(C) Florida Phoenix This story was originally published by Florida Phoenix and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . ‘We’re all in this together’: Issues unite voters, candidates divide them in NH [1] ['Annmarie Timmins', 'More From Author', '- January'] Date: 2024-01-22 Sally Roberts arrived at a Nikki Haley event last week in Bretton Woods wearing a “Make America Kind Again” pin. Brady Fullam shared similar hopes while waiting in 26-degree weather Friday to see Donald Trump in Concord. Matt Gould stopped by a Dean Phillips event Thursday in Manchester in search of a candidate who can stave off civil war. “At the end of the day, we’re all in this together,” said Gould, 51, of Litchfield. “You know, if the country goes up in flames, then we’re all gonna go up.” While united on the issue, they’ll back different presidential candidates in Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation primary. Fullam, a first-year college student, will vote for former President Donald Trump. Roberts, a 72-year-old Never Trumper, will support Haley. Gould will decide between Democrat Phillips and President Joe Biden. The need for a more compassionate, democratic America was one of three main issues that emerged in interviews with a dozen New Hampshire voters last week, along with illegal immigration and the economy. That’s in line with results released Friday by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, which showed that 66 percent of respondents said the southern border/immigration were a top concern in choosing a candidate, followed by the cost of living (39 percent), protecting democracy (38 percent), and the economy (29 percent). Here’s what we heard in conversations with voters at events for Haley, Trump, Phillips, and Ron DeSantis, who suspended his campaign on Sunday and endorsed Trump. Southern border worries Nearly 2,000 miles separate New Hampshire and the U.S.-Mexico border, but voters described the impact of illegal crossings in personal terms. Like several others interviewed for this story, Edgar Topping of Hampton believes a surge in illegal border crossings has made the country less safe, including for his daughters who live in Lawrence, Mass. Topping is encouraging them to purchase guns. “They are on the fence,” he said, while waiting for DeSantis to take the stage at a bar in Hampton. His wife, Joanne, has another worry, too: “The illegals are coming in,” she said, “and they’re getting what they’re getting for nothing, while everyone else is struggling.” Edgar Topping associated his inability to get Social Security benefits for a 2021 back injury with migrants receiving government benefits. Last week, the Toppings were deciding between Trump and DeSantis. “I’m looking for a man, a boss, someone who keeps us safe,” Edgar Topping said. “Someone to shut the border. We need the cops to be in control of our streets.” George and Aileen Rousseau of Manchester, both Haley supporters, watch scenes of overwhelmed border crossings on the nightly news and worry about terrorists entering the country undetected. “The majority are coming over because they’re looking for a new life and, yes, we offer it here,” George Rousseau said. “But they’re not all coming over for that particular reason, and we have no control over who’s coming over, where they’re going, or what they’re going to do.” Kim Kesselring, 41, of Hooksett, cited accounts of southern states busing newly arrived migrants north. “A lot of people are being shipped up closer to us, so obviously that will that affect what’s going on,” she said. Kesselring cited reports that were shared by Trump and DeSantis on national television of schools in New York being closed to house migrants. According to news accounts, one school was closed for a day during severe weather to temporarily house 2,000 migrants who’d been staying in tents at a former airport. “I know schools are overrun,” Kesselring said. “Look at what’s happening in New York where kids aren’t even going to school. We homeschool, so I have the beauty of not having to stress about it. But I do worry about kids because school may be their safe space.” Kesselring planned to vote for Trump until her 10-year-old daughter Hannah asked to attend a Haley event. “I like that (Haley’s) got some grit,” Kesselring said. “She’s got some grace. She has empathy. I feel like we need some empathy in the (White House).” Outside the Trump event Friday, Fullam said he’s equally concerned about the fate of migrants who come into the country illegally. He wasn’t alone among the voters interviewed. “I think keeping immigrants coming into the country is vital, and I support it,” he said. “I’m more concerned for them. If you look at what happens to them, I mean, it’s horrible. They’re murdered. They’re raped. It’s crazy what happens to them.” Economic worries By many measures the economy is doing well: Inflation is falling, unemployment is low, and consumer spending is up. It doesn’t feel that way to several of the voters interviewed. “Every time we go grocery shopping just for a few items, it’s $50, $60, or $80 just for staples,” said George Rousseau. “And that’s without frills.” Gas prices remain too high, he said, and a reasonably priced dinner for three is now $100. “I don’t feel comfortable that the government is being managed from the very top,” he said. Harrison Parone, 24, recently moved from New York to Manchester and has “basically bankrupted” himself on rent, he said. The $34 trillion national debt, worsened, he said, by COVID-19 spending, has him worried. “Trump is partially at fault for that. I can forgive him because I don’t think any president would not have signed that at the time,” said Parone, a Trump supporter. “We’re spending too much money. We have to make cuts. It’s just basic budgeting.” Fullam, who is studying education at Rivier University in Nashua, knows his career won’t make him rich. He wonders if it will pay him enough. “I’m concerned about if I’m going to be able to afford a house before I’m 40,” he said. “I know the administration says inflation is doing better, but it’s a big concern. I’m concerned about how I’m gonna live, especially in New Hampshire.” David Campanella, 65, of North Woodstock, isn’t persuaded by arguments that the economy is improving either, especially when it comes to job growth. “I think while there’s been some gains in the economy from the standpoint of unemployment, I think they’re not in the right sector,” said Campanella at an event for Haley, whom he is supporting. “We’re not seeing the manufacturing increasing. It’s health care and the government that’s growing. But not in manufacturing.” Roberts, wearing her “Make America Kind Again” pin, was at the same Haley event in Bretton Woods. Like Campanella, Roberts will vote for Haley, but for her it’s a vote against Trump. The issues are secondary, she said. “I’m interested in policy and what they think they’ll be able to do for the economy and foreign affairs,” she said of the presidential candidates. “With all the things that are going on in other countries, I certainly want somebody who can handle that situation. But character is very important to me, and I think she will work to reach across the aisle and to try to mend some of the fences.” This story was published earlier by the New Hampshire Bulletin, an affiliate of the nonprofit States Newsroom network, which includes the Florida Phoenix. 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