Locals Getting Tired Of Political Races

While political polls suggest that voters are split evenly on who should serve as their next president, everyone informally interviewed by Highlands Today at the Lakeshore Mall food court on Friday, agreed that the campaign runs too long.

June Davis, of Sebring, enjoyed pizza at the food court with her 21-year old daughter Rachel Davis.

"They're declaring their candidacies too early," said June Davis. "Everybody gets tired of it and tunes it out. Shorten up the primary season."

Rachel Davis is excited to vote for a president for the first time. She stays informed by reading newspapers and talking politics with her mother.

"You shouldn't vote unless you know what you're talking about," said Rachel Davis.

Robinson Rosario, of Sebring, is 18 and will also help choose a president for the first time.

"I already made up my mind," he said, after watching TV news and the presidential debates, plus some of the Democratic National Convention.

"It's a stupid event to me," said Rosario. "It looks like they're trying to get people on their side."

June Davis talked about the campaign.

"Shorten up the primary season," she said. "I'm tired of it."

Renate Gerhart and mother-in-law Teresa Gerhart were enjoying a cup of coffee at a table outside Starbucks.

Renate said she is not tuning into the conventions on TV and already made up her mind on who to vote for, as she imagines most Americans already have.

Teresa suggested cutting the campaign process to six months, but continues to study and follow the issues.

"We're going on the Internet - there's a lot of information on the Internet," said Teresa Gerhart. "It's still pretty long and it's dragging out."

"It's not like it used to be. The nominations used to be done right then and there. And it was a shorter campaign."