As a newly minted 18-year-old, I was looking forward to voting in the upcoming election. I was excited to participate in such an important decision, but as the season has progressed that excitement has faded.
The primaries came and I, along with so many other voters, began to question the current morals of the United States government. Who could've predicted that one of these candidates, would be chosen to lead this country? I turned to the media, online news sources, listened to the opinions of those around me and slowly began to formulate my own opinion. To be completely honest, when the debates were announced I found I was looking forward to hearing the candidates speak to the many accusations that had become popular in both campaigns.
So far I’ve found the debates to be very informative-for a few reasons. 90 minutes is a very long time to listen to two people talk, but it allows the candidates to criticize each other for half an hour, and then the real talks begin. I struggle with conversing about the debates with people who merely followed the media clips released the following morning-it’s simply not the same experience. The media needs viewers, and viewers like excitement and excitement comes from thirty second clips of Trump saying “Wrong”, or Clinton chatting about “drapes”. Yes of course, both of these occurred, but the media doesn’t typically share the quiet moments when the candidates said, “You know, I think we both agree on this subject”. Personally, those moments are much more meaningful when watched live.
Additionally, the vice president debates are equally important. While the president may be the front runner-their council, and to whom they will turn for advice is that vice president. For instance, the religious background for both vice president’s is the same, Catholicism. I had no idea, and both candidates took the opportunity to share how this background had influenced their lives during the debates.
To be given the role as Commander in Chief, is really an opportunity for so many government officials to drop all the issues from the past thirty years into the newbies lap and expect them to solve everything in four years. I wish people would be more realistic towards their expectations of presidents. Of course minimum wage needs to be reconsidered, of course the right to bear arms may need reform-however these issues aren’t resolved overnight, and to expect someone to “fix this, and fix it right now” simply sounds like a line stolen from a preschooler. If anything can be learned from politics, it is that policies, reform, like everything else, takes time. While this process is frustrating, and in many cases like the refugee crisis or climate change, people need to realize there simply isn’t enough time to thoroughly explore these issues.
I look for a president that will be able to think a few steps ahead. I can say confidently, and openly that I look for a president who does not dismiss the lives of the LGBTQA+ people, who will respect and represent women as a feminist, who will make greater efforts in dealing with climate change, and who will treat the minorities of the United States equally. I've been made aware by many people who do not value these qualifications, that these are just not as important as dealing with foreign affairs, gun rights etc. All of these issues, both mine and those of others, need to be dealt with-I'm not dismissing them. However, I look for a president that shares my concerns for these issues. Something I believe all voters will share in common this November, hoping for a candidate that will represent them appropriately while in office.
