Voice of the Voter: Henderson County - The Road To Nowhere
By: David Shepherd
Updated: November 1, 2012
CORYDON - This week we've been taking you on a tour of the Tri-State as we ask you what's important to you this upcoming Election Day. More importantly, we hear the stories behind the viewpoints.
Our travels took us to Corydon, Kentucky in Henderson County. It's a town that's no stranger to political punches and not-so-diplomatic drama. It's no wonder so many voters here say they're disenfranchised by the whole political process.
It's especially true with younger voters.
For voter Kara Willett, a round-trip commute of 80 miles a day is making things tight with gas prices anything but stable. "I drive an hour a day, each way, and I also work in Morganfield at a nursing home."
Willett isn't just working. She's also a nursing student and a new home owner. Those are two things that can cause anyone fiscal frustration.
Willett explains, "I have a remarkable amount of student loans. I owe over $15,000 right now and I don't get any help from the government at all because my husband makes too much money."
In this, like all things, context is key. Willett says just because you make too much money by the government's standards, doesn't mean you make enough to comfortably live on.
"We've only been married for a year, not even a year. So, we're having to establish ourselves in the community and as a couple and so it's hard for us to be able to, by the government's standards, make too much money when it's not. We're barely paying our bills."
Willett, like many other voters, young and old feels disenfranchised by the political process here at home and on the federal level.
"We can hope there's a change but the only thing we can do, as citizens, is vote for the lesser of two evils."
That would be the first time we heard the phrase "lesser of two evils" used to describe the presidential candidates on Wednesday. It wouldn't be the last on our trip to small town Kentucky.
Marshall Posey is another young voter. For him, politics is personal. And talking about it, Posey will admit, tends to get him emotional.
"We need a leader that will listen to absolutely everyone and be willing to compromise. No one wants to compromise any more. Everybody is all, me me me me and that gets nothing done."
I asked Posey, "Why is it an emotional thing for you?"
He replied, "Because, even though we can vote, people in my position still feel powerless. We feel that, when we vote, we're picking the lesser of two evils and nothing's still going to get done."
For Posey, federal issues are important but, in his mind, more difficult to control than local issues.
"The political machine is going to do what it's going to do. Nobody who we put in office.... they say they're going to do something but will they really do it? Chances are slim."
