As children, Americans watch politicians battle during numerous elections. We watch and listen to them discuss the countless issues that affect our country but, more than that, we watch the actions of the candidates. If you were to ask me, even four years ago, what my first election would be like I never could have guessed that it would be such a volatile mess. I have watched closely over the course of this election, absorbing scandal after scandal, to try and get a sense of who the candidates were. Even after doing this, I have been shocked and appalled to watch the conduct of our nominees during the first two presidential debates. Each of these debates were disturbing in their own way, however, the “town hall” format of the second debate allowed the hate to come to a head. There were many thoughts that ran through my head while listening to the candidates answer the questions of my fellow Americans, but there were a select few of these thoughts that remained consistent throughout the whole debate.

Each of the presidential nominees come with their own issues and scandals, but I’ve really tried to make an impartial decision based on what I saw in their individual campaigns. That being said, I feel as though Donald Trump danced around almost every question that was asked. His answers consisted mostly of catchy “buzz words” and shots at his opponent. Hillary was absolutely guilty of doing this, however, she was much more direct with her responses and proposed actual ideas. This country needs a president who is able to propose policies in an eloquent way and Trump did not prove to me that he is capable of doing so. This issue was so much more important during the second debate because the questions were coming from actual voters voicing their individual concerns about the state of our nation. The fact that Hillary was more empathetic and sensitive to this said a lot about her character.

Another issue I noticed while watching the debate was how much more calm Hillary was. Even through all the shots at her political and personal history, she maintained her composure in a very presidential way. Donald Trump was not successful at this. He was constantly interrupting Hillary, the moderators, and the people asking the questions. He is very hot-headed and acts very compulsively, which are two undesirable traits to have in a president. Hillary may have made some comments that were a bit too harsh, but Trump seems to be building his campaign with insults and hatred. Political elections can get personal, but there comes a time when the abuse becomes too much and Trump has crossed this line on countless occasions. His ability to speak his mind is not necessarily a bad thing, but he takes it to a level that is unacceptable for a president.

This presidential election has been unlike any other that our country has ever experienced. There has been so much animosity and scandal that it almost doesn’t seem real. From the beginning, I’ve tried to remain as objective as possible and listen to what every candidate has to say. I’ve found that I differ very dramatically from Donald Trump’s policies. This alone would not make him a bad fit for the country. I’m just one person and I certainly don’t speak for the ideals of a whole nation. The issue comes when I begin to compare how the candidates handle themselves. Trump has sparked endless controversy for decades, most recently with the leaked tapes of him talking about women in a deplorable manner he called “locker room talk.” He does not act in a way that would convince me that he is capable of running a country in a healthy or effective way. However, the beauty of America is that everyone has the right to their own opinion. So long as they educate themselves about every possible option and take the time to exercise their right to vote, they are entitled to endorse whoever they would like. Those who simply rant on social media without trying to make an actual difference are doing nothing to help us progress as a country.

That being said, it is the duty of every eligible American to exercise their right to vote on November 8th. For more information on voting in your state, visit the U.S. Vote Foundation