2016-05-16

So when Election Day arrives what will it be, “Crooked Hillary” or “Dangerous Donald”?

Many of you are probably wishing that their was a third option but at this point in the race both politicians are the presumptive nominees for their party and it is very unlikely that another option will arise. It is amazing to reflect on this eventful year and look back to the beginning of the Presidential cycle where Mr. Trump was seen as a candidate that had no chance of winning. Critics laughed at his confidence and the majority of the Republican establishment felt his campaign was a ticking time bomb that would crumble at any given moment. However, all of these predictions ended up being wrong which poses the  question: how have we gotten to this point? Trump has enjoyed success due to his business savvy persona and blunt approach. He has offended a large portion of minority groups within America and yet he has still gained a large following because of his fearlessness to talk about the tough issues such as, immigration, terrorism and trade. His core message to “Make America Great Again”  has resonated with the American people and no matter how hard the Republican establishment has tried to disrupt Trump’s campaign or distance themselves from the “outsider” it has not affected him whatsoever. The establishment’s actions only added fuel to the fire because American people are fed up with career politicians who consistently evade the truth. Republicans have gone through two wars, a horrible economy and been fed countless lies from politicians. They not only distrust Democrats but also distrust their own party and this is why many have chosen to support Mr. Trump. They support him simply because he is different and they have gotten to a point where they are willing to roll the dice and take a chance with someone new. While this may be the reason Trump got elected it does not represent the feelings of the majority of Americans or even a large percentage of Republicans for that matter.

Donald Trump is not the only disliked candidate in the race; Hillary Clinton got a run for her money against the unlikely candidate, Bernie Sanders. Clinton may be a veteran in the political world but her untrustworthy reputation made it very difficult to win over her party. Her missteps in Benghazi, Libya where four Americans were killed in 2012 including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens will not be forgotten. At the time she was Secretary of State and did not respond to requests for an increase in security on the U.S. Embassy in Libya, which allowed Islamic militants to attack (Kaphle). Stevens’ death marked the first time a United States ambassador was killed since 1979 and it will forever be a “black mark” on her resume (Kaphle). In addition to this catastrophe, Hillary Clinton’s email scandal has greatly tarnished her reputation among Democrats. The FBI investigation and possibility of an indictment has caused many people to support Bernie Sanders instead because they appreciate his genuine demeanor and consistent record. Bernie is still fighting hard but Clinton’s political might and ability to win over key delegates has made it mathematically impossible for Sanders to win the Democratic nominee.

According to many political polls, this coming election will be between two of the most disliked candidates Americans have seen in the past 10 presidential cycles (Wright). Both politicians have stooped to new lows that have never been seen before in any  presidential election. The nicknames they have given each other, “Crooked Hillary” and “Dangerous Donald”, speaks to the immaturity of both of their campaigns. It is clear that the candidates are willing to go to extreme lengths in order to win and it will be interesting to see how intense the fight gets as we move into the general election. The battle is already heating up now that both candidates know they will be going head to head and as Election Day gets closer you will have to ask yourself which choice is the lesser of two evils? Which one will put America on a better track for future generations? Some will succumb to the copouts such as claiming they will move to another country if one candidate is elected or simply decide to not exercise their right to vote. Voting is a privilege  and we must voice our opinion no matter how poor we feel the candidates might be. Both Hillary and Donald have unique skill sets to offer and it is critical that citizens decide which ones are best for this country because the U.S. is at a pivotal moment in history. The question is will you choose to be apart of this historical moment?

Sources:
Kaphle, Anup. “Timeline: Here’s How the Benghazi Attacks Played out.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 17 June 2014. Web. 10 May 2016.

Wright, David. “Poll: Trump, Clinton Score Historic Unfavorable Ratings.” CNN. Cable News Network, 22 Mar. 2016. Web. 10 May 2016.

The post Choosing the Lesser of Two Evils: Trump v. Clinton appeared first on Verge Campus.

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