By The Leonid Editorial Board With the 2016 presidential election to begin on November 8, both Democrats and Republicans are fiercely battling for their party’s nomination in the primary elections. The political race is all over the news, constantly dominating every aspect of social media, social interaction, and pop culture. With so much controversial information flying around, many of us are left wondering, “Where do I stand? Who should I vote for?” If you can’t decide who to support, you are certainly not alone. With all of the quirks and disparities between candidates, we’re seeing a whole new wave of division both between and within parties. For many people, it boils down to the best of the worst. With Republican front-runner Donald Trump’s notorious, “no filter” attitude and stance on Muslim and Mexican immigration, many Republicans have a hard time full-heartedly supporting him. Many people agree that terrorism and illegal immigration are prominent issues, but the manner in which Trump plans to solve them is both outrageous and costly.
Trump’s views allow him to align with many far right conservatives, but his consistent leads in primary election polls give many Republicans little choice but to support him, despite their true beliefs. Is there anyone who can “Stump the Trump”? Other top presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and John Kasich are struggling to keep up with Trump’s widespread army of “passionate” supporters. Looking to gain any advantage they can, Cruz and Kasich often try to contradict Trump’s aggressive and offensive behavior with direct comments in past debates and on various social media outlets. On the other side of the playing field, top Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have a much more level race. Bernie Sanders’ support is known to come mainly from people aged 17 to 29, with 84% of voters in that age range siding with Bernie (a 74 year old) versus Hillary’s (a 68 year old) 14%, according to the website “Five Thirty-Eight”. Bernie’s far left views offer a more radical political platform, but his stance on social reform catches a lot of attention as well. A “self-confessed socialist,” Sanders automatically has the odds stacked against him among older voters whose definition of “socialist” may not be as favorable as the younger voters. Courtesy of the Cold War, the American ideal of “socialism” has come to mean an “Enemy of the State,” not just a far-left liberal striving for distribution of wealth and social class equality. Last but not least (at least in the polls) is Hillary Clinton, the topic of scandal, controversy, and SNL jokes for the last decade. Many Democrats find her to be “shady” and “untrustworthy” due to her secretive nature with her private email scandal and questionable honesty while handling the attacks on the US Embassy in Benghazi, Libya. Often times, we may find ourselves picking the “least of all evils,” and the 2016 (primary) election is no different. While there are people who wholeheartedly and undoubtedly support certain candidates, many people are caught in the middle. Remember one thing; the only way to make a difference in the election is to go out and vote. Make sure to register and show up on April 26 for the Pennsylvania Primary Election and November 8 for the presidential election if you wish to have your voice heard regarding the future of this great country.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AboutAll the latest right here! Archives
April 2018
Categories
All
|