Veronica Mendive talked about injecting her husband with drugs for his medical problems. The medication costs $180, and she and her husband, both retired, were hit hard by that bill. “My concern is that I’m retired from the county and I have a nice pension, and between that and his social security we’re over the limit.”

Ms. Vance saw her opening. “McCain is for big business.”

Mrs. Mendive nodded in agreement. “Well Republicans always are.”

Ms. Vance: “McCain will just make the health care situation in this country worse.”

Mrs. Mendive: “Oh, don’t I know it.” She paused.

“I don’t want to sound like I’m prejudiced,” she continued. “I’ve never been around a lot of black people before. I just worry that they’re nice to your face but then when they get around their own people you just have to worry about what they’re going to do to you.”

Ms. Vance skipped no beats. “One thing you have to remember is that Obama, he’s half white and he was raised by his white mother. So his views are more white than black really.” Ms. Mendive looked tentative. “Well, that’s true.” Ms. Vance said she was so used to looking at Mr. Obama, “I don’t see the color of his face anymore.”