The Campaign Decoder
Special Issue
March 16, 2016
AN INTERVIEW WITH SARAH QUINTE
print version
Sarah Quinte, a US citizen from California, has been a teaching assistant (lectrice) in the English Departement at Rouen University for several years. Despite her busy schedule as a full-time educator, she was gracious enough to make time to answer students' questions about the experience of voting for the president in the United States. The whole team of The Campaign Decoder would like to thank her very warmly. Our hope is that this interview provides a different approach and a fresher look into the campaign.
You can
- either watch the interview
- or read it below.
See you next week, when students are finished with their midterm exams...
The Publisher
Hosts: Yolaine and Maud, L1 students
Interviewee: Sarah Quinte, lectrice, American citizen from California
Transcript of the interview: Guillaume
What should know about the election? How does it work?
Sarah Quinte: The Presidential Election happens every four years, the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. Leading up to that election day, starting from January, all of the candidates tour the entire United States to gain popularity. They have elections call Primary Elections which, in my opinion, I don't think they necessarily count for something except to indicate where that candidate stand. Every state has a Primary. The Primaries in California, I believe, are in June. If you are affiliated with the democrat or republican party, you can vote for the party you are affiliated with so, if you are affiliated with the republican party, if you are registered to vote as a republican then you can only vote in the republican primaries and if you are registered to vote as a democrat, you can not change. However, in the elections, you can vote for whoever you want regardless of your affiliations : democrat, republican, green, whatever you want. For the primaries, you are only allowed to vote in your primary and when you are registered to vote, you don't choose a political affiliation and you can not vote in the Primaries either. You can only vote in the mid-election in November.
How and where do you vote?
S.Q: We have our ballot, we are going in a booth. There are locations set up all around the country. Whether it is a school, a church or a community center, usually it's in an elementary school.
You have to bring an ID, you say your first and last name and that you are here to vote. They will find you on a list because everyone has an assigned place to vote and they will hand you a huge piece of paper which is your ballot and you go into the secret little booth and you check all the things you vote and you hand it in and you go away, you have voted and you get a little sticker which says “ I voted “.
What about this system? This system works better than the one we have in France?
S.Q: The Primary Elections, do I think that works better ? I'm not sure how I feel about it actually, it seems like a lot of money because a presidential candidate make raise a lot of money. They spend a lot of money on their campaign so, I think that can actually be a bad thing if you only get a run for president because you can afford to. It does not really seem fair because if someone has really great ideas and it's really hopeful for the country's well-being but they can't afford to run anymore.
So the fact that every few weeks there is a new state who’s voting, I'm not sure, I don't know how effective it is because I don't know how many people actually participate either. So we vote in November, so I think that would be the most important time. I don’t think that it is more effective than in France. I think we get the same results… except for poor candidates, literally poor candidates.
What about the candidates?
S.Q : I know there are 5 republican candidates who are still running. So you have Ben Carson who is a well-known neurosurgeon -he’s actually a doctor- who is running to improve America… It just can be a dangerous idea. Donald Trump of course, everyone’s “favorite”. The billionaire who wants to close off America with literal walls. Marc Rubio who I thought could be an interesting candidate, his family is from Cuba, so he has been raised in America and he has that sort of background that is still quite conservative as well. Ted Cruz who I really don't know that much about except that he is very strongly against gun control which can be scary considering what is happening. He thinks that guns are not the problem that if we want to protect our citizens, we need more guns. That's kind of a strange thinking. That’s the Republican side. In the democratic side, there are two main candidates : Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Hilary Clinton, obviously everyone knows who she is former first lady, former governor of New York, advocate for many things in America. She held official office for the Capitol before she was governor.
And then, Bernie Sanders who’s the senator from New York (correction: Vermont) who is very green, who calls himself an “independent socialist”, who is for healthcare, for strict gun control, for free education and free healthcare. So he's someone who is probably more the ideal type as a European looking from the outside. As an American who’s lived in Europe, I can relate more or so with what he as to say.
The ballot.
S.Q : If you are not happy with who is on the ballot, let's say your candidate drop out in the Primaries, you can always write in your vote which is really funny because if you watch the election on Election Day you'll see the candidates who have votes and then you'll see in “write in” people who vote for Mickey Mouse for example. That's actually looked up. If you look up how many votes Mickey Mouse has got in the past presidential elections, people have actually written that in to show that they were unhappy with who is running or to be ridiculous. For example, Jeb Bush dropped out of the election but if you really liked him, you could write his name in and he can be elected if he has the majority but I don't know if that ever happened.
A woman succeeding to an African American President?
S.Q : Absolutely. Back Obama was very well received in 2008, it was amazing because people didn't think we were ready for an African American president, but we were obviously, and we kept him for a second term.
Hillary Clinton has been so present over the last twenty years and I think America is definitively ready for a woman president and I think she has a good chance of winning.
What about People and Politics, is it a taboo?
S.Q : No, it's not necessary a taboo but because people in America are always worried about who they are going to offend, they try to avoid politics. I guess that means it is taboo, but if you are very close to people and you're not worried about disagreeing then yes. Or people always talk with people with the same political ideas. my little sister for example, she loves talking to me about politics because she knows we have a lot of things in common but someone that I met on the street, I wouldn't say “Hey, did you watch the republican debate last night ? “ or at least if we did say that, we would say “Yes I did” and then it will stop there. We wouldn't say “ And what do you think about this Ted Cruz's opinion on gun control? “ or “ How do you feel about Donald Trump wanting to build a wall between Mexico and the United States?”. People normally won't because we don't like it when people are angry. Unlike in France, you can talk and get angry and then everyone is still “friends” in the end. For some reason in America, it gets too personal.
Voting While Abroad. How do you get to vote when you are in another country?
S.Q : What I have to do what is called an absentee ballot. I have to request it through the mail and that will be sent to me, I fill it out and I send it back but I have to send it back by a certain date. So like in France, for example if you are French and you are out of the country, someone can go vote for you, but in America that is not OK. You need to vote for yourself, to send your own ballot.
Young People and Politics.
S.Q: Yeah, it's really interesting because it's 2016 so you are going to hear a lot about millennials because traditionally, younger people under the age of 30 they’ve been the ones who vote the least with the lowest voters turnout. And people over the age of 70, are those who vote the most.
It's really interesting because I think since the 2008 elections, presidential candidates have Facebook accounts, Twitter accounts… They really try to reach at young people to encourage them to vote. I think it's really important for young people. Hope that is starting to become more popular for younger people to vote. There was a campaign by MTV ( Music Television) back in the eighties, maybe in the nineties? called “Rock the Vote”. So in order to encourage younger people to vote, they would hire different bands, musicians to go on a truck and travel from city to city around the United States to encourage young people to register to vote by handing out things, it’s sounds a bit like bribery but… This term, Rock the Vote, still exist and it stills something that the government is still trying to encourage.
So it's funny how we have Bernie Sanders who looks quite old but who is leading popularity on social networks and I think that is really important. In order to get young people to vote, there has to be someone who reaches out to them, in the way that they understand.
You would hope that candidates don't ignore because I think that some candidates, are catering to the older population because they know this is the group that will actually vote but I hope that all the candidates will consider everyone regardless of there age. That might be idealistic but it would be the smartest.
Is it important to them ? Someone you will hear people, not necessarily younger people but people who won't vote because they feel like there vote doesn't count or they feel like the candidates are a sort of stupid, they don't represent what they want but it's just a manner of educating yourself and finding candidate that does represent what you feel believe in. And if not, as I said earlier, you can “write in” a candidate to, sort of “rebel” against those people or to show your own “voice”.
|Host : Because this is not easy…]
S.Q: Exactly, a presidential candidate who run has to be 35 years old in order to run for president but they are always almost older and I think it is the same in France, they are over 50 years old. So yeah, as an 18 years old, you might not care about politics because you are saying : “ What is this 60 years old guy know about what I want, what I need ?” However, some of the candidates are really trying to reach out to younger people so my only hope is that people who have just started university for example are seeing this.
I was 18 when I first voted, I turned 18 on election day so I went to go vote… So when I was 18 you know, politics were already important to me, so I don't think it is fair to say that young people are not interested in politics but it does seem to be that trend.
Me personally, I feel very empowered and I feel this way every time I vote. Whenever I go to vote, I feel like I have made a difference, you know. And some people would say “it’s just one vote in a million so?” But, that’s my chance to say how I feel, to say what I think.
[Host : And that is important!]
S.Q : Exactly. The popular vote does matter.
Interviewee: Sarah Quinte, lectrice, American citizen from California
Transcript of the interview: Guillaume
What should know about the election? How does it work?
Sarah Quinte: The Presidential Election happens every four years, the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. Leading up to that election day, starting from January, all of the candidates tour the entire United States to gain popularity. They have elections call Primary Elections which, in my opinion, I don't think they necessarily count for something except to indicate where that candidate stand. Every state has a Primary. The Primaries in California, I believe, are in June. If you are affiliated with the democrat or republican party, you can vote for the party you are affiliated with so, if you are affiliated with the republican party, if you are registered to vote as a republican then you can only vote in the republican primaries and if you are registered to vote as a democrat, you can not change. However, in the elections, you can vote for whoever you want regardless of your affiliations : democrat, republican, green, whatever you want. For the primaries, you are only allowed to vote in your primary and when you are registered to vote, you don't choose a political affiliation and you can not vote in the Primaries either. You can only vote in the mid-election in November.
How and where do you vote?
S.Q: We have our ballot, we are going in a booth. There are locations set up all around the country. Whether it is a school, a church or a community center, usually it's in an elementary school.
You have to bring an ID, you say your first and last name and that you are here to vote. They will find you on a list because everyone has an assigned place to vote and they will hand you a huge piece of paper which is your ballot and you go into the secret little booth and you check all the things you vote and you hand it in and you go away, you have voted and you get a little sticker which says “ I voted “.
What about this system? This system works better than the one we have in France?
S.Q: The Primary Elections, do I think that works better ? I'm not sure how I feel about it actually, it seems like a lot of money because a presidential candidate make raise a lot of money. They spend a lot of money on their campaign so, I think that can actually be a bad thing if you only get a run for president because you can afford to. It does not really seem fair because if someone has really great ideas and it's really hopeful for the country's well-being but they can't afford to run anymore.
So the fact that every few weeks there is a new state who’s voting, I'm not sure, I don't know how effective it is because I don't know how many people actually participate either. So we vote in November, so I think that would be the most important time. I don’t think that it is more effective than in France. I think we get the same results… except for poor candidates, literally poor candidates.
What about the candidates?
S.Q : I know there are 5 republican candidates who are still running. So you have Ben Carson who is a well-known neurosurgeon -he’s actually a doctor- who is running to improve America… It just can be a dangerous idea. Donald Trump of course, everyone’s “favorite”. The billionaire who wants to close off America with literal walls. Marc Rubio who I thought could be an interesting candidate, his family is from Cuba, so he has been raised in America and he has that sort of background that is still quite conservative as well. Ted Cruz who I really don't know that much about except that he is very strongly against gun control which can be scary considering what is happening. He thinks that guns are not the problem that if we want to protect our citizens, we need more guns. That's kind of a strange thinking. That’s the Republican side. In the democratic side, there are two main candidates : Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Hilary Clinton, obviously everyone knows who she is former first lady, former governor of New York, advocate for many things in America. She held official office for the Capitol before she was governor.
And then, Bernie Sanders who’s the senator from New York (correction: Vermont) who is very green, who calls himself an “independent socialist”, who is for healthcare, for strict gun control, for free education and free healthcare. So he's someone who is probably more the ideal type as a European looking from the outside. As an American who’s lived in Europe, I can relate more or so with what he as to say.
The ballot.
S.Q : If you are not happy with who is on the ballot, let's say your candidate drop out in the Primaries, you can always write in your vote which is really funny because if you watch the election on Election Day you'll see the candidates who have votes and then you'll see in “write in” people who vote for Mickey Mouse for example. That's actually looked up. If you look up how many votes Mickey Mouse has got in the past presidential elections, people have actually written that in to show that they were unhappy with who is running or to be ridiculous. For example, Jeb Bush dropped out of the election but if you really liked him, you could write his name in and he can be elected if he has the majority but I don't know if that ever happened.
A woman succeeding to an African American President?
S.Q : Absolutely. Back Obama was very well received in 2008, it was amazing because people didn't think we were ready for an African American president, but we were obviously, and we kept him for a second term.
Hillary Clinton has been so present over the last twenty years and I think America is definitively ready for a woman president and I think she has a good chance of winning.
What about People and Politics, is it a taboo?
S.Q : No, it's not necessary a taboo but because people in America are always worried about who they are going to offend, they try to avoid politics. I guess that means it is taboo, but if you are very close to people and you're not worried about disagreeing then yes. Or people always talk with people with the same political ideas. my little sister for example, she loves talking to me about politics because she knows we have a lot of things in common but someone that I met on the street, I wouldn't say “Hey, did you watch the republican debate last night ? “ or at least if we did say that, we would say “Yes I did” and then it will stop there. We wouldn't say “ And what do you think about this Ted Cruz's opinion on gun control? “ or “ How do you feel about Donald Trump wanting to build a wall between Mexico and the United States?”. People normally won't because we don't like it when people are angry. Unlike in France, you can talk and get angry and then everyone is still “friends” in the end. For some reason in America, it gets too personal.
Voting While Abroad. How do you get to vote when you are in another country?
S.Q : What I have to do what is called an absentee ballot. I have to request it through the mail and that will be sent to me, I fill it out and I send it back but I have to send it back by a certain date. So like in France, for example if you are French and you are out of the country, someone can go vote for you, but in America that is not OK. You need to vote for yourself, to send your own ballot.
Young People and Politics.
S.Q: Yeah, it's really interesting because it's 2016 so you are going to hear a lot about millennials because traditionally, younger people under the age of 30 they’ve been the ones who vote the least with the lowest voters turnout. And people over the age of 70, are those who vote the most.
It's really interesting because I think since the 2008 elections, presidential candidates have Facebook accounts, Twitter accounts… They really try to reach at young people to encourage them to vote. I think it's really important for young people. Hope that is starting to become more popular for younger people to vote. There was a campaign by MTV ( Music Television) back in the eighties, maybe in the nineties? called “Rock the Vote”. So in order to encourage younger people to vote, they would hire different bands, musicians to go on a truck and travel from city to city around the United States to encourage young people to register to vote by handing out things, it’s sounds a bit like bribery but… This term, Rock the Vote, still exist and it stills something that the government is still trying to encourage.
So it's funny how we have Bernie Sanders who looks quite old but who is leading popularity on social networks and I think that is really important. In order to get young people to vote, there has to be someone who reaches out to them, in the way that they understand.
You would hope that candidates don't ignore because I think that some candidates, are catering to the older population because they know this is the group that will actually vote but I hope that all the candidates will consider everyone regardless of there age. That might be idealistic but it would be the smartest.
Is it important to them ? Someone you will hear people, not necessarily younger people but people who won't vote because they feel like there vote doesn't count or they feel like the candidates are a sort of stupid, they don't represent what they want but it's just a manner of educating yourself and finding candidate that does represent what you feel believe in. And if not, as I said earlier, you can “write in” a candidate to, sort of “rebel” against those people or to show your own “voice”.
|Host : Because this is not easy…]
S.Q: Exactly, a presidential candidate who run has to be 35 years old in order to run for president but they are always almost older and I think it is the same in France, they are over 50 years old. So yeah, as an 18 years old, you might not care about politics because you are saying : “ What is this 60 years old guy know about what I want, what I need ?” However, some of the candidates are really trying to reach out to younger people so my only hope is that people who have just started university for example are seeing this.
I was 18 when I first voted, I turned 18 on election day so I went to go vote… So when I was 18 you know, politics were already important to me, so I don't think it is fair to say that young people are not interested in politics but it does seem to be that trend.
Me personally, I feel very empowered and I feel this way every time I vote. Whenever I go to vote, I feel like I have made a difference, you know. And some people would say “it’s just one vote in a million so?” But, that’s my chance to say how I feel, to say what I think.
[Host : And that is important!]
S.Q : Exactly. The popular vote does matter.