As a clinical research consultant working in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, Meribeth Howlett knows how to get to the bottom of things.
Her latest project was deciding whether to vote for Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primary Tuesday. Now she’s made her choice and voted by absentee ballot.
The Associated Press has been keeping up with Howlett, 43, since late last year as part of an AP-Yahoo News series of polls going back to the same group of people to see how their thinking about the campaign evolves.
For those living in Indiana and North Carolina, both holding their primaries Tuesday, it’s decision time.
In the last few days, Howlett decided “I’ve heard enough from the pundits” and began reviewing campaign literature with the practiced eye of one who reads medical charts and oversees clinical trials.
How voters make their choices can be a mystery, even to themselves. AP asked some of the poll respondents from Indiana and North Carolina to describe how they are making their decision.
Howlett’s account:
“OK — I made a decision, but I should say up front that I’d be happy to vote for either Hillary or Barack. However, I voted for Hillary Clinton. Yes, I’ve been on Web sites and found the two to have plans that are remarkably similar and so it came down to a more philosophical decision, who do I BELIEVE will do a better job. Because Barack Obama identifies himself as the best candidate to be an agent of ‘real change in Washington,’ I was expecting to see some details outlining innovative plans to achieve change, but I did not see anything that stood out as greatly different from what Hillary proposes.
“Hillary has deep roots in D.C. and that has pros-cons. I am viewing it as a positive in that I believe she understands how to navigate the system to make changes (as well as knowing what won’t work). Another plus for me is that she has spent more time than any of the candidates researching the health care issue and can build on what she learned back when her husband was president.
“My husband believes Barack is less beholden to corporate ties and therefore will be less influenced by the lobbyist-corporations that heavily influence policy makers. This is the first time that we will not be voting the same way.
“I will confess that I’m saddened that I’ll be lumped in the polls as just another middle-aged white female voting for Hillary since it has absolutely nothing to do with gender or ethnicity.”
Her husband, Mark Mintz, 53, is a cartographer for the state.
