Last week I had the privilege of communicating with someone that had a political stance that shocked and dazzled me.
Another young person my age, male, dropped the line "IDK not Hillary though". He said this to me shortly after Cruz and Kasich dropped out of the race. Granted, he adamantly has Bernie as his first choice (as many millennials do) but I asked him why Trump was second for him.
Recommended for you
He said "anti-establishment". It made me realize something crucial, something I had heard before but that resonated with me on a new level. Americans are currently excruciatingly tired of the government's status quo.
Exhausted to the point where any candidate that blurs off the political spectrum that has been in place seems like the answer America has been searching for. In Trump's case, it's the aspect that he's a businessman, for Sanders it's his socialist ideals.
The "Change" that was promised didn't really arrive the way people envisioned in 2008. Even I will concede that although I do not socially agree with all of Bernie's stances, I think he is promoting what he thinks is best. Many of his ideas are good in theory but nearly impossible to achieve with the state of Congress.
Actually, just unfeasible on a multitude of levels.
I had the pleasure of reading an article describing how Facebook routinely suppressed Conservative News and I think that message is important as well. I don't mean to impress stereotypes but it is common knowledge that journalists tend to be far more liberal, with only 7 percent of journalists today associating with the Republican party (and that's coming from the left-leaning Washington Post, folks).
I will admit this doesn't account for independents, the largest growing political group in the United States today who I suppose could be more conservative leaning, but, by default, the messages we are seeing, the way stories are being framed, are all more likely to support the Democratic party according to most demographics of journalists.
There isn't a direct way to change this, but it's an important thing as consumers to keep in mind. So here is the question to ask: do young voters hate Donald Trump because they're well-informed, or because of social media?
It seems harder to find dirt on Hillary, when you think about it (compared to the wealth of it that spews around Trump)? If that's any showcase to the media bias I am discussing. And trust me, it's not for lack of material. In high school (even though she couldn't vote) Clinton was a Goldwater Girl, and proud of it. For those of you who are unaware Goldwater voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
But, we will give her the benefit of doubt because as people age, their political beliefs do change and even I'll admit that is a valid rebuttal. But, the verified fact is that Hillary is a liar. She lied about where her daughter was on 9/11, claims to be instrumental in the Northern Ireland peace process, Benghazi (resulting in the loss of four American lives), and even who she was named after (which is just embarrassing)- I am sure the list of unverifiable lies goes on.
And of course, there's the argument that Clinton is for women. People can go on forever about how misogynistic Donald Trump is but maybe the media should focus a little more on Hillary. How about when she defended a child rapist and laughed about it? We all know her husband Bill, someone who is undeniably fraught with sexual scandal, harassment, and misogyny.
Let's not forget how Hillary Clinton tried to silence all of them that spoke out against her husband. I get it, it's her husband, and she was probably enjoying the life of First Lady- but Hillary Clinton calling these women "white trash" and verbally assaulting and blaming them while her husband claims they're either "nuts or sluts"- this is the woman that is "for women?"
The one that might become the President of the United States. Give me a break. But yeah, Trump's the bad guy when it comes to women.
So I am proposing a new slogan: "IDK, not Hillary though".
