PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE

“I’m far more worried about losing my medical coverage than I am about dying.”
–– Kent Wallace

KENT WALLACE: This is the first election that I’ll be voting for a Democratic candidate.

ERROL MORRIS: Why? What changed you in this election?

KENT WALLACE: I was very impressed with Obama and his medical plan. You know, one of the things that he said that really resonated with me was when he talked about how when his mother was in the final stages of cancer that she was more concerned about being able to pay for her medical bills than she was about getting well. And I can really relate to that. I mean my biggest fear, and I’m far more worried about losing my medical coverage than I am about dying.

It is a terrifying thing to have lots of medical problems and I’ve had a few. In addition to my back problem, I’ve had some heart problems. And three years ago I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. And, fortunately, I’ve been given good treatment with the medical care that I’ve got. But my wife had been laid off four times in the past three years. And the thought of losing medical coverage absolutely terrifies me.

ERROL MORRIS: So what would happen if your wife was just laid off or you lost this coverage, what would happen to you?

KENT WALLACE: Well, she was laid off this year and she was out of work for six months. And at that time we had to go over on what they call Cobra. And the Cobra is where you pay for medical coverage out of your own pocket and it only lasts for a year. And it was $1,300 dollars a months, which is a pretty big nut to swallow when you don’t have an income. So, yeah, losing medical coverage is something that absolutely frightens me.

ERROL MORRIS: What would you do?

KENT WALLACE:Die.

ERROL MORRIS: Seriously.

KENT WALLACE: Yeah. I mean what can you do? If you don’t have medical—If you don’t have insurance, you can’t get good coverage. You can’t get good treatment.

ERROL MORRIS: So was there a turning point where you decide on voting for Obama?

KENT WALLACE: A big issue for me has been his proposed medical coverage. I really think that all the other first world countries have been able to cover all of their population with some form of national healthcare. And America is lagging decades behind what other countries are doing. And Obama seems to have a plan that is quite possibly very workable and could solve the problem.

“All the old people I know are for Obama”
–– Frances Geballe, California (Independent)

FRANCES GEBALLE: People say that old people are not for Obama because he is so young and whatever. But all the old people I know are for Obama. My sister is old. She is for Obama. My cousins are old. They are for Obama. They want to see somebody young with the energy and the intelligence to run. You know, they—I really mean it. I don’t think I can think of an old person that I know, and I know quite a few, that are for McCain…

“I certainly don’t think that we’re going to agree on every single thing”
–– Peggy Morgan, California (Evangelical Christian)

PEGGY MORGAN: Well, I have to say that I do not agree with abortion. I do disagree with that part of Senator Obama’s platform. But I don’t think that voting for President just because he agrees with abortion or disagrees with it is smart because that’s really not going to change. I don’t think that Roe vs. Wade is going to be overturned, at least not in our lifetime. But I think that is a sticking point for a lot of Christians. I think they don ’t look beyond that, I think they just make that decision. I am not against gay marriage.

I think there’s a whole lot more to voting than one or two issues, absolutely. I don’t think it’s possible to find a church where you agree with every single thing that goes on or every single thing that everybody in that church believes. It is impossible. So I certainly don’t think that we’re going to agree on every single thing that Senator Obama believes or Senator McCain believes.

ERROL MORRIS: But in balance?

PEGGY MORGAN: But in balance, Senator Obama has more to offer me in the way of his heart and his passion for people and for society in general. Or the American people as far making sure that they have food and housing and health care… I like to think I’m a good judge of character and when I hear him talk and I see him talk I believe what he has to say. I don’t think that I’m easily fooled. I don’t think that I’m gullible. And his history has shown that. I know there’s been a lot talked about his church that he was a member of for 20 years, I don’t agree with everything my pastor says. Please don’t tell him that.

“I feel that Barack Obama is definitely much more steady”
–– Ed Smith, Indiana (Veteran and Republican)

ED SMITH: In each of the Presidential elections, I have voted Republican. Basically, I’ve been a Republican all my life. But I feel that that’s not where the choice is this year. And I feel that Barack Obama is definitely much more steady. He’s much more educated and capable and articulate. I think he can build alliances with leaders around the world, which we need to rebuild. I believe that he’s been-- he’s taken the high road in this campaign, where McCain certainly has not… I believe that Obama wants to, number one, build rapport with world leaders that have been lost. I think he also wants to-- wants to take this country away from a place where it’s been under this administration, as far as the people being very spendthrift… I guess I’m at a point in my life where my major concern is, I want to leave my children and grandchildren and the young people of this country with a United States that isn’t mired in debt, has respect among world leaders, and a United States that has an economy that will allow them to earn a decent living.

“People shouldn’t be judged by their middle name.”
–– Dee Martin, West Virginia (Republican)

ERROL MORRIS: What's your middle name?

DEE MARTIN: Deidre.

ERROL MORRIS: Do you like your middle name?

DEE MARTIN: No. Deidre, people mispronounce it, and misspell it. And Dee just seems to suit me.

ERROL MORRIS: Has anybody ever given you trouble about your middle name?

DEE MARTIN: Yeah. They would mispronounce the name and make fun of me when I was in grade school and junior high, and it was very hurtful. But I really didn’t let it bother me because they weren't worth letting that happen to me. So I pretty much ignored it.

ERROL MORRIS: So did you identify with people making fun of Barack Hussein Obama?

DEE MARTIN: That was a nasty thing for people to do. Not only to me, but him and anybody else. People shouldn’t be judged by their middle name. People shouldn’t be judged by a lot of things that you don’t know about are fact. And there are always extenuating circumstances.

ERROL MORRIS: Who cares what his middle name is?

DEE MARTIN: Doesn’t bother me. I don’t care what his middle name is. I am going to vote for him, because I think he's-- he is just amazing.

“We need a very smart person because we’re in a very big mess.”
–– Brian O’Neill, California (Ex-Republican)

BRIAN O’NEILL: He’s soft? I don’t think so. I don’t think he’s soft. I think he’s a very thoughtful person, he’s very careful of what he does and his moves. On foreign policy I think he ’s an intellectual type of person. He’s not going to be soft or hard, he’s just going to do the smart move and make sure it’s the smart move. Not going to Iraq was a great idea. I mean that was perfect for them; I wish all the other politicians thought that, we wouldn’t be in that mess. So I don’t see, by not going into a quagmire like Iraq is not being soft. It’s being smart. And I think that’s what he is; he’s a smart person… After the last eight years, yes we need a very smart person because we’re in a very big mess right now. And I think he’s the right person for that job because he’s smart on foreign policy, he’s smart on economics. He just is a very thoughtful person.

“I don’t know that there was a single moment of epiphany.”
–– Mark Jacob Permann, New York (Voted twice for Bush)

MARK PERMANN: It’s like a lot of things in my life. I don’t know that there was a single moment of epiphany. It was more of a gradual awareness that I was really more like one side than the other. And, again, first it came from just simply wanting to kind of make a difference in the place where I live. And in New York City, if you’re a Republican or you tend to vote Republican, there’s not that much opportunity to make a difference, because you ’re such a minority… I have to say, having watched him; I felt he is an inspiring person to listen to. And that thoughtfulness, certainly the energy without the kind of anger, actually. I think that’s really important.

I think policies are important, but I also think character is probably even more important. And I actually think that Bush and Obama have a couple things in common. I think they’re both pretty positive people, and I think that-- I think also that - they’re both fairly calm in demeanor. They’re very confident… And having said that, though, where I think-- where I hope - Obama will do better is I think he’s a more thoughtful person. And I expect him to have better judgment. And we certainly need someone like that right about now.

“I actually voted for John McCain in the North Carolina primary in 2000.”
–– Jim Maloney, North Carolina (Republican)

JIM MALONEY: It was hard for me to change, because I actually voted for John McCain in the North Carolina primary in 2000. I thought he was the right guy at that time. It was kind of a-- I don’t know-- protest vote. I think George Bush had wrapped up the election by then. But he seemed to be a reasonable Republican, a moderate, and someone that I thought would be a good continuation of the last eight years of the Clinton Presidency… Barack Obama is a charismatic guy, and he really kind of grabs your attention. He’s not-- To me, he’s not the typical Democrat. He’s not talking tax and spend. He seems to be the kind of person that listens to both sides. He doesn’t have his mind made up like George Bush does on everything.

“I’ve always been an Independent.”
–– Dariush Derakhshani, California (Independent)

DARIUSH DERAKHSHANI: I've always been an independent. I never went with one party or another. I think that's a little limiting. And I don't want to prescribe to somebody else’s idea. I'd like to see a candidate for who they are and be able to evaluate them based on that, as opposed to a party affiliation… I look at people for who they are, as I like to be seen. I like to be seen for who I am, and I don't look at somebody as being blue or red, they're who they are for what they stand for. And if I like what they stand for, I'm going to support that… Too many people base their opinions on too shallow of a thing. How can you base it on somebody’s middle name? How can you base it on somebody’s past association when— You know, if there's a repeat pattern of that, okay, maybe there's something to it. But you just can’t bring up somebody Obama knew ten, twenty years ago and say, “He’s a terrorist. He pals around with terrorists.” It’s very easy for the media to take a small attribute of a candidate and essentially distract you. Have you look over here while they're doing something else over here. I think it ’s too easy for people to buy into it, and it’s too easy to be taken advantage of.

“My youngest son has been working on me to get me to vote for Obama”
–– Lynda Linneman, Missouri (Republican)

LYNDA LINNEMAN: During the last debate, I thought Obama’s statesmanship was much more professional than McCain. I didn’t like McCain’s stand on healthcare. As I was alluding to earlier, my youngest son has been working on me to get me to vote for Obama--

ERROL MORRIS: What does that mean, he’s been working on--

LYNDA LINNEMAN: Well, he is a diabetic, and he, right now, under the McCain plan probably will not be able to get any kind of health insurance. But under the Obama plan, he is able to qualify for a federal insurance program that Obama will instate, which will give him health coverage. He’s 28 years old. I worry about him and his health. And I also am very concerned about stem cell research, that it be funded so that diabetics can, perhaps, will find a cure for cancer--

ERROL MORRIS: But how does he work on you?

LYNDA LINNEMAN: He calls me regularly and says, “Mom, have you looked at these statistics? Mom, have you read this report?” He bombards me with emails, news articles, all kinds of information that supports his stand. And a couple of weeks ago after, well, a week or two ago, after the last presidential debate, I called him up and I said, “Matthew, I think I finally have heard enough from your side and viewed enough and listened to enough reports and taken the information that you have given me seriously, and I’m going to vote for Obama because there are three issues that I take very seriously. One is Roe v. Wade, one is the healthcare system, and the other is stem cell research.” And he’s like, “Cool, Mom.” So, he is thinking that he’s really enlightened me on politics at this point in his life.

“Not for my generation, but for my daughter’s generation and my granddaughter’s generation”
–– Barbara Philipps, Illinois

BARBARA PHILIPPS: I am totally impressed with his background and his time at the Harvard Law Review and how he handles himself in difficult situations. Being from Chicago myself, I know that anybody who has learned politics in Chicago has really learned politics. There’s nothing like Chicago politics… I believe Mr. Obama set out a concerted plan and a concerted effort to bring himself to where he is today. And I greatly admire him and I think he is the man for the next generation to bring us to the future, to a great future. And my daughter’s and my granddaughter’s generation need someone like Barack Obama to give them the hope that we once had when John Kennedy took the White House… Those were wonderful years. I remember those very, very clearly. And we haven’t had that in a long time. And these young people deserve that. They deserve to know and feel why this country is so great. And I firmly believe that Barack Obama is the man who is going to do that. Not for my generation but for my daughter’s generation and my granddaughter’s generation.

“I feel good about Barack Obama”
–– Robert Courtney, New York (Republican)

ROBERT COURTNEY: Okay. I'm Robert Edward Printon Courtney. He's Barack Hussein Obama. So what? Does that make me a better candidate because I have a more Anglican-sounding name? I don’t know. If that's why somebody's going to vote for one Presidential candidate as opposed to another, then I just think that's tragic …I'm in the guy's camp. I feel good about Barack Obama, and I feel good about supporting Barack Obama. And I find a little bit surprising that in this election, having so long voted Republican, that I am so firmly in his camp. But it's not in doubt. I feel pretty strongly about it. And I'm very comfortable with it, and so, yeah, Robert Printon Courtney is for Barack Hussein Obama.

“Not everything is black and white.”
–– Suzanne Lentz, Pennsylvania

SUZANNE LENTZ: I really think Obama listens to both sides … He’s highly intelligent, and he can make decisions upon the basis of information versus upon the party line or what he knows from his historical experience. And that’s how I’ve kind of evolved, also, from being a Republican. You know, I first grew up just learning one theory… And then, through experience and trying to listen and learn and looking around me, and looking what other people’s experiences are, and realizing that it’s not that easy to make decisions. Not everything is black and white. And you really need to listen. And you can’t have a straight party line. You can’t be-- the Republicans right now keep saying the straight party line. And the world is not like that… It’s gray. There’s good and there’s bad. And you have to work for the best and realize that you have to work for the best. How is the world right now? It depends in what area. Good things are happening and bad things are happening. But people are still people, and there are a lot of good people out there that want change.

“I have always voted against someone.”

–– Lissa Lucas, West Virginia (Republican)

LISSA LUCAS: I have a terrible history of voting against candidates. So even if I vote for a candidate in one election, it's more or less that I'm voting against someone else. I voted against Bush, Sr. I voted for Clinton in that case. But really against Bush. And then I voted against Clinton. And then I voted against Gore, because I didn't like Clinton. And I've always voted against someone. Always. And you know, I'm 37. That's a long record. And I have a suspicion that if I were older that the record would be even longer. When it's not an election year, I don’t dwell too much on hating the candidate in office. I do things like crochet. I raise chickens… I felt very happy about voting for someone this year. You listen to him speak. He's actually talking about hope. He's actually trying to get people to give up the bullshit. I was absolutely blown away. He's actually a person who should really, in the real world, have been vetted out of the political process, because he cares about people. But somehow he's up there. So shouldn’t we vote him in?

“I am starved for inspiration.”
–– David Hurwitt, Connecticut (Republican)

DAVID HURWITT: I am starved for inspiration. I want someone who can inspire me to do more, to be better. To raise my game and to participate in something which is bigger than me. I want to leave the world a better place for my kids than what’s left for me. And right now we are not on a course that can deliver that. Senator Obama has a real shot about rallying America. And about having us all think outside of ourselves and think about the greater good and accomplish more than we would have otherwise. I want to walk the streets of foreign cities and feel proud to be an American again. I used to feel that way and I don’t feel it so much anymore. I want us to look past the color of someone’s skin and look past how many years of this or how many years of that and say, “What is the true character of that person? Is that somebody that I want to follow? Does he inspire me? Does he inspire my family? Does he make my kids want to sit down at dinner and have conversation about issues that they may not have been thinking about before?” That to me is a much better America and that’s what this decision is all about in this election.

“We had an opportunity to hear him and I just loved him.”
–– Bob Morgan, California (Evangelical Christian)

BOB MORGAN: I was in Boston visiting our son, who was living in Boston at the time, and we were doing some sightseeing. And we went to the JFK Library, and it was the very evening that Barack Obama was speaking, and we had an opportunity to hear him and I just loved him. I was very impressed and didn't know anything about him until that point. And just knew that this was the kind of guy I could potentially be very enthusiastic about and support. And so over the last two years, I have followed his career and listened to him as he has talked and as he has begun to address the issues. And slowly, but surely, became convinced that this really was a very decent man who I think could be a wonderful President and somebody I certainly could support.

ERROL MORRIS: So what exactly was it that he said?

BOB MORGAN: I think it was his belief that we need to make some changes, that we really are capable of making changes. That we as an American people can make some decisions, some better decisions than what we had made. And he did talk a bit about some specific things, Iraqi War, in particular. But I think he was saying the right things that just appealed to me, and mostly I really felt a connection with him that evening and felt that he was a very likable guy and the kind of person I could trust and would be a really nice person to have as a friend. And felt that he really was on the right track in what he was saying.

“And he makes me feel like I did when I used to hear John Kennedy speak”
–– Karen Absher, Illinois (Republican)

KAREN ABSHER: Well, I think that I don’t see him as being African American. I don’t see him as being a Democrat. What I see him is as a man that will bring change that's been so over-needed in this country. He's fresh. He's not part of the inner Beltway group. He's not one of the good ole boys. And he makes me feel like I did when I used to hear John Kennedy speak… He makes me want to be a better person. And I know that he has the capability of making this country a better country. So I'm voting him, not because of his race, not because of his political affiliation, but because I know deep down in my heart he's the only answer this country has.

“Always watch a person’s eyes”
–– Gwendolyn Robinson, Florida (Republican)

GWENDOYLN ROBINSON: This election means a lot to me… I have seen Americans’ image abroad decline dramatically from the ‘60s when I entered the Foreign Service until the middle ‘70s when I left. I think that we need somebody, America, in order to regain the dignity and the respect that it had in previous years, it needs somebody who’s a diplomat… My grandmother told me when I was about maybe 10 years old “Always watch a person’s eyes, that the eyes are the mirror to a person’s soul.” And in my years, I’m a little old lady now, and it hasn’t failed me yet. My grandma wasn’t a real educated woman, but she had a lot of common sense. And her advice to me has done me well. It’s saved me from a lot of problems that I would have had, had I not watched the person’s eyes… America needs Barack Obama. It’s in his eyes; it’s all in his eyes.

“He’s that guy that makes you cry at the end of the movie”
–– Bill Rice, Florida (Veteran)

BILL RICE: All the things that his mom went through that mirror my experience so much.” And I think about how all those things, like, you know, weigh on me. The fact that I didn't have a father around and the way that those things affect you on a day-to-day basis. How when I walk in the door at home and look at my kids, I think about I didn't have a father at home and now I've got to be that father to these kids… I think you can learn a lot from not having the American dream when you're growing up. I think you can learn a lot by being that guy who didn't have it always easy, or being that guy who went through the rough spot. I learned more about being a dad from my dad, who was a terrible dad, than anybody else. You see all the things that may be wrong and you want to do them all right. You see all the things that you didn't have and you want to make sure that everybody else has them. And to see somebody that came from a background that was so remarkably close, it’s exciting and inspiring and I see myself, and what I would like for me or for my kids. You know, like what I would like to be able to accomplish, what I would like to be able to be proud enough to have worked hard enough to do. It’s a good story.
…It’s so quintessential. It’s so quintessentially American. Like, the idea that this guy who doesn’t look like everybody else and he doesn’t have the same family as everybody else, and he doesn’t have the same name as everybody else. And that he worked hard and he studied hard and he did all the things that you see in a movie about, like, the little guy who got ahead. You know, he’s that guy. He's that guy that makes you cry at the end of the movie, he’s that guy. It’s exciting. I don't know how else to articulate it. I'm excited.