From Staff Reports
BOYNE CITY — After serving in both the United States Air Force and Michigan Air National Guard, Jessie Selissen felt a call to aid other servicemen and women by working as veteran service officer. She took on that role after earning a bachelor of science degree at Northern Michigan University.
Now 28 and living in Boyne City, Selissen has just begun to pay attention to political issues. “I honestly haven’t been paying attention this year, and I think it’s because I’m still burnt out and recovering from the 2020 election.”
She’s disenchanted with what’s has been going on in Washington, D.C. “Call me conspiracy theorist, but sometimes I feel like the whole thing is rigged anyway.” That’s why it’s important for voters to pay attention to what’s going on, “to do your due diligence, research the candidates, and see what aligns with your views and beliefs,” Selissen said.
The current state of the economy is a major issue, she said. “It’s just gotten worse. … There’s no more middle class.”
That isn’t completely on the shoulders of the commander-in-chief, though. “It’s not just the president who contributes to our success or our downfalls. There’s a lot of people in this equation, and I feel like our government, as a whole, is a letdown right now. It’s not just one person. It’s heartbreaking.”
She pointed to the performance of the U.S. Congress, which is on track to be one of the least productive in U.S. history, with only 34 bills passed last year. “They’d rather focus on fighting one another than actually resolve any of our nation’s issues. Congress is supposed to be there to serve us.”
In her view, a major change since the 2020 election is the division between people. “It feels like it’s never been worse, I just get anxiety talking to people about politics now, because you never know if you’re going to say something that’s going to set someone off … It’s tough.”
As for former president Donald Trump, her views remain unchanged. “I don’t hate the guy. I don’t love the guy. I’m fairly neutral on my feelings about him.”
But her views on President Joe Biden are a different matter. “I don’t even know where to start,” she said, mentioning the way the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan, abandoning its allies. “I’m just not OK with the guy at all. The lack of responsibility is disgusting to me, for that whole incident.”
Selissen also expressed doubts about Biden’s health, likening a re-election of him as president to a form of elder abuse.
“Democrats just hate Trump so much,” she said. “I can’t say that I recall a candidate being hated more than Trump, and I don’t know why. They say that he’s a racist, that he hates women and degrades women … but I don’t see it.”
“Do I agree with everything he says? No. Is he the most politically correct person? No, but neither am I.”
So if it comes down to Trump vs. Biden in November, there’s no question in Selissen’s mind how she’ll vote.
“Are they the best candidates for the job? I really don’t know,” she said. “But I do know I’ll be voting for Trump.”