The face on the television screen was grainy, but U.S. Senate candidate Marcus Thorne recognized it instantly. Thomas Jacob “Jake” Sanford. The name hit him with a cold dread that had nothing to do with the electoral map on his office wall.
Just a week ago, Thorne was shaking that man’s hand. It was at a VFW hall fish fry, a classic Michigan campaign stop. Sanford, 40, had a firm, calloused grip and eyes that seemed to look straight through the practiced political smile. Thorne had thanked him for his service—a standard line that felt genuine when he learned Sanford was a Marine veteran who had served in Iraq [freep.com].
“They don’t care about us anymore,” Sanford had said, his voice a low rumble. “Politicians, all of ’em. Promise the world, then forget the guys who fought.” He wasn’t angry, not in a loud way. It was a resigned, hollowed-out bitterness Thorne had heard a hundred times on the trail. He gestured out the window toward his pickup, which proudly sported two American flags in the back [freep.com]. “Still believe in the country, just not the people running it.”
Thorne had given his usual reassurances, handed him a pamphlet, and moved on. Sanford was just another face in a sea of discontented voters.
Now, watching the news, Thorne saw that same pickup truck, its front end smashed into the brick facade of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township [nbcnews.com]. News anchors reported that Sanford had rammed the building before opening fire with an assault rifle and setting the church ablaze with an accelerant, killing at least four people and injuring eight victims.
Thorne sank into his chair, the campaign pamphlet he’d given Sanford flashing in his mind. He had looked a mass murderer in the eye, shared a handshake, and heard his grievances. In the moment, Sanford’s words were just boilerplate political angst. In retrospect, they were the rumblings of a cataclysm. Thorne had registered the discontent but had utterly missed the desperation.
- Staff writer: Miles Wingate
