“I think it’s a big fucking grease fire.”

Rodney’s got a big laugh and a voice like a bottle of Jack Daniels that got into a fight with a carton of cigarettes, hopped a truck, and drove straight to Mexico. He’s got two kids, and a truck he calls the Red Rooster.

Rodney leans back in his chair on the patio of his local watering hole, The Wedge, on the edge of the French Broad River and West Asheville — the River Arts district. The patio is made from discarded scrap metal of all manner of mechanisms and motors, old typewriters, and rusty cogs. “You know somebody from Conde Nast asked to take my picture the other day. Said they wanted somebody with a beard in Asheville, and I was the only one around.”

A man about town, every few minutes a passerby says hello to Rodney. Of Asheville, he says it’s “Booming. Everything. Housing, more people…” and noticing another friend walking by, Rodney says, “Hell, even this guys got a job.” The people at the surrounding tables laugh.

Rodney’s owned and operated his business Window Insight for 12 years. The fall is busy, and this is his last big push before the winter slow down. He originally hails from Shelby. Though it’s just down the road from Asheville, it couldn’t be more temperamentally different. “More love has got to come into this country,” he says. “Because there’s a lot of fucking hate right now.”

A fan of him in the primaries, Rodney describes Bernie Sanders as, “Genuine. He’s a people person. I think he was actually trying to be the president to work for the people.” And, although he questions whether Hillary is running for president to truly work for the people or to simply put the finishing touches on her legacy, Rodney says that “Voting for her, putting her in office, is a win for the democratic party, and it’s going to enable the people around her to continue the liberal movement.”

When asked about Trump, he says, “I think he’s an egotistical maniac, and he’s power hungry… he’s a scary dude.” Then he pauses to let out a laugh. “My daughter thinks he looks like a nacho cheese Dorito. She does a hilarious impression of him, too.”

“What I’m worried about, is that [politicians] aren’t actually working for the people, they’re just putting money in their pockets.” Rodney believes in the importance of local elections, and he‘d like to see term limits imposed on Congress, “you got an 80 year old man in there. It‘s like, you don‘t represent me at all.”

The sun is still shining and everyone settles in to enjoy a few beers with new friends.

Asheville, NC:
• Population: 87,882.
• Per capita income: $29,195.
• 76.7% white, 12.3% Black, 6.7% Latino, 2% Asian.
• Percentage below poverty line: 25.3%.

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Asheville, NC

Thanks, Obama.