Stuart Baum (22), a Democrat from Detroit, MI, attended Jewish day school growing up and is a recent graduate of Wayne State University where he served as student government president. Baum is an intern in the Michigan state legislature, where he serves as a community liaison, connecting residents’ concerns with legislative priorities. He is also working at the Brennan Center for Justice on advancing and protecting voting rights. As a member of the LGBTQ community, he would like to see more attention paid to gay rights in the presidential campaign.
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.
Do the impeachment proceedings hurt or improve Trump’s chances for re-election?
I think that they probably hurt his chances for re-election because the hearings will likely wear down his less-secure supporters in the middle. However, I don’t think that they will have a profound effect since they inspire both parties’ bases to turn out.
Do you think it’s possible for Democrats and Republicans to ever agree on the facts around the president’s actions?
As time goes on, I am hopeful that most people on both sides of the aisle will be able to agree on the facts. But, as long as media outlets continue to spread misinformation, achieving that unity will continue to be challenging.
Which Democratic candidate(s) will give Trump the greatest challenge for re-election?
I think that Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders could all galvanize enough of the country to beat Trump. They have wide appeal across different demographics and are inspiring enough to generate the turnout needed to win. I think the general election will be won by turnout more than by converting voters who previously voted for Trump. These candidates appeal to the young voters I know, but also potentially multiple other groups.
Which Democratic candidate(s) do you think will give Trump the best chance for re-election?
I think that Tom Steyer, Tulsi Gabbard, Andrew Yang and Amy Klobuchar would all fail to galvanize enough of the country to turn out for them and beat Trump.