November 11, 2004

Street Talk by Carol Rosen

Were you surprised by any of the outcomes, or lack of outcomes, from last week’s general election?
(Asked at Almaden Center, Almaden Expressway and Camden Avenue)


“No, I wasn’t surprised because I think President Bush is a popular man. I’m really not that much into politics. But I am glad it’s over. There was so much on television and in the newspaper. There was too much advertising. But I think it went pretty well, more people voted than in a long time, and that was good!”

Erik Sorenson, 76
Almaden
Retired from the Stanford Linear Accelerator

“I’m surprised that Kerry lost, but I wasn’t surprised [in general] about the outcomes. I figured there would be some wrinkles; with new equipment there’s always some wrinkles to iron out. Poizner is a sharp guy, and he’s a moderate. Ruskin also seems like a nice person, there’s really not too much difference there. I like people with common sense. If all these candidates would bring common sense to fix the problems we wouldn’t have so many problems.”

Wally Harmon, 65
Almaden
Business owner

“I wasn’t particularly surprised, it was more a kind of lack of surprise. I was however, disappointed by the passage of the proposition for stem-cell research. It’s a split situation. By taking it only one way, the scientists can only take certain paths. It started out different than it ended up, sort of a flip-flop. People should have taken better notice of what it actually means. I don’t think it ties well into our society. It doesn’t really offer much benefit in the way people thought it did. It’s commercializing dead fetuses. It’s not surprising, but it confirms the idea that people don’t understand the long-term impact of these propositions.”

Michael Blair, 22
Almaden
Artist/photographer

“No, I wasn’t surprised, the results were pretty much in line with what I was expecting. The outcome was pretty typical with the increase of absentee ballots and with other forms of voting. I was surprised at Proposition 71, the stem-cell research proposition for three reasons. One, I don’t think the proposition will do what the proponents think it will because it focuses on a type of stem cell research that won’t have much value. Second it will further encumber a state that’s already more than $6 million in debt. It should be funded through other methods, how can California afford to do this when we’re already so far into debt. Third, I’m totally against human embryo cloning.”

Dave Seregow, 50ish
Almaden
Business consultant

“Yes, I was really surprised mostly because of the electoral vote. I never dreamed he [Bush] would get that many votes, there’s something there I don’t see [about that man]. I think it was a surprise to a lot of people that so many people voted. I’m not sure they ever count all the votes. This time it appears they are counting all the votes, so they are doing better. But I think the lines were much too long and there were too many propositions. Some of them were so confusing—I spent a good six to eight hours studying all of them.”

Mary Cummings, 78
Almaden
Retired