One year from election, what matters most to voters?

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Voting booth. (Credit: CBS New York)
(Credit: CBS New York)

We are officially less than a year away from the presidential election, and it seems the nation is very divided. According to the latest Fox News poll, nearly half of voters want President Trump impeached and removed from office; four percent say he should be impeached but not removed; and 41 percent oppose impeaching Mr. Trump.

But will the impeachment proceedings have any bearing on how Americans will vote next November?

Political correspondent Ed O’Keefe heard from voters across the country in recent days about what matters to them in this upcoming election. And the results, like the polls, show a split down the middle.

Voters are mostly focused on other issues — not on impeachment.

In Iowa, O’Keefe asked Suzy Forristall, “In Washington right now they’re consumed by impeachment. What do you think ought to happen on that issue?”

“I think they’re doing the exact right thing,” Forristal replied. “I trust Nancy Pelosi, gathering more information.”

In South Carolina, though, John Marcoux said, “Nancy Pelosi’s got a desk full of things that she could be working on. They’re taking all their time with the craziness.”

Mississippian Mark McCord said, “I think it is a bunch of made-up stuff they are trying to impeach Donald Trump. They have no grounds, he has broken no law.”

In Iowa, when asked to define the important issues, Leslie said, “Climate change is one of the most important issues for me. I think that’s certainly an existential issue that affects every single American, every single citizen of the world.”

In Maine, Marie Hurd said, “Raising the minimum wage, because there are too many people working too many jobs.”

In Iowa Nick Covington said, “I definitely think education. A lot of the candidates are talking about student loan forgiveness, the cost of higher ed.”

“I can’t think of anything in the United States that’s going right, you know, in terms of, it’s all broken,” said New Hampshire voter Jim Burnard.

David Kramer in Nevada said, “The country is so polarized right now. People get angry. There are people threatening other people over politics.”

In Iowa Bill Gerhard was asked about health care: “I’m not so sure that Medicare for All is the right way to go. There’s gotta be a safety net, there’s gotta be, where people can’t get insurance, don’t like the insurance they have. There ought to be a place for them to go, a public option.”

Leslie was asked, “How closely are you paying attention to this go around, as opposed to maybe years past?”

“I’m definitely paying more attention to this process than I ever have in the past, because I think it is so incredibly crucial,” she replied.

In Connecticut Germaine Valentine said, “I want to hear where both sides are coming from because you can’t make an informed decision just listening to one side.”

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