Many are anticipating September 26th, when the first debate between presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will take place. Like many eligible American voters, I've listened to pundits and commentators go on and on about a number of things pertaining to to the two individuals who are vying for my vote in November. As we head toward the first debate, there are just a few things I would prefer are not asked when Clinton and Trump take the state at Hofstra University.
1. Hillary's Emails
There are a number of reasons why I don't care about Hillary's emails. Aside from the fact that plenty of other politicians have done the same thing, the topic has been done to death. The more the media talks about it, the more it makes me think that they are just as confused about the real issues in this election as the general pubic. Despite the fact that she was cleared of any illegal activity, it seems that the email thing is one of the only reasons her critics and the general public can justify not voting for her. It's time we put this one to bed. Anyone who brings it up in relation to this election can't or won't pay attention to the real issues.
2. How Many Black Friends Hillary Has
This is another one that has been over-done. Whose to say whether or not Clinton has a sufficient number of black friends? Whose to say that this does or does not qualify her to try and address the issues that matter to people of color. Hopefully, whatever black friends she does have will help her address issues that matter to various communities of color period.
3. Donald Trump's Opinion About Himself
I think it's safe to say that running for President of the United States takes a certain level of narcissism. The problem with Trump is that he seems to think too highly of himself. He's done a great job of letting the American people know who he is, what he has done, and not much else. Anytime anyone asks him what he thinks, Mr. Trump finds a way to make it about him. I'm still scouring his website and social media for the comprehensive plans he says he has for our country. So far, all I'm seeing is ,"me, myself, and I".
4. How Many Women Trump Thinks Like Him
Trump has proven himself to be a serial sexist time and again. Therefore, when he mentioned that women like him because of all the "opportunities" he gave them, I took it with a grain of salt. For some reason Trump seems to deem it necessary to have his talking heads reiterate how many women like him. While I question the judgement of those who do, I don't really care either way. Likes don't necessarily equal votes. If Trump is banking on his likability to get women, including me, to vote for him, I think he'll be sorely disappointed.
5. How Many Black People Trump Thinks Like Him
Just like with women, Trump's claims of how many black people supposedly like him does not equate to actual votes. Aside from the fact that Trump has only recently starting paying attention to the "unfortunate" members of the African American community, Trump has proven time and again that the "facts" he spews aren't exactly factual. More importantly, he's not really talking about how he plans to address the issue he thinks the African American community is facing. Therefore, whether or not he thinks they like him is irrelevant.
6. How Many Black People/Women Trump Hired 10 Years Ago
For all Trump's claims that he is neither sexist or racist, no one can seem to find more than a handful of people of color or women that he has hired or promoted within his companies. Even this doesn't tell me what his plans are with regard to issues that affect women and minority communities in America. His hiring history says nothing about his awareness of the issues. His statement that African Americans should vote for him because their lives are so bad they, "have nothing to lose" does. I personally think I have a lot more to lose if I vote for him.
7. What Either Candidate's Children Think About Them
I don't think I need to explain why nepotism is not a safe practice when it comes to choosing a president. Even as Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump sat down CNN to talk about why their parents were such great candidates for the office of president, I found myself saying, "And?" While it is admirable that the offspring of these presidential hopefuls think their parents are the best people for the job, I tend to not believe people who were more or less raised with silver spoons in their mouths. As much as the values of hard work were embedded into the fabric of their upbringing, I'm still skeptical.
8. Either Candidate's Health Records
There are so many reasons why I could care less about Clinton or Trump's health records, the least of which being, that both are going to portray themselves to be as healthy as possible regardless. In the grand scheme of things, it's not high up on my list of priorities when it comes to choosing a candidate. Much had been made about Secretary Clinton's health, and I admire her transparency. Very little observation has been paid to Trump's health which I've noticed he is hiding under a spray-tan and comb overs. Aside from the fact it's simply sexist and insulting how people pick apart Clinton's health day after day, like many common sense voters I just don't care. It's time we put the dog-whistle politics to bed on this one.
9. How Either Candidate Dresses
The only other thing Hillary has been scrutinized for more than her emails or her health is her wardrobe. It's no secret that her gender plays a key role in this. While I agree that any presidential contender should clean up while in public, it doesn't really matter to me what color tie Trump wears of the color of Hillary's suit. Within the bigger picture of real concerns American citizens are facing, what the candidates are wearing isn;t one of them. It certainly isn't one of mine,
10. How Much Money Either Candidate Makes
11. Which candidate thinks the other is more racist
Race has been a hot-button topic in American for some time now. It's an issue that needs to be addressed and won't go away any time soon. However, both candidates going back and forth over who is more racist isn;t helping. If anything, it's making matters worse by turning the conversation away from tensions in America and onto themselves. It makes for some entertaining television, but doesn't really make me want to vote for either of them. The only thing both candidates have managed to show me and every other voter is how out of touch they truly are with people of color.
While watching this election coverage, it seems to me that both candidates, and to some degree the mainstream media, think the vast majority of American voters are easily swayed and at least a little stupid. Come November, the candidate who gets my vote will be the one who has managed to address the concerns I have about the issues that matter to me. The more attention that is put on the superficial headlines and soundbites that come out of either camp, the less faith I have in the American electoral process. I'm hoping that the night of the first presidential debate on September 26th, the candidates will be able to clearly communicate what they plan to do should they take office.
