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Jared is 23 and has lived in Duluth for most of his life. He graduated from CSS in 2011 with degrees in Secondary Education and History. He’s currently working as a substitute teacher for ISD 709 and is a Neighborhood Team Leader for House District 03B for Organizing for America, President Obama’s grassroots campaign. He’s also applying to graduate school where he’ll work towards a Masters and Ph.D in American History.

Reader: Have you always voted democrat? Or do you switch it up?

JM: I have always voted Democrat (expect when I Kids Voted for Ventura in 2000). This is really because I’ve only voted in 2008 and 2010 and I thought the best candidates to vote for were President Obama, Senator Franken, Congressman Oberstar, and a host of local DFL candidates. I would never rule out voting for an Independent or a Republican in an election if I felt they were the best candidate, but my personal beliefs and ideals are closest to the Democratic Party than anyone else, so it is admittedly unlikely. I have great respect for some Republicans, including Governor Jon Huntsman, Senator Olympia Snowe, and others.

Reader: What attracts you to the DFL platform?

JM: The DFL platform clearly represents what is best for Americans - particularly the middle class and working America. The DFL represents the workers who built this country and continue to work everyday without complaint, despite the problems caused by greed from the 1%. These are the people I want to fight for because while they don’t ask for help, they certainly deserve it.

Reader: Are there any issues you tend to be more conservative on?
JM: I tend to be a bit more conservative on some issues - namely, the death penalty and the use of torture. While I believe these are things that need to be used only in the true last resort, there are times when they may be necessary. I understand this isn’t a popular opinion in my circles and in my demographic, but when a person commits crimes again children, well, those heinous crimes sometimes warrant a heinous punishment. It’s tough to get into specifics when it comes to torture and the application of capital punishment, but I can say I am not necessarily opposed to these concepts being around and used in very, very limited circumstances.

Reader: Why are you voting for Obama?
JM: I am voting for President Obama again because I believe we are on the right path. What many people seem to be unwilling to admit is that in February 2008, our economy crashed, unemployment rose to nearly 10.2% (the highest point since 1983), and the first 18-24 months of the President’s first term was simply dedicated to recovery and preventing further collapse (the likes of which would have been the worst in this country’s history). From that point on, growth and progression began and we’ve seen over 30 straight months of private sector job growth and unemployment down to 7.8%. While there is more work to be done, these numbers speak for themselves. The President’s policies have been working, and slowly but surely we are climbing out of this mess. The President’s policies have been a great benefit to the middle class and to small businesses - 19 tax cuts for the middle class and 18 for small business in the past four years. As an educator, the increased availability of Pell Grants has been terrific. The war in Iraq is over and Osama bin Laden has been brought to justice, and GM once again is the most profitable car company in the world. Considering how hard the last four years have been, the President has accomplished so many things and the economy has been steadily improving throughout. I’m voting for President Obama again because we cannot turn around or back out now. We’ve got to finish what we started and I firmly believe that we will be even better off as a nation in thanks to four more years of an Obama White House.

Reader: President Obama has been accused of ramping up more hostility in the Middle East, maybe putting diplomacy and peace on the back burner. Do you feel like the anti-war sentiment we saw under Bush has dissipated since we now have a democrat in office?
JM: I don’t think the anti-war sentiment has gone away as much as it has been someone relegated to the back burner because of the economic collapse and subsequent recovery. The drone attacks have been a major criticism of President Obama’s first term and I share concerns over the use of drones. However, the use of drones is not new. Predator drone usage was highly publicized during President Bush’s time in office and was at times seen as a positive because it kept Americans out of harm’s way. The sentiment is still there. I’m glad the war in Iraq is over and that the war in Afghanistan will end in 2014. I think the vast majority of Americans feel the same way.

Reader: What do you think the most important issue facing voters in November? How will your candidate address this?
JM: The most important issue has been and always will be the economy. Americans want to see the debt and deficit lowered and to see the value of their money go up again. We all want that. However, President Obama and Governor Romney have two completely different ideas on how to achieve this, and I believe President Obama’s plan is the only one that would actually accomplish this. Slightly higher taxes on the highest earners in this country and spending cuts (trillions of dollars), along with the money saved from no longer fighting two wars can and will help this economy continue to move in the right direction. Governor Romney has been on record blasting the President for not fixing everything in four years, yet his website says he will balance in the budget in 8-10 years, which is incredibly hypocritical. There was no possible way to fix this recession in four years. Recovery from the Great Depression took over a decade and was greatly helped by entrance into World War II, however, economists agree that FDR’s New Deal had us on the right path and things were getting better. President Obama has us on the right path. Things are steadily improving and with patience and continuing the policies in place and approaching economic recovery in a balanced way, as the President’s plan calls for, will be the best way to not only fully recover from this economic crisis, but also set up our economy to grow in the future.

Reader: Who’s your favorite democratic president of the past? Why?
JM: My favorite President regardless of party or era is President Clinton. He took on similar challenges as President - inheriting the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and left office with a surplus and an booming economy, thanks in part to the Omnibus Act in 1993, which cut taxes for the middle/lower classes and for small businesses, and raised taxes on the wealthiest 1.2% of Americans.  He also set an example of working with both parties and achieving great gains, sometimes in spite of party lines, and sometimes benefiting from cooperation. President Obama has tried to emulate this, but President Clinton didn’t have to deal with the Tea Party, which dwarfs the challenges of working with the era of the Gingrich “Republican Revolution”. President Clinton has impressed me greatly after leaving office as well. His humanitarian works are fantastic (especially with his foundation and working with President Bush through the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund) and he remains one of the best public speakers on the planet.