Lo and behold, it is primary season. College students around the country may be voting for the first time. If you are like me, you did not care as much about politics before you turned 18. Now that you can vote, you should make your vote count. Why not educate yourself on the people running for the Commander-in-Chief of the best country in the world? My goal is to give prospective voters the opportunity to see who these candidates are without the tainted media bias. So without further ado, here are the remaining six candidates:
The Democratic Party (2)
Hilary Clinton
Age, University, Religion:
68, Wellesley College, Yale Law School, Methodist.
Resume:
Lawyer. Former first lady of Arkansas (1983-1992), first lady of the United States (1993-2001), U.S. senator (2001-2009) and secretary of state (2009-2013). Failed 2008 presidential candidate. Former board member of the Clinton Foundation (2013-2015). Potentially historic female presidential nominee.
Running Date:
She announced on April 13, 2015.
Who wants her to run?
Most of the Democratic Party.
Policy Positions:
- Opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement.
- Opposes Keystone XL pipeline.
- Wants to raise taxes on capital gains held for one to six years.
Can she win the nomination?
Her grasp on the nomination looked more tenuous than ever on the eve of the Nevada caucuses, but her win there gave her a boost heading into South Carolina, where she dominated. She may be past her worst threat in the primary election.
Bernie Sanders
Age, University, Religion:
74, Brooklyn College, University of Chicago, Jewish (non-practicing).
Resume:
Recording artist (a 1987 folk album, re-released in 2014). Former mayor of Burlington (1981-1989) and U.S. representative (1991-2007). Current U.S. senator. Has done a stint as Senate veterans' affairs committee chair and held a nearly nine-hour filibuster (#filibernie) against tax cuts for the rich. Is the longest serving Independent ever to hold a seat in Congress.
Running Date:
He announced April 30, 2015.
Who wants him to run?
Far-left Democrats; Brooklyn-accent aficionados; progressives who worry that a second Clinton administration would be far too friendly to the wealthy.
Policy Positions:
- Wants to enact a single-payer healthcare system through Medicare for all.
- Wants to make public college tuition-free for everyone by taxing financial transactions.
- Wants to raise payroll, estate and corporate income taxes.
Can he win the nomination?
Sanders picked up a handful of states on Super Tuesday, but Clinton continues to build a delegate goal, and she’s probably unbeatable without some major outside event—like, say, an indictment for her emails.
The Republican Party (4)
Donald Trump
Age, University, Religion:
69, Fordham University, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Presbyterian.
Resume:
Billionaire real estate mogul. Former host of the Apprentice reality show franchise. Miss Universe Organization owner. Been threatening to run for president since 1999, but hasn't done so until now.
Running Date:
He announced his candidacy for President of the United States on June 16, 2015 at the Trump Tower in New York City.
Who wants him to run?
A shocking portion of the Republican primary electorate; Democrats; white supremacists. The rest of the Republican field, along with its intellectual luminaries, however, are horrified.
Policy Positions:
- Wants to reform taxes into four brackets at zero, 10, 20, and 25 percent, while phasing out all deductions except for the charitable and mortgage interest deductions.
- In response to mass gun tragedies, wants to expand treatment programs for people with mental health problems.
- Wants to build a wall across the Mexican border, and would increase fees on border crossing cards, temporary visas and entry at border ports to pay for it.
Can he win the nomination?
He is currently leading Ted Cruz with the highest number of delegates, but with recent protests at his rallies we will see if he can sustain his lead.
Ted Cruz
Age, University, Religion:
45, Princeton University, Harvard Law School, Southern Baptist.
Resume:
Freshman Senator from Texas. Conspired to force shutdown, near-default of federal government. Former clerk to Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Potentially historic Hispanic nominee (though confesses to speaking "lousy" Spanish).
Running Date:
He launched his campaign March 23, 2015, at Liberty University in Virginia.
Who wants him to run?
Hardcore conservatives; Tea Partiers who worry that Rand Paul is too dovish on foreign policy; social conservatives.
Policy Positions:
- Opposes the Export-Import Bank.
- Opposes ethanol subsidies through the renewable fuel standard.
- Wants states to be able to have their own definitions of marriage.
Can he win the nomination?
Cruz did better than expected on Super Tuesday, picking up wins in Texas, Oklahoma, and Alaska. That, combined with Rubio’s poor showing, is giving Cruz some new momentum, but the path from here to the nomination in Cleveland is still a bit obscure.
Marco Rubio
Age, University, Religion:
44, Tarkio College, Santa Fe College, University of Florida, University of Miami, Roman Catholic (ex-Mormon).
Resume:
One-term Senator. Former Speaker of Florida House. Potentially historic Hispanic (Cuban) nominee.
Running Date:
He announced on April 13, 2015.
Who wants him to run?
Rubio enjoys establishment support. He has sought to position himself as the candidate with an interventionist foreign policy.
Policy Positions:
- Wants to reform the tax code into two brackets at 15 percent and 35 percent. Would eliminate many tax credits and deductions but create an additional child tax credit of $2,500.
- Wants to repeal Obamacare and replace it with refundable tax credits for purchasing health insurance. Would let insurance be sold across state lines.
- Wants to undo the sequestration budget cuts on defense and use funds to "modernize our forces."
Can he win the nomination?
Until Super Tuesday, Rubio seemed to hold the second-choice slot, right behind Trump. But his stumble that day is causing many observers to reassess whether he can actually win. Rubio’s moment of truth is the March 15 Florida primary.
John Kasich
Age, University, Religion:
63, Ohio State University, Anglican (raised Catholic).
Resume:
Former Ohio state senator (1979-1982), U.S. representative (1983-2001) and FOX News host. Failed 2000 presidential candidate. Current governor of Ohio.
Running Date:
His announcement was July 21, 2015, at Ohio State University in Columbus.
Who wants him to run?
White-collar Republicans. Kasich’s pitch: He has better fiscal-conservative bona fides than any other candidate in the race, he has proved he can win blue-collar voters, and he has won twice in a crucial swing state.
Policy Positions:
- Wants to lift the budget sequestration caps on military spending, while cutting waste in the Pentagon.
- Wants all health insurance regulation to be done by states.
- Supports ending federal funding for Planned Parenthood, but doesn't want to shut down the government over it.
Can he win the nomination?
Kasich thinks that Marco Rubio is weak and Ted Cruz and Donald Trump are unelectable. As a result, he says he’s sticking around at least until March 15, when he hopes to win Ohio and hopes Rubio loses Florida. Then, his camp argues, the GOP will consolidate around him. It’s not a totally insane theory, but it would require many things to go right to result in a Kasich nomination.
Some material is accredited to the following sources:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/
