For the first time in my life, I can vote. I can have a say in who runs the United States of America. This all seemed super exciting to me at first. Having the right to vote is a privilege and I believe that it is my duty as an American citizen to vote. I was actually ecstatic about voting when I turned 18, but this all started fading away when I found out about the candidates. I am sure that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are both nice people wanting to run our country, but after seeing the news and hearing about the details of this election, I struggle to find a passion for one candidate. This election has turned more into a competition rather than two people with a strong desire to be president, and for that reason, I question the motives of both candidates.
While I would love for a woman to run our country and for our country to gain some female power, it is still difficult for me to feel excited about Hillary's campaign. While I do agree with many of her points, I see the media shaming her for all sorts of things. Headlines in the news read, "Clinton Scandal: Hillary Used A Team To Help Her Hide Emails" and "The Many Contradictions of Hillary Clinton." These statements are what make me shaky about voting for her. On the other hand, there are headlines about Donald Trump that read, "What Would It Take for Donald Trump to Deport 11 Million and Build a Wall?" Reading this headline made me cringe.
For a person like me who does not have a ton of time to become fully involved in this election, the headlines are sadly what inform me of what is going on. Sure, I read articles and ask questions, but I am not constantly watching the news and following up on the election. So after reading the headlines, I can only start to worry about what is to come.
Yes, I know that every presidential election contains the shaming of candidates and the acknowledgment of their flaws, but I feel that this election, in particular, shows too many flaws. I want to vote and know that I need to vote, but that does not mean I am happy about it. I feel that Obama's last eight years have been meaningful and that he has truly tried to make a difference, but I don't know that in eight years I will feel the same about either of the candidates. This is mainly because every time I hear one of the candidates names, it is in a negative way. Also, every time I watch personal interviews with the candidates all they seem to talk about is why I should not be voting for the opposing candidate. Neither Hillary nor Donald are discussing what she or he will be doing as president. I want to know what Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will do to better our country.
Because of these reasons, I am very disappointed in this election. My excitement has faded away and voting has become less of a desire and more of an obligation. While I will vote in November, I know that my decision will not be for a candidate that I feel strongly about.
