In a time of deep division, voters polled over the weekend in a Southern California congressional district where the Democrats narrowly outperform Republicans were largely unanimous on at least one issue: After a two-decade war, President Biden was right to withdraw American troops of Afghanistan.
The bombing of Kabul airport had done little to change their minds, with the killing of 13 soldiers stunned rather than sad. Many said they were simply too overwhelmed to pay attention to another overseas crisis. “We have a lot to repair here,” said Ms. Ortiz, who described herself as politically moderate and voted for Mr. Biden.
In the midst of a still raging pandemic and economy still recovering, this is a time to focus on issues domestically and not overseas, more than a dozen Republican, Democratic and independent voters said in talks in and around Hacienda Heights, a community of 55,000 people about 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, where first and second generation immigrants fill the neighborhoods and malls.
Afghanistan can be ignored, they said, but the possibility that their children, who are too young to be vaccinated, cannot. Washington leaders might be concerned about the terrorism threat or America’s standing with allies, but Hacienda Heights voters said they were far more concerned about issues that affect them directly: Covid-19, homelessness and climate change , to name just a few.
They also seemed reluctant to hold Mr Biden accountable for the attacks over the past week, at least for the time being.
“If you don’t have a good choice, you still have to choose one,” said Patrick Huang, a 65-year-old independent who voted for both Republicans and Democrats. “They had a lot of time to prepare to get everyone out and they totally screwed it up. But I don’t blame President Biden for everything. It happened after many, many presidents made mistakes. “
