I don’t usually talk about politics on social media or even with my friends or family. I tend to keep my opinions to myself and try not to upset anyone. I don’t want to offend anyone. I step around the people who rant on Facebook about global warming and healthcare and go about my daily business.
I haven’t had any trouble with this so far. I seldom share my opinion on presidential candidates, and when I do, I’m very cautious when sharing my political beliefs. But lately, and with the general presidential race under way, I’ve decided to take a stand and share my piece about it. This is not a rant, nor an article bashing one of the candidates. This is not a PR article, boosting someone’s campaign. This is just me, simply putting my thoughts onto paper and giving the world my piece about this presidential election in 2016.
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The presidential candidates have been chosen. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton (and Bernie Sanders, but let’s be honest, that’s most likely not going to happen). Sitting back in my good ole Crocs, sipping my Starbucks Venti Iced Coffee, watching "Grey’s Anatomy," I can’t help but wonder who our next president is going to be. And when I do think about that, I honestly get a little scared. Because no matter who it is, someone will always be upset. That’s how it’s been since the United States of America was born (happy belated Fourth, Americans). But it scares me so that whoever wins, we will have a new president this time next year. Someone out there will disagree, but what can we do?
On my way to work one day, I pulled up at a stoplight behind a red Dodge truck, with an old man with a beard sitting in the front. On the back of the car was a Trump sticker with the motto, “Make America Great Again.” And it stumped me. Not the motto, but the sign itself. It’s that time of the year again. We are about to embark on a series of bumper stickers, yard signs and campaign commercials that last 10 minutes long and interrupt the precious moments on "The Bachelorette." But as I was intently staring at the Trump sticker and not trying to act like a stalker, I couldn’t help but think of a country where Trump was president.
I’m no supporter of Hillary, but when I think of a country with Trump as president, I shudder. I actually shudder. I think of the horrible, horrible comments he has made regarding illegal immigrants, refugees and even our representatives that the people elect to serve us.
Before you comment below your opinions and rants on each presidential candidate and every mistake everything they stand for, take time to hear me out.
We laugh and shake it off and say that Trump will never be our next president. But we said that six months ago at the first debate that he won’t win the nomination. And guess what? He won the nomination. So I pose this question to all of you — who is voting for Donald Trump? Or the question, who isn't voting for Trump? Before you give me a government lesson on the electoral college and the importance of voting, take time to hear me out. We laugh, we shudder, we cry at the thought of Trump being president. We write articles all the time bashing Trump. Every major news network is reporting on the vile comments Trump made, but yet, he won the nomination. That can’t be all of his family. Who are they?
People say they want a president that doesn’t have politics in their background. They say they want a (wo)man of the people, someone to represent them in the White House. That is my only logical answer to this question. Let me get this straight for you guys: Trump is not a man of the people. He is filthy rich, is the founder of Trump Organization, has several TV shows and even had enough money to make a university named after him. He might not have any politics experience under his belt, but he doesn’t represent the “people” well. He is a symbol of the famous 1 percent, just like all of the other politicians. Only unlike them, he’s not a politician.
To me, Trump is a bully who needs encouragement and the people give it (and money) happily to him. Aside, it actually appalls me that we were raised to stand up to bullies and take them down, yet we are supporting Trump to be the next leader of the free world.
We laugh and say that Trump is not going to win the presidency, now that he's secured the nomination, something we also thought was never going to happen. Most opinions about Clinton argue that they don't want a criminal in the race for presidency. Where do the lines cross? Is there a situation where everyone can be happy?
This question actually haunts me at night. It is haunting me day and night, countless times to know the answer. Yes, Trump has an audience, and there are Trump supporters out there. But every Trump rally has the most protesters, while Sanders' rallies has the most supporters.
Who is voting for Trump? It’s a simple question, really. I don't mean to pry in everyone's personal beliefs. I am no way singling out anyone to share their beliefs with me. Who is voting for Trump? It seems that every article I see out there is bashing him, and you can find them here, here and here. I have no personal judgment on anyone who votes for Trump, or anyone for that matter, I just want to know why Trump is winning when all of the news reports are bashing him in the process.
Is this what the presidency is going to look like next year? A president who only coasted through the election on vile comments and unachievable promises? Do we really want a president who does not have the politics experience that past presidents have had before, such as John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson? Even Jefferson had some politics experience.
Like I said earlier, this is not me giving a personal opinion on who I’m voting for. Frankly, I still don’t know who I'm voting for. I probably won’t know until election day. In no way is this a rant of my opinion on the any of the candidates. But this is a simple question: who are the people? What are they thinking as they vote in the primaries … and eventually the general election? Who is exactly voting for Donald Trump?
But hey, that's my opinion. I'm just a normal college student trying to earn a degree and make memories. I'm no political expert. Whoever wins, I'm sure they'll do great. All we have to do is hope for the best.
