Trump 2016: Dawn of a New Era

Many Americans did not want a Trump presidency, and even more did not expect one. The United States will undergo a lot of changes as a result of this abnormal election. Donald Trump has neither a background in politics or in the military. While some speculations may say that speaks for his qualifications what it certainly shows is his morals and values have not been seen by American voters before. Trump is truly the first of his kind, a fact that demands attention. Many people are looking at Trump the wrong way, if you like him or not there is still a lot to know in order to understand who he is and how he became the president elect, as well as a lot to be learned.

There has been a lot of backlash among Americans who did not vote for him. A common belief is that he is a bully and a danger to America and its people. This belief far to often misses the very reason it is even significant. Trump could only be these things if people supported him. A madman on a street corner shouting obscenities is no threat to anyone, but that changes when half the country stands behind him. If anyone has a problem with Trump they need to realize that the problem they have is actually with their fellow Americans. Trump was voted for, he won enough delegates to become elected. That is how our democracy works. The problem those people should be facing is that millions of Americans felt so abandoned or neglected or abused by their government that they turned to Trump. Trump, a man with no history in either politics or the military was chosen by the American people, his power is in the hands of the people who gave him that position.

Trump knew what he was doing. Trump's accomplishments  have to be recognized, he has made a lot of money. Corrupt or not, he knows how to play the game, take loopholes, and manipulate the world around him. The same goes for his campaign, Trump brought together a wide rang of people and unified them. Trump was able to manipulate the public in a way that attracted people to his cause. His ability to draw the support that he did cannot be ignored. Trump was never blindly parading the country hoping people would jump on the bandwagon.

One of the most important things to know about Trump is that there is still much to be learned about him. Trump has an uncanny ability to know what to say. Trump has always been able to fuel the fire and say things that pull in one audience at a time. Whenever Trump went made "outrageous and radical" comments he was actually targeting people who felt that way. Trump only proposed radical ideas when he knew that some of the people listening would feel the same way.  Trump has said many times that he can do or say whatever he wants and he will still gain supporters. Is that not reason to believe that what he has said was just to gain support? It is unwise to discuss this characteristic in a way that makes him out to be wild and erratic without also discussing the possibility of him just using the radical facade to gain popularity.

Americans against Trump should not be to worried yet, there is still the possibility that he was just saying whatever he needed to say to win. Trump would not be the first to run for president that said things he did not mean or make promises he will not deliver. Only time will tell.

President Trump?

The election of Donald Trump as president immediately left me feeling confused, embarrassed and scared. I have never found myself to agree with many of his polices or beliefs, however; I am trying my best to accept this outcome. A large portion of America was deeply angered when Trump implied that he may refuse the results of the election if he won and so it is important to accept these results. While watching one of his acceptance speeches my mind was slightly eased. Though the majority of his previous speeches were heavy with ethos, Donald Trumps acceptance speech used pathos to ensure the country that he will be a president to all American Citizens. In this statement he included people from all races, backgrounds and religions. Trump even seemed to sway slightly away from his strong statement of "making America great again" in saying that he has seen so much opportunity for growth in our country. This stray away from backwards progress and emphasis on America's current potential is a big change for Donald Trump. 

Donald Trump even seemed to turn his back on some of the most controversial aspects of his presidential race. He acted as though he has always respected veterans, even though he made back handed comments towards several veterans and people currently serving our country during the race. As we approach his inauguration, however; we must only hope that our current political system limits him from making any rash decisions. 

Rhetoric on the 2016 Campaign Trail

American political rhetoric has quickly turned into bashing candidates, steering away from the real purpose of political campaigning, which is to promote candidates beliefs. The 2016 election was a perfect example of how candidates have drifted away from the focus of self-promotion and moved toward insulting the opposing candidate and their bad character. In previous elections, the goal for campaigning was for the candidates to state their views and why they think it would be the best option for the country. Candidates would use different types of rhetoric that appealed to their own character. Candidates would act in a logical manner and respect the opposing candidate, despite their different ideas on how to run the country. 

However, this election season was different. Instead of persuading the audience that they were the best candidate for the country, they would take the negative approach and try to convince the audience why the opposing candidate was bad. Not only did political ads attack their ideas, but they would attack the opposing candidate's character. For example, calling Hillary Clinton corrupt and a liar, make the phrase "crooked Hillary." Clinton made a video of kids watching Donald Trump make negative comments on tv, asking if they want their kids to have him as a leader. These ads attacked the candidates as people, which is different from campaigns in the past. It's not necessarily good rhetoric because it takes away from the goal campaigning, which is to state candidates views on important topics.

Is The Internet Loosening Our Grip On the Truth?

This article was an interesting read, and I think it is a controversial topic for a lot of people. I agreed with most of what this article said. however I can understand the view points of the opposing side.

The article starts out saying that "the internet is distorting our collective grasp on the truth. Polls show that many of us have burrowed into our own echo chambers of information." I do agree that the internet can, and is giving distorted information to many people. For example, there is a lot of fake information, or just speculations, about who is winning this election. People tend to read one headline or article and jump to conclusions without really researching it. This is definitely a problem.

The article sums up my argument later in the article, with this quote, "the root of the problem with online news is something that initially sounds great: We have a lot more media to choose from...
In the last 20 years, the internet has overrun your morning paper and evening newscast with a smorgasbord of information sources, from well-funded online magazines to muckraking fact-checkers to the three guys in your country club whose Facebook group claims proof that Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump are really the same person."

Where We're Headed: It's Not All Bad

The current American political system has been through much turmoil over this past election season. Never before has there been a candidate such as Donald Trump to win the office of president of the United States, being an outsider with such radical ideas. Although, on the surface, the current direction of United States politics seems to be headed into a downward spiral, we need to stay optimistic about the future of our country, its ability to bounce back, and its ability to govern itself.

The astounding demographics of the voters in the 2016 presidential election reveal much about the ways in which the country is changing. President Elect Donald Trump did well in areas of under-educated voters, winning 80% of all counties where 90% or more of voters lacked a college education. In addition to this, only roughly 8% of his supporters were racial minorities. The most telling demographic, however, is that 62% of Trump’s support base is made up of white men and women who lack college degrees. 

Throughout the past 8 years, the Obama administration has worked tirelessly to find a way for America to work for all of its inhabitants, not just the typically privileged. This large, select group of voters was swept up in a radical conservative backlash to the social progress recently made with regulations such as the Affordable Care Act, and the precedent set down by the Supreme Court that same-sex marriage is constitutional. The very group that was left out in all the social progress was the one that rose above expectations and elected the officials which will be installed this next January. As if so happens, all three branches of government has the potential to be a very accurate representation of this specific demographic.

A common feeling Americans, including myself, have after receiving this information is that we will not be represented equally in a government run but one political party. Another concern is that such a polarizing figure as Trump has divided, and will continue to divide, our representatives in Congress. 

Just as America has faced nearly impossible obstacles in the past, however, it will continue to thrive in the face of opposition. America has a long history of uniting during difficult situations and fighting through them. Even if a divided and unstable government is what a Trump Administration would bring about, we must stay optimistic about the future of America’s ability to come together and work through the hardships that will need to be endured, as well as America’s ability to bounce back and cause legitimate political change.

In Response To “How the Internet Is Loosening Our Grip on the Truth”

Today, the internet is almost everyone’s main source of news. When the election results broke out, the first thing that I turned to was my phone for information. Now, the internet is a great way of finding and spreading important information quickly, it can cause detrimental effects. The spreading and believing of false facts and hoaxes spread like wildfire. The easiness of it all is what astounds me. Anyone with a computer can publish false information through social media and websites.

The problem is not how easy it is to publish false and outlandish conspiracies, it is that many Americans believe this. I cannot count the amount of times I have heard crazy stories about the Presidential campaign. And even questioned if they were true.  The fact that people choose to believe these false facts and sway them by their own personal biases is what causes these rumors to continue to thrive.

It is getting harder and harder to see the truth online. I do not see the future getting any better. In most cases, it doesn't even matter if these rumors are true, as long as you agree to them and they fit your own personal views.

This monstrous creation of fake news and intense bias could potentially ruin america as a whole. How will future elections be affected by these problems. Does this fake news de-legitimize the campaign as a whole?  Who knows what lies in store for America, especially now that the election is over and America is left flipped on its back.

Why the American Presidency is a Joke

So, last night the republican nominee, Donald Trump, was elected in to presidency.  The fact that a person with no political experience whatsoever can win the presidency means that there is something wrong with American politics.  American politics is a joke because we have lost all regards for the other party, and we refuse to talk about problems that are at hand.

The first problem with american politics is that we have seem to lost all care and regard for the other parties wants, and needs. We have lost the ability to say, "Ok, I want these three things, and you want these three things.  How can we work together to make it happen?" In american politics now, the candidates only seem to care about their own parties needs and wants, and not on what is the best for the country.


The second problem with american politics, is that it has turned into a massive reality TV show.  The fact that some one with out political experience can even think about running for president, (and win at that!) should not be able to happen.  Candidates are no longer talking about how we can fix our country, but now talking about how he or she done not "look" fit to run the country.  We no longer talking about the economy, or the housing crisis, but we have digressed to mindless discussion on topic that are not important at the time.

American politics has many flaws and problems with it, too many to bring up now.  I feel with some strong change, we will be able to change the system for the better, and make sure that all parties needs are met.

It's About Us

Donald Trump being elected president has left many of us filled with fear, hate, and confusion for the future of our country. In one of his acceptance speeches, Trump used repetition and positive ethos to reach out to his people and tell them what winning means to him. He began his speech by thanking Hillary for her hard work and services. By acknowledging her accomplishments (the same ones that his campaign bashed and mocked for the past few months) he was building himself up.  He tried to make himself seem like a person who can see the best in everyone, even in his most hated and biggest opponent. The reality is that he was only able to bring himself to say positive things about Hillary when she was no longer a threat. When asked to acknowledge good qualities in Hillary in the presidential debates, he was never able to bring himself to mention her successes. Complimenting Hillary is also a way to begin to mend the divide between Hillary and Trump supporters, one of the biggest divides in presidential election history. Trump is trying to reel in the people that find him repulsive by seeming slightly less slimy and awful through compliments.

Throughout his speech, Trump used the repetition of "Us" and "We" to unite with him us as people.A line that stood out during all of his attempts at unification was he he said, "It's about us." When Trump says "Us" and I picture the people he is trying to reach with that line, I cannot picture anyone besides white men. Maybe he is reaching for the white males that were supporting Hillary, but I cannot see him talking to any minorities or oppressed people. In order for our country to move forwards, we need a president who thinks of those people first, not vaguely mentions them reach a wider white male audience.

As much as the the sentiment and meaning behind the simple phrase "It's about us" loses meaning coming out of the mouth of a juvenile, racist, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic sex offender, we cannot let it. Things look and feel hopeless for America right now. But as a country and as people under this horrid man, we have to continue to fight oppression. We cannot let ourselves be swallowed up by his fear tactics and hateful ideologies. In the darkest times it is important we find love and acceptance despite what is being shouted into our ears and shoved into our minds by someone with no respect for others.  It's about about all of the people that have been attacked during Trumps campaign and those whose futures are the most unclear: black people, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, blue collar workers, etc. to find strength in ourselves and in each other. We cannot forget who we are.  It's about us.

Really a Breath of Fresh Air?

Although the popular belief was that our nation would swing left in this 2016 election, it seems as though there is a strong disenfranchised core group of citizens that seem to act the opposite.

Hillary Clinton's support team went into November 8 thinking they had already won, however a surprising turn took place, as Trump voters emerged in shockingly large numbers. This goes to show how out of touch Washington D.C. and the media are with the American people, how else could have their predictions been so off. Based on the election results thus far, American's have something to say about who is in their government and how it's run, and people are just now starting to take notice. 

People are fed up with Washington D.C. making promises that they don't fulfill, for instance affordable health care for everyone. Rates have only gone up, and several health care providers have already dropped out. As well as Hillary is seen as establishment politics, the same old same old, the nation's citizens are seeking change, and new leadership. They don't care if Trump wrecks our government because they want to see rebuilt differently. 

As well as, people are fed up by the amount of scandals the candidates were able to get away with. In previous campaigns, just one slip up would lose the election for them. However, both Hillary and Trump have had countless screw ups, yet remained in the running. This may be because he is not a career politician therefore his scandals were not as damaging, they were looked past for he was the bit of fresh air so many American's were looking for to be in charge. 

If anything, this 2016 election has shown that the government and media in America don't truly understand and capture how the people truly feel. Let's hope that they will take the citizen's true opinions in to mind for the future, as it is the only way to keep our country sane and free.  

Person Versus Policy

If we have learned anything from this election cycles, it's that the American people pretty much hate elections now. It feels as if pundits have been getting hyped up about the 2016 election since the 2012 election came to a close, and now that it's here people just want it to be over. This is partially becuase of how the election is getting covered in the media. Policy has been peripheral to this election, which, given some of Trump's policies, is ridiculous. This election cycle has been bogged down by the multitude of scandals on both sides. If you've payed attention to the election at all you've hear about Hillary's email and the Clinton foundation. To the majority of Clinton supporters just mentioning the emails will induce a serious eye-roll or groan. And then the Trump campaign is essentially the embodiment of the bed of nails principle, there are just so many of them that it's hard to pick out one that sticks out. It's been said a thousand times but he started out his campaign by calling Mexican rapists and murderers and the fact that that one comment doesn't really stand out is insane.

Had this election been centered around policy and the actual issues each candidate cared about I can't imagine the race being as tight as it is. I'm a democrat and I supported Bernie in the primaries so I'm a little biased here so take what I have to say with a grain of salt if you want, but if you vote based on policy and the plausibility of enacting any change, Hillary Clinton is the only viable candidate. She's a seasoned politician, her policies are closely aligned with Obama's (who has record approval ratings right now), and her tax plan would actually benefit the people in the socio-economic range who are most likely to vote for Trump.

If you look at Donald Trump's policies, it's hard to actually come up with anything solid. He says he'll build a wall but hasn't been clear on how he's going to do that, how much it'll actually cost, and how he's supposedly going to get Mexico to pay for it. According to a number of economists his tax plan would only benefit the rich and actually get the United States into more debt. Also he has zero foreign policy experience. if you ask him about diplomacy he'll tell you he knows the most and what we're doing right now is atrocious and MacArthur would be spinning in his grave but he never gives any specifics of his foreign policy.

And then there're the running mates. There's very little to discuss when it comes to Tim Kaine, he pretty much just echos whatever Hillary says. Yes, he's against abortion on a personal level but he still believes in a woman's right to chose, and other than that there's very little deviation. On the other hand you have Mike Pence, a man who literally believes in gay conversion therapy could potentially be the second in command. Pence had very little support in Indiana from both Republicans and Democrats. Republicans didn't like him becuase he didn't deliver on his campaign promises and democrats don't like him because he tried to take away as many civil liberties from as many minorities as he could. He's wants to overturn Roe v Wade, he voted to ban gay marriage, he voted to repeal Obamacare, and he voted to make the patriot act permanent. Mike Pence sounds like a cartoon villain to me. I understand that I am a lot more liberal than the majority of the country, but if you look at the number of Americans that support abortion in some situations, that support gay marriage, that have benefitted from health care reform, and believe anti-gay hate crimes are in fact hate crimes and should be punished (Mike Pence does not) he should not be this close to the White House. But a lot of voters just don't pay attention to the actual policies anymore, they care about headline scandals, they value character over anything else. Yes, character is something that should be considered, but it's not the only thing that should come into play. Casting your vote for either candidate means a lot more than just choosing between two undesirable people, it means signing on to their policies too.

Politics Aren't as Easy as They Seem

Modern day technology has overrun the morning newspaper and the evening newscast by supplying all of the necessary news on the at hand media source, being smart phones or computers. What this form of media does is lets people devour the information that corresponds with their beliefs, and shun the information that counters them. The problem with this is that once a person is set in their ways, it is very difficult to change their point of view. The only two things that can be done to win their opinion would be to either to appeal to them based on their ideas, or to show them why the other option is not as good as yours. This is exactly what is happening in the 2016 election between Donald J. Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Every day on social media we express our opinions, whether it be through liking someones picture on Instagram or reading a featured article online. In fact, I believe that our negative opinions only make our positive opinions even stronger. For example, if you are a supporter of Hillary in this current election, everything Donald Trump says will only seem like it is showing how Hillary's ideas are stronger, and vice versa.

Another struggle with modern day technology is that you can look up anything and everything that you want. No matter what you look up, there is almost always an answer online. One instance of what you might look up is whether or not something is true that you heard from one of your friends or that you saw on live TV.

How this plays into modern politics is that a candidate has to be 100% honest almost all of the time, because one massive slip up could ruin their whole campaign. In addition to that, the candidate might not even have to say anything for them to be considered unreliable and not to be trusted. In the current election of 2016 there have been quite a few examples of how the media has hurt a candidates campaign. The media is not the only thing that candidates have to be worried about when running for president, they must battle against the attacks of the opposing candidate as well. TV advertisements and radio commercials go all out when it comes to the election year. It seems that the majority of campaign ads are bashing the opponent rather than supporting their own campaign.

Despite the media trying to bash a certain candidate, on November 8, 2016, the United States will have a new president to lead the country. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both have their baggage, but one must prevail over the other. Who will it be? It's up to you America.

Why has American politics become a exchange of insults?

American politics, a stew of chaotic insults. Why do presidential candidates focus so much time and resources on bashing the other candidate? One might think that the struggle for power in becoming president is a higher priority for these candidates than focusing on their goals and ambitions for when they get into office. Do they really have America's best interests in mind, or do they just want their own room in the White House?

When did many Americans start valuing a candidates ability to tear down the image of their opponent greater then valuing what they believe America needs to build and grow? This can been seen many times this election, through ads on TV to the debates between Clinton and Trump. Many ads are funded that just to make a candidate look bad. In a ad called "She knows Putin too well", the video presents facts of what Clinton has done to help the Russians, questioning what more she might do to aid the Russians if she becomes president. In another example, Clinton released an ad questioning what Trump might do to the daughters of families if he becomes president. It shows a series of shots of young women, in between footage of Trump saying insulting thing about women. Why are resources spent on these kinds of ads?

 Why are people debating the scandals of the candidates, instead of the ideas that each of them has for how they could help America advance? A example of this could be seen in Hillary's private email scandal, or Trump's woman abuse scandals. News seems to be absorbed by these scandals as well. The internet is swarmed with news articles telling the new exciting scandal that they may or may not have found on a person. In contrast, this is the sort of stuff that many people want to see, and therefore more and more of these stories are released.

Candidates now need to spend much more energy making sure they don't trigger anything that could cause another rumor, taking away from arguing the issues and solutions they want to bring to America.

November 8th.

As an unprecedented chapter of American history comes to its conclusion, a several month-long trek of tumultuous political strife among the policies and morality of this term's presidential candidates will do likewise. Amid this transition comes also the premiere of new leadership, which will likely entail quite a bit more than has been anticipated to occur subsequent to its reception. The hysteria which currently encompasses the American public has reached a point beyond our government's ability to regulate. Radical reactionary measures to the verdict of this election, in favor of either candidate, appear to bear the potential to, perhaps, achieve a plateau of significance and power to an extent greater than what the people of America have demonstrated prior to this current extremity.

As I felt similarly during the initial weeks of this presidential race, I remain skeptical of America's future. Recent events have inspired me to adopt a pessimistic manner of considering these current circumstances. This is due, in part, to the difficulty I find in trusting either candidate, Clinton or Trump, entirely. Considering, for example, that neither of the two proved capable of speaking upon their political proposals eloquently and without digression of topic during any of the three presidential debates, I must acknowledge my lack of confidence and trust in a structurally improved America being established by either of the two prevailing parties in nearing years.

Is This Really Happening Right Now..?

The 2016 presidential election has definitely been one of the most dramatic elections of our time.Throughout the debates,speeches, advertisements, and much more it has been an endless competition of which candidate can make the other one look worse.It definitely shows what American politics have sadly turned into. There has always been tension between the Democratic and Republican parties, but this election takes that to a new level. The main problem that I have with these two candidates especially, is the fact that they have  both brought up the same two points about each other throughout the past few months. Which is  the Hillary email scandal and Trump being sexist and demeaning to women. I do agree that those are both very important issues when it comes to deciding who's going to be our president. But when that's all they have to say about each other and stray away from real important topics that's where I see the problem with today's politics.

Today I served as an election judge and now I am watching the votes being counted on TV and I am very worried for our country. When seeing some of the voters today and hearing people talk about their opinions on whichever Candidate they are going to vote for worries me. I feel as if some voters are not educated enough on the important issues and their candidates views on those issues. I also feel as if some people aren't taking politics seriously right now, and this is the time that we really need to be.

How Patriotic Are You?

In my opinion, The American people are not as patriotic as they can be. We lost that patriotic spirit that the people in the 1950’s had. I think that patriotism makes a country stronger. If everyone has a love for their country and is willing to do whatever it takes to make and keep this country successful, then I believe the country will be successful. The fact that Americans are becoming more and more consumed with their own personal affairs and not focusing on their love for their country, makes me worried for the future of our country.

An example of how people do not make an effort towards their country is by not knowing and not saying the Pledge of Allegiance. The Pledge is an important part of America that should be taught and known by all. Unfortunately, many children do not know what the Pledge of Allegiance is and can not recite it if asked to, and many adults do not say it anymore. Some people do not say it at school for religious reasons, which is understandable, but I also think many do not say it at school because they would rather sit down and be on their phones. At least that is what I see at OPRF. Part of this problem is the Pledge is not talked about or seen as a big deal. I think knowing and saying the pledge when you can, can instill respect for your country and a patriotic spirit that this country needs.

Another issue that I want to bring up is the amount of flags that are put out on National holidays. I can maybe count an average of two flags per block on Memorial day for example. A great way to show your pride is by putting out your flag, it is that easy.

I know that we are in a unique time politically and socially and things are not how they were sixty years ago, but I think that if we want a united country, we should act as though we are one and show respect to our beautiful nation.

America: The land of the free and the home of the screwed

  America is a country founded over 300 years ago. In these 300 years our country has risen to the fore front of the world, but as of late our country has been crushed by bad presidents, rising debt, wars we cannot afford, rising unemployment rate.

During the last eight years Obama has been president the unemployment rate and debt has substantially risen. In the year 2008 Barack Obama was sworn in as the first African american president. Instead of leading what should've been a beaker of hope and new era for African american people. He has helped the economy crumble. After Obama's first term the unemployment rate was 7.9%. This means that 7.9% of people in our country did not have a job. In addition to this the american government is under 19 trillion dollars of debt. Since Obama has been president the debt has risen over 9 trillion dollars with no signs of slowing down. About roughly 6 trillion of this money was spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan war. A war that our president promised to end but has not. The Iraq and Afghanistan war has claimed the life of 5,000 soldiers and wounded over 1 million of them. During the presidency Barack Obama has wreaked havoc on the united states of america and ways that even our next president cannot fix.
If the country continues to be run by bad leaders such as Barack Obama, america’s future will be a very dim one. This country needs a stronger leader that can rise to the challenge of fixing Barack Obama's mistakes. A president that will lower the debt, bring more jobs to america and end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Changes in American Politics

The 2016 presidential election has created a turning point in American politics, where America's two major political parties began a complete ideological realignment. What has made this election's shift in ideas and beliefs possible is the extreme circumstances of the election such as Republican party's fracturing support for Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders', an avowed socialist, attempt for the Democratic party nomination, and much more.

These circumstances are possible in today's election because of the shift from the past traditional views of both parties to current push towards the real interests of today's electoral classes. The change of views has been small in the case of Hillary Clinton and the Democrats, however, and dramatic in the case of Donald Trump.

The movement away from traditional views has facilitated a policy realignment that is significantly different than those of past years, creating uncertainty as people decide which party they fall under. The change in policies has been made possible for the Republican party because of Donald Trump's independence from donor's money, as he has rallied his voters completely from his own pocket, which is why Trump's ideas seem so far fetched. The result has been a fall in the traditional conservatism of the Republican party, as Trump is creating his own ideas and beliefs. However, the traditional Democratic party views have simply shifted in the past few decades. This was shown in this year's Democratic primary elections, as traditionalist, Jim Webb, was out of place among Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. The destruction of traditionalist views have facilitated uncertainty among voters as they decided who they will vote for, which also destroys the fine line that once separated these classes.

As the policy changes continue to adapt throughout the next few decades, the beliefs of each party will change even more. As parties' views change, American citizens will become more and more divided, creating chaos as well as uncertainty. The future of American politics may involve new political classes, the destruction of our current ones, or the continuation of political realignment.

American Politics are Hitting Rock Bottom

In the 2016 Presidential race, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have showed the American People first hand, the state of American Politics.  American Politics are broken because politicians continue to care about themselves rather than thinking about the country .

 American Politics are not as democratic as they should be in our government.  Affluent special interests play a much bigger role in our government then they should be.  For example, in this Presidential race Trump and Clinton are doing whatever is necessary to win.  They continue to take shots at each other and say things about their opponents that should never be mentioned in an election.  In our society, all politicians care about is winning and they will do whatever is necessary to succeed.  Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump continue to bring up their opponents scandals whether it be Clintons email scandals or Trumps various scandals involving women to help benefit their position in the race.  They do not care what they have to do to win because at the end of the day the political power that the White House holds is all they want. The power of being President matters much more to them than the well being of the country.  The power and greed of the few too often win out over the needs of the many.  It seems as if politicians now a days do what benefits them rather than what benefits the society.  Our two candidates do not care about who they have affected or what they have done to become President because if they win they will control all the power in American Politics.  American politics have become a place where strictly winning is the end goal and they will do anything to win.  They do not care if they have to change their views or ruin friendships.

 To change our political system for the better we need to find politicians who represent the American people rather than politicians who only care about bettering their position.  We do not need politicians who care strictly about winning, but ones who care about making our country better and getting it to the place we want it to be.

Since When Was 'Political Party' a Synonym for 'Cult'?

With only a few days left until the 2016 election, I feel I can safely say that our political system is an utter mess. I'm incredibly afraid for Tuesday's election, and rather pessimistic about the outcome no matter which candidate wins (though I must say I am more pessimistic about certain outcomes than others). Politics has lost all sense of uprightness that it may have had, resorting to personal attacks and extremist stances in both candidates and in the voter population.

The first thing that scares me is how unqualified some of the candidates (ie. Donald Trump) are. Setting his highly offensive platform aside, it baffles me how a man with literally no experience in politics can be viewed as equal in fitness to a woman with a political career of over thirty years. A man who has never been a politician is one step away from the highest level of political office in the country. That unqualified people have been given such chances at office is a terrifying sign that our political system is falling apart.

More than that, politics has become very much about throwing insults and slinging mud. The presidential debates have been a show of insults and one liners, bickering and name-calling, instead of a discussion of policies and effectiveness in office. Even outside of the presidential race, the whole political atmosphere has become highly unprofessional and people have begun to speak without thinking. Take, for example, Mark Kirk's sarcastic comment to Tammy Duckworth about her family coming from Thailand to fight for George Washington. An unsolicited and frankly racist comment such as that would have been well out of place in any earlier election season, but this year it hardly seems surprising. America has spiraled into a state where politicians don't have to appear representative or professional and can say whatever comes into their mind with minimal backlash.

The voting population as well has become much more unruly, and has also turned to personal attacks. People split between parties are not simply divided over some policy issues and willing to accept another's stance without agreeing with it; they are almost like warring factions, fighting bitterly and taking an opposing political stance as a personal threat to their morality and core beliefs. People have begun physically attacking each other and threatening death simply because they support another political candidate. Voting is no longer a choice of which candidate has more beneficial policies, but rather one of which candidate reflects your exact moral compass.

This has also lead to a great deal of voters, especially younger voters, who feel that neither candidate is at all acceptable and they have chosen to vote third party or to simply refrain from voting. Since the political climate has become so personal and the candidates are no longer representative of a set of policies but of every error or success they have ever committed as a human being, many voters feel that they cannot pick a candidate and remain morally true to their own values. Voting is supposed to be about picking someone who you may not agree with but you feel will be more beneficial, or at least minimally harmful, to the country. Now, it seems as though a voter must be willing to actively defend every action a candidate has ever taken, or they cannot support the candidate in any way, shape, or form.

Once the election is over, this won't go away. A deep rift has been formed between people in this country, and no matter the outcome, there will be many many people who are personally offended. There will be a great surge of anger, there may well be riots and violence. Politicians will be placed under incredible scrutiny, picked apart by the media and by those opposed to them. The president could fail to clean out the dishwasher one night and soon they would be criticized for being unorganized, unhelpful, disrespectful, and entirely unfit for the office they hold. Perhaps that last statement is an exaggeration, but many would agree with me that it could very well not be. The fact that it is even a possibility for such a thing to happen speaks volumes about the state of politics in America.

In short, George Washington was right. We should have stayed away from political parties. They have divided the nation in a total extreme, no longer just over policy but over personal actions. It seems almost cult-like, each faction on a witch hunt to prove its adversary to be immoral as well as politically ineffective. It's become almost surreal with the amount of violence and disrespect that has become commonly accepted in relation to politics. I fear that this will become the norm, or that things will escalate even further. I hope very much that it does not.

Politics or just Drama?

      The presidential election of 2016 has definitely been one to remember, although this is not necessarily a good thing. From Donald Trump's ridiculous quotes to Hillary Clinton's suspicious emails the actual politics of this campaign are getting lost in all the drama. The ideas and plans for the future of America don't even seem to be relevant in most arguments. This is shown in the commercial 'Movement' by Donald Trump for the campaign. Throughout the whole ad nothing is said about what the problems of America are, but only that they will be fixed and forgotten. He also attempts to get viewers excited by just saying power words like "success", "dreaming big" and "freedom". These words do not even fit into the sentences that the male voice over is saying. At one point the male voice says "Donald Trump. Builder, business man, success." while "success" is printed in bold letters over a video of the Trump tower. I get frustrated listening to this because of these weird sentences. It also looks like this whole ad was made in twenty minutes after finding some clips of Trump hugging people and American flags blowing in the wind. Also a Trump commercial can not be completed without at least a little dig about Hillary Clinton, which is mentioned but showing an old video of Bill and Hillary Clinton while the voice says "leaving the past behind". The whole video is finished off with some motivational music playing in the background. This video proves how this campaign has gone down the toilet. The presidential campaign needs to get back to focusing on solving the current issues in America, instead of this silly madness that is occurring now.