In the Heart of Walker, Michigan
Cindy Jager found herself as the sole employee on shift in a quaint variety store that seemed to burst at the seams with an eclectic mix of hardware, party supplies, and an abundance of faux pumpkins. As I arrived, I found her diligently organizing cleaning products on a cluttered shelf at the back of the shop, nestled in the bustling city of Walker, Michigan.
When I broached the topic of the upcoming election, a palpable discomfort washed over her. She bent at the waist, a cringe spreading across her face, her nervous laughter punctuating the air as her hands danced through her frosted hair. “It’s embarrassing,” Ms. Jager, 56, confessed. “Everything’s a joke. I don’t even watch the news anymore.”
Curious about her voting intentions, I inquired if she planned to participate in the electoral process. With a firm nod, she affirmed her commitment to vote. “For whom?” I probed further. This time, she cringed again, her expression revealing the weight of the question.
“That’s the question,” she replied, her voice tinged with frustration. “Out of millions of people, why do we have these two?”
Walker, once a flourishing farming community rich with peach orchards, has evolved into a lively city on the western edge of Grand Rapids. The city has garnered national attention at least on two occasions: first in the 1980s when a couple of healthcare workers were found to be smothering their charges in a nursing home, and more recently when Donald Trump addressed a crowd in late September.
During his visit, Mr. Trump stood on a loading dock of a local manufacturing plant and delivered a fiery speech. He accused Vice President Kamala Harris of enabling a surge of violent criminals to cross the U.S. border illegally, unleashing havoc on American communities. “Blood is on her hands,” he declared dramatically, igniting a wave of reactions among those gathered.