If you’re like me, you know politics are undoubtedly important, but sometimes you don’t even know where to start. The Presidential Race has started to show our candidates’ true colors through their performances in debates and through their political advertisements. Now that we’re in college, it has become really important to pay attention to the candidates because we are now old enough to vote and really make a difference in who is in charge of our country. Pretty cool, right? So cool you’ll want to whip and nae nae like no other.
I asked some Fordham students about what they thought about the race and their visions for our future president. One student said, “My personal opinion is that I was raised in a family that never followed politics. My father always said that no matter who is in office, he still has to wake up, go to work, pay taxes, and pay his bills. He would always say he didn’t care nor had the time to worry about who was running our country because we have gotten ourselves in such a terrible economic situation that no matter who is the president, we will always be in the hole as a country. The day a president makes a noticeable impact on my life is the day I will focus more on politics.” This student makes a very valid point, considering we have only heard about the failures of our presidents throughout our childhoods. To this day, there are still comments thrown around about how idiotic people think George W. Bush was. We hear all the time how Obama has done more harm than good – why would we put all of our faith into someone who might continue to damage our country?
Similarly, another student gave not-so-excited input that, “As a woman, I am genuinely afraid of what this country would be like if Donald Trump was elected.” This account is also incredibly valid because would you trust someone with your rights as a female who says, “You know, it really doesn’t matter what the media writes as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass”? Me neither.
Other students I talked to are also really ready to see a change in office and have been on top of the race. One Ram said, “I think Bernie Sanders has my vote, both for the Democratic nomination and for the general election. I also like Hillary and think she would make a fine president, but I think Bernie has the best vision and integrity of any presidential candidate we’ve had for a while. He says he doesn’t want money to influence politics and thus is not accepting donations from corporations or super PACs, unlike Hillary.”
Another student pointed out that they are more interested in “the Democrats because there are a lot less candidates which I feel like creates more tension and the candidates tend to stay focused on the issues more rather than just their egos clashing.”
Our student body certainly has diverse opinions about the race, and there is still so much time to form impressions about who you want to be in charge. Two more presidential debates are coming up, Tuesday, November 10th for the Republicans and November 14th for the Democrats. Tune in and let us know what you think. Remember, you do have the power to help direct our country to the path of success by voting!