A battle of politics: Hillary Clinton VS. Donald Trump
Hillary Clinton
By Liz Reichart// A&E Editor
Donald Trump is a poisonous hazard to our democratic system. Secretary Hillary Clinton is the most highly qualified candidate to ever run for President and appears to want it, which is much more than one can say about Trump, who operates as a far-right, slave-era vegetable without a shred of integrity. This bumbling hot air balloon of a man is filled with just that – hot air. The man has never drafted a piece of legislation, let alone can cite the number of seats in Congress. Clinton is leagues above this 10-year-old man-boy still smarting from his father, Fred Trump, sending him to a military school at the age of 13 and never being able to make any money for himself. A failed business man compensating for his losses with some last-ditch attempt at restoring his dwindling masculinity, Trump cannot be allowed to touch the West Wing with a 10-foot pole due to his inability to grow as a leader, his incomprehension of the constitution under which our democracy operates, his hateful rhetoric, and abominable temperament that has no place in any diplomatic position.
Clinton is a lifelong learner when it comes to shaping policy and surrounds herself with experts that bring new and differing perspectives to the table. Trump surrounds himself with the likes of Kellyanne Conway and the staff of Breitbart media; if one assumes there will be any sort of moderate Republican influence on this man, let me be the first to assure you that as soon as “the Don” walks into the oval office, more of the same tunnel vision conspiracies are all we will get from his administration. Clinton has time and time again proven bravery, and after 30 years in the spotlight, she logically is distrusting of the media. But a theoretical Trump presidency would not be a presidency at all; four years of a dictator’s reign frightens me as a member of the press, and it should frighten you, too. Then again, Trump has repeatedly said that he admires Vladimir Putin, a walking human rights atrocity, leaving us little to be surprised over, or rather, little undigested material left in our stomachs to throw up in revulsion.
Mocking Trump on his failures is as easy as finding a drop to drink at Niagara Falls. The man is a farce of a candidate with no government experience, public speaking skills, or ability to string words into a coherent sentence for that matter. What we cannot fail to recognize is that Trump’s rhetoric- that is, the way he talks about women, about Hispanic judges, about the disabled, about prisoners of war – is not just laughable, but dangerous. What kind of message would it send to the rest of the world to have an accused sexual predator in the highest office in the land? And what kind of message would it send to our daughters? I would rather have a woman in office that doesn’t understand her email server than a man who doesn’t understand consent and rape culture.
When he loses, Trump doesn’t see it as losing, but as a failure of the system against him. At this point, it’s not enough for Clinton to win. It is imperative
that she win in a landslide, giving her a mandate to govern, and sending a clear message to our foreign allies that we reject misogyny, islamophobia, xenophobia, and hate in all its forms. Furthermore, let us never forget the names of the prominent members of the Republican base who supported or, perhaps worse, flip-flopped on supporting the Trump campaign in all its bigotry.
I do not support Hillary Clinton in spite of any of her transgressions, all of which show us a flawed woman
who wants to do good, but does not like the spotlight, a combination that doesn’t alight many a coalition’s heart ablaze. Who can blame a woman who has spent her adult life being harangued by
press, and reacts by retreating into a shell of her own design? I support Clinton
because Trump is a wretched sexual predator without respect for diversity
who took the lamentable Republican party for a ride. It is my earnest belief that Americans can examine these candidates critically, enough at least to watch the Trump train roll by without moronically hopping on.
Donald Trump
By Sarah Moss// Staff Writer
Over the past 10 months, America has seen a unique politician with new ideologies. Political correctness has become an idea of the past with the help of the 2016 Republican nomination, Donald Trump. He embodies a classic American businessman who started with a dream and made his vision a reality. Trump is the only candidate to address the elephant in the room and discuss policies that have not been confronted. He has tackled issues that established politicians have failed to address, such as bringing jobs back to the United States and how globalization has forced industries and pushed job opportunities to move abroad. High Point is no exception. Trump’s most known, strong policies derive from an interest in domestic affairs and security. His policies towards gun control and abortion hold the same stance as the Republican party and conservatives. His policies attract conservatives from both angles – social and economic.
Since when has it been a requirement of a presidential nominee to have a degree in political science or to be a career politician? Never. A presidential candidate’s main responsibility is to uphold the Constitution.
Yes, Trump lacks a filter and has said many controversial things that I certainly do not agree with. But, in politics, a filter is not always necessary as too much of a filter often leads to a lack of transparency. A candidate who speaks with honesty and integrity is more respectable than a candidate who has lied and holds her personal interest to a higher priority than our country’s national interest. For the last eight years, failed policies have weakened our hegemonic power, threatened our national security, and has led to unsuccessful foreign policies.
The three presidential debates, with the majority holding liberal bias, projected Trump’s businessman tactics and experience. As a typical political geek with a huge interest in debate, I have studied, taught, and moderated HPU’s Model UN Club’s debates. One of the most important points we teach is to understand your information, but not to sound computerized and to actually react with different responses. During all three debates, Hillary Clinton violated this simple point. Trump has also violated the rule of interrupting, consistently saying, “wrong.”
After having the opportunity to meet Mike Pence following lengthy research regarding his policies in Indiana, I have come up with one word to describe him – balanced. Pence has always held his ground as a conservative and balances Trump’s lack of political experience. Since Pence has become the Governor of Indiana, he has made connections in DC that are vital and has gained political savvy. He became well known and respected by Evangelicals by signing a religious freedom bill that allows for religious freedom, especially by business owners, to turn away business if it gives a moral conviction.
Trump came to HPU in September and held a large rally, which was proven to be successful. He addressed policies and excited many students, without saying any controversial statements. Being able to host a presidential candidate at HPU was a great event for all students to learn about the candidate firsthand, without the media interrupting. The one word I have decided describes him best is empowered. Since he became an established businessman, he has been asked during interviews if he would ever run for President. He has always responded with uncertainty claiming that unless our country was broken and desperately needed new leadership, he would probably not campaign. These past few years have been tough- the war against terrorism, the need for social security and medical care reform, and recovery from the 2008 recession. The need for new leadership is outstanding and he is compelled to support the American people, no matter what circumstance.
It is vital, being extremely close to the Election Day, for the Republican party to stand together and unify with our party’s nomination. Without unification, we risk another four to eight years of already failed policy and losing majority in the senate. Together, Trump and Pence will lead our country to a better place.