This presidential race has been a long and grueling battle between two clowns who do nothing but spit on each other's names. Honestly, it makes me sick to my stomach to think that by tomorrow one of them will be elected the President of the United States. I tend to bite my tongue when it comes to the canidates because people will attack you if you are voting for the person they are against or against the person they are voting for. I've seen some pretty disgusting things from both sides and these are things that are unexcusable. More than anything, this race has been violent. There have been violent words and snide remarks that have spewed from Trump's mouth as well as Clinton's. There have been violent acts committed by Trump, Clinton, and Sanders supporters (though Bernie is no longer in the running, he once was and contributed to the madness). There is no candidate with clean hands; they are guilty in their own ways.
I decided to write an article that examines each candidate in both positive and negative lights. Though I am disgusted by this race, there may be people who still need some facts to help make their final decision. Disclaimer: These are my personal positives and negatives of each candidate.
Trump
Positives:
One thing I like about Trump is his opinions on veterans. I visited Trump's official website and foundDonald Trump's Vision and 10 Point Plan to Reform The Department of Veterans Affairs. One thing I especially liked from his vision is that we will not only aid the physical wounds these veterans recieved, but the mental and emotional ones that we cannot always see. Along with that, one of the points on his reform is to "...increase the number of mental health care professionals, and allow veteran's to be able to seek mental health care outside of the VA". Honestly, I believe many times veterans are only remembered on Veteran's Day. We need to care for them as they cared for this country and fought for our rights.
Another positive thing that Trump has touched upon that I would like to bring up is child care. I found an article by The Washington Post titled, Donald Trump unveils child-care policy influenced by Ivanka Trump, where it touched upon the policy proposals he has in mind for child care. Trump spoke upon women recieving six weeks of paid maternity leave if they have an employer that do not provide it. Also, he wants to aim to make child care affordable so that parents are not struggling to pay for child care on top of all the bills they already face. Lastly, Trump would like to make it possible for parents to deduct the cost of child care from their taxes. The plans Trump seems to have set in place will definitely make more voters interested in voting for him. If he does become elected I hope this will be one of the promises he actually follows through with.
Negatives:
While looking for sources, I found an article titled 40 Reasons Not To Vote For Donald Trump. One point that I found interesting from this article was a point made about Trump's love for revenge. The author of this article, John Hawkins, sheds light on the fact that "...Trump has written whole chapters of books that discuss how important it is to get revenge on people who cross him". The reason this can be so frightening to think about is that if Trump is elected president, what will make him do something as dramatic as deploying nuclear weapons? Also, if he actually becomes the most powerful person in America for the next four to eight years, what kind of trouble will he cause for this country?
Another negative that many people are very aware of and tend to talk about a lot is Trump's view on women. Honestly, this is something that doesn't make much sense to me due to the fact that he is married and has daughters. Also, it is odd to me that he would talk this way about people when he is in the public eye. When reading an article, 18 Real Things Donald Trump Has Actually Said About Women which comes from The Huffington Post, I read some quotes that were disgusting. One was, “You know, it doesn’t really matter what [the media] write as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass.” from an interview with Esquire in 1991. I know men are stereotyped and thought to talk like this, but that doesn't make it okay. However, this quote is almost 30 years old so I searched for a more recent one. Another article from The Huffington Post, 16 Real Things Trump Has Said About Women While Running For President, has a quote from Trump touching upon the subject of sexual harrassment in the work place and if his daughter faced it: “I would like to think she would find another career or find another company if that was the case". Though this quote does not use violent and vulgar language like some of his other comments, it makes people think he approves of men disturbing a woman's life and that a woman should accomodate her life due to sexual harrassment.
Clinton
Positives:
One thing I like about Clinton is that she is Pro-Choice. Personally, I do not believe anyone should be taking a person's rights to their that person's body away. I found an article from earlier on in the Presidential race called Where Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders stand on abortion. In this article Hillary makes a comment on the government and abortion: "Politicians have no business interfering with women's personal health decisions. I will oppose efforts to roll back women's access to reproductive health care, including Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. As president, I'll stand up for Planned Parenthood and women's access to critical health services, including safe, legal abortion". I definitely agree with Clinton's point. Also, Planned Parenthood provides other health care services to women other than abortion and makes them afforable. This is not something that needs to be taken away. On another note, women should have the right to an abortion. Rape, incest, inability to care for the child, or serious health concerns, no matter what the reason it should be legal. However, I do believe there should be a time frame in which an abortion is allowed to occur.
Another positive thing about Clinton is her views on education. After she rallied in Detroit, the Detroit News released an article about it. In this article, Clinton rallies supporters in Detroit, a quote is shared that reads, “Let’s make sure that every child in every ZIP code gets a first-class education". Honestly, Clinton saying this really hits home with me because I believe all children deserve an equal education. There should be no child left behind. “Tests should go back to their original purpose: giving useful information to teachers so that you know and parents know how our kids and our schools are doing, and then we can come together to help them improve" is another quote from Clinton that I found while reading the article Hillary Clinton Tells the NEA: 'You'll Always Have a Seat at the Table'. As a future teacher, I am glad Clinton is talking about these things and I am hoping things will be changed within school systems.
Negatives:
One thing that really grinds my gears about Clinton is a quote that I found which reads, “I suppose, I could have stayed at home, taken care of the kids, bake cookies, and enjoy tea parties every afternoon, but I have come to a decision to pursue my lifelong dream and profession — which I did even before my husband decided to serve the public" (10 Ridiculous Things Hillary Clinton Has Said On the Campaign Trail). This was something I really hated because she says it as if being a stay at home mother is something negative, yet claims to be the biggest supporter of women. Sorry, but you have to pick a side.
Another negative thing about Clinton is the way she pities herself though she and her family are very well off. A quote from Townhall.com reads, "We came out of the White House not only dead-broke, but in debt. We had no money when we got there and we struggled to piece together the resources for mortgages, for houses, for Chelsea's education. It was not easy" (20 Hillary Clinton Quotes You Should Read Before Voting For Her). I really dislike this because I believe she does this to make it easier for voters to relate to her. Honestly, my belief is that if my average family can do it, so can the Clintons. Also, later in this article there is another quote shared from Clinton which says, “The last time I actually drove a car myself was 1996". How could she afford a driver but none of those other things?
Overall, I am done hearing about this Presidential race. I am excited for it to be over, just like many of my fellow Americans. Though the race will soon be over, one thing is for sure: The memes of Trump's toupee and the disappearance of Clinton's emails will live on.