PHOENIX, Ariz.—Jeff Gustavson of Mesa, Arizona, sees a political wave coming in the Nov. 8 midterm election, but not a red one.
And if thousands of Democrats standing in line waiting to hear former President Barack Obama speak at a Nov. 2 rally in Phoenix was any indication, Gustavson was even more confident.
“I think people have been talking about the red wave for too long. It’s going to be a blue wave,” Gustavson told The Epoch Times.
“People realize what’s at stake, so people are going to turn out” at the polls, said Gustavson, standing near the end of the line, his face lathered in sunscreen.
“I have my ballot, but I haven’t filled it out and taken it to the drop box yet.”
The line stretched for blocks outside Cesar Chaves High School about two hours before Obama’s 5 p.m. scheduled arrival in the Grand Canyon State to support Democrat candidates in Arizona’s midterm election.
“Honestly, I feel it’s important to vote, being a person of color. It’s just an added reason to want to hear [Obama]—seeing all of us get things done together. Just the voice of the people,” Celina Meadows of Phoenix said.
“I’m hopeful [of] just handing things back to people in general—understanding systems are people like you and me.”
As for media polls, Meadows was doubtful.
“Honestly, I feel like we‘ll get there when we get there. We’ll see once things happen,” Meadows told The Epoch Times.
In the run-up to the election, Democratic voters remained hopeful Obama’s visit would help boost Arizona gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs, the current secretary of state, and incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly.
A recent Fox10 poll placed Hobbs 11 percentage points behind Trump-endorsed Republican challenger Kari Lake.
Kelly’s Republican opponent, Trump-endorsed Blake Masters, has also been gaining traction in the polls.
“Democracy is at stake. If Kari Lake gets into office—she already said she wouldn’t consider the fact that she lost. That’s insane,” Gustavson told The Epoch Times.
“That’s straight out of Trump’s playbook. If things don’t align with how they want it, she will say it was rigged—so, yeah. It’s the party of repression and getting rid of the Social Security you’ve paid for—all those things.”
Gustavson, however, said he’s encouraged that people “aren’t as easily fooled as some in the media would have us believe.”
Fear Over Ballots
Lalique Cervantes, a student at Arizona State University, said she works for a political campaign, and part of her job is canvassing voters.As a Democrat, she said it’s “scary” to see such widespread political apathy among voters.
“There’s a lot of ballot conspiracy. We hear this every day when I canvass. I ask them how they are voting. Democrats are voting early, but there’s a lot of fear about what will happen to their ballots,” Cervantes said.
“When we talk to Republicans, there’s a big fear that their ballot is not counting because the Democrats took it. So there’s a lot of fear in Arizona,” Cervantes told The Epoch Times. “The commercials are fear-based. I see them every day.”
Cervantes said she hoped Obama would help calm voters’ fear, alleviate the polarity among voters, and “push people to action. ”
Silvia Benitez of Phoenix said she plans to vote for Democrat candidates and “make sure” her vote counts.
“I am very excited about the way the election is going. I hope we have the best government for Arizona that we need to treat families equally and with respect,” Benitez said.
Like other voters waiting to hear Obama, Benitez said she is concerned about “extreme” politics in this election.
“I’m kind of nervous about it. I hope we can create more change for Arizona and bring more excitement about public participation—especially for the Latinos so that we will be more united for the best person to meet the needs of all the families.
“I know it’s very polarized. I’m hopeful we can come together for the best interest of everyone,” Benitez said.
