things, and big things," said Maria S., a homemaker in Columbus.
Julie, an office administrator, replied: "I think they are all liars, but I feel like she gets caught a lot."
The women also seized on the scandal over Clinton's email practices as proof that she considers herself above the law.
"If anybody else did that, they would have lost their job," said Anita A., a health analyst from Columbus.
Mary H., a retired cable TV sales representative from Columbus, was more blunt: "She's a cold-hearted b**ch," she said.
While many of the moms felt the country was headed in generally the right direction, many feared for the future when a new president takes office--whether it's Clinton or Trump.
"Really either way the future's going to be harder," said Stephanie C., a customer service representative from Phoenix. "I see more damage to the economy if Hillary is elected, an increase in terrorism ... but I think Trump would get us right into World War 3."
