As a millennial, I feel very cheated in this election. This was not my choice. I was not eligible to vote in the primary election. I don’t think this was how this was supposed to go.
Since I’ve been in my American National Government class, my perspective has changed greatly. I have decided who I am going to vote for and I have learned how to balance the presidential position. I have learned that the presidential position is not truly as powerful as the citizens may believe. But I think that the idea of a president has evolved, and that now the media has its own influence. The President has the power of the media at their fingertips, and that is a dangerous thing in it of itself. One of the biggest problems I have with Trump’s campaign is the victim card. Donald Trump’s argument is based on “at least I’m not her” and “her campaign is attacking me, but ignoring ____ that she did in the last 30 years.” And while the claims of crappy campaigning are legitimate, he made just as awful claims about his opponents before the Republican National Convention, especially with Ted Cruz. I feel very anxious about his lack of acceptance in his possible loss. The Red 2016 movement is ignorant to me, because what if someone who voted for Clinton just so happened to wear red on November 8, 2016? You now have no backing, and it is rude to ask who someone is voting for. So what do you do? I feel like a president must be able to listen, compromise, and accept defeat because sometimes the United States will not win. That’s a fact of life. You cannot be associated with other nations and expect to walk into a meeting and walk away with all of what you wanted. The United States is big on compromise and understanding. While I dog on Trump, do not be convinced I am voting for Hillary. I am, but only because it is mathematically improbable for a third party candidate to win, and in my opinion, Hillary may actually be the lesser of the two evils. I have a problem with her use of identity politics, but can I argue her identity politics when Trump’s campaign is “joking” about repealing the 19th Amendment and is blatantly sexist against women? I often wonder how a woman can vote for someone so against them, but I suppose if you hate the Clintons enough, you will vote for anyone that isn’t associated with them (despite the fact that Trump has supported Hillary through her many campaigns, and were known to be friends before this election season). I leave you with this thought: At the Republican National Convention, Ted Cruz was booed off the stage for saying that he wants everyone to vote based on their conscious, to vote up and down the ticket. Republicans attacked him for not supporting or endorsing Trump, but do you want a bi-partisan system that frowns upon voting according to your own beliefs? I applaud Cruz for standing up for what he believes in. That’s a mark of a true leader, but to the Republican Party, that’s the mark of a traitor.
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AuthorGabrielle Willingham is a young Arkansan woman who sees the importance of simultaneous cynicism and optimism. Gabrielle is currently working on a MA in Communication with a focus in gender studies and political science. Archives
January 2021
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