Lynne Toporov (76), a Republican from Sarasota, FL, grew up in an agnostic Philadelphia family surrounded by Democrats. Her grandfather was a Communist. She was confirmed but does not consider herself religious and does not currently belong to a synagogue. She always voted for Democrats, including President Barack Obama, until about four years ago when she started listening to conservative talk radio and found she connected to what she heard.
We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect.
What issues do you care about most?
Immigration: I care about the borders and that all these people have been coming, hundreds of thousands of people coming in like crazy. And nothing is being done except now the president is starting to get a handle on things by putting up the wall. Guns: I wish no one had guns. I really mean that. I can understand back in the day, when this country started, that you needed weapons to defend yourself. But this is a whole different time now.
Are there any make-or-break issues for you?
I’m fearful the Democrats have gone so far to the left that they’re definitely becoming socialist. That’s a biggie for me. I would never ever vote for anybody who has gone socialistic.
What personal traits matter to you most when picking a candidate?
I value honesty and integrity and cannot stand what’s going on in this country right now. It just makes me ill the way President Trump is picked on. I’ve never heard of any president being treated with such disrespect in my entire life, and I’m 76 years old. I can’t stand to watch shows like Jimmy Kimmel or any of those other shows because all they do is put our government down. I just turn them off.
What do you think about House Democrats investigating President Trump?
I don’t feel Trump did anything wrong speaking to that president of Ukraine. I mean, he’s allowed to speak to anybody, and why they’re coming down on him the way they have for speaking to him, this doesn’t make any sense to me. I am appalled by what Joe Biden did and his son with all that money. I just don’t understand how he could have done something like this. That’s how I feel. Biden has really made me upset.
Are there disagreements among your family and friends about politics?
I used to look forward to getting together with our family on Sundays and we’d talk about different things and politics would come up. Some were Republicans, some were Democrats, but you would have a nice conversation about all kinds of subjects. You can’t do that today. I have tried. I have also tried to talk to my friends about political issues. I can’t. They have come down on me like you wouldn’t believe. I can’t even go to some of their houses now because of it. I am just appalled by what’s happened.
Do you plan to vote for Trump in 2020?
Yes, I feel he’s accomplished a hell of a lot in the short time he’s been in office compared to some other presidents. I voted for Obama twice, believe it or not. Compared to Trump, I don’t think Obama did one heck of a thing.
Is there anything you’d like to see Trump do differently if he’s re-elected?
I don’t like that he constantly talks about how wonderful he is. That rubs me the wrong way. I’d like him to be a bit more presidential.