Revisiting Ben Shomo

TRAVERSE CITY – Ben Shomo didn’t vote for president last fall, at a time when he followed politics closely. Today, he doesn’t own a TV and seldom checks news websites on his phone.

“I’ve gone through bouts of general unenthusiastic tendencies,” admitted the 21-year-old.

He said he thinks people have moved on from the divisive election. His evidence for that is a bit thin.

“I haven’t been talking about politics,” Shomo said. “The people who hated Trump hate Trump, and the people who loved Trump love Trump. They’re all using the same rhetoric and talking about the same things. I’ve not been very involved. I’ve just been consumed with work.”

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Shomo used to work at Brew, a Traverse City coffee shop. Now, he works in a barbecue-themed food truck. He’s considering working for a furniture moving company this coming winter.

He has only a vague understanding of health care reform and Russian meddling into the U.S. election. He doesn’t have an opinion on either. He visits a skate park in the city, and frequents bars when he’s not dishing out barbecue.

Read how Ben Shomo felt in January.

About 30 percent of registered voters didn’t vote in November in Grand Traverse County where Shomo lives, even during an election that raised so much passion among Democrats and Republicans.

Would he vote if the election were today?

“Not really,” Shomo said. “I don’t know. It may just be a point in my life when I’m not interested.”