As Americans, we all have rights. The right to freedom of religion, press, and so on. Yet we also have duties. And it is each one of our duties to vote. Not every country is as fortunate as ours. We're lucky to be able to have our voice heard and choose our leaders. As Americans, we all have different beliefs and opinions. Many voters choose candidates that share these same beliefs. However, it is important to become well informed of each candidate's platform and what they believe in especially if you are evaluating candidates for the presidential race. This is so you can make the right choice not only for you but hopefully for our country. So take a minute and look at each candidate. Hopefully, you don't make your decision at the conclusion of the article (take more time to really get to know each one, watch debates, and get more information), but you use this to get to know the candidates and "get your toes wet."
Hillary Clinton
"Voting is the most precious right of every citizen, and we have a moral obligation to ensure the integrity of our voting process."
Birth - October 26, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois
Education - Clinton attended Wellesley College and in 1969 graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Later in 1973, she obtained a Juris Doctor degree from Yale University.
Family - Married on October 11, 1975 to William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd U.S. President; one adult child, Chelsea, to whom they are both devoted.
Faith - Christian, Methodist
After law school, Senator Clinton joined the impeachment staff of the House Judiciary Committee in its investigation of President Nixon. She also advised the Children's Defense Fund. After marriage to Bill Clinton, she worked at the Rose Law firm in Little Rock. She was twice named by Time magazine as a top 100 lawyer nationally. She was also First Lady of Arkansas during her husband's 12 years as Governor.
In January 2007, Clinton announced her candidacy for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. After a hard-fought primary, Sen. Clinton narrowly lost the nomination to Barack Obama in June 2008. On December 1, 2008, former two-term Sen. Hillary Clinton was nominated to be President Obama's Secretary of State. Later on March 16, 2011, Clinton announced that she would not serve as Secretary of State after 2012. Fast forwarding to recently, April of 2015 Clinton announced in a video that she would be running for president of 2016.
Bernie Sanders
Birth - September 8, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York
Education - Sanders studied at Brooklyn College for a year before transferring to the University of Chicago. In 1964, Sanders graduated with a degree in political science.
Family - In 1988 Sanders married Jane (O'Meara) Driscoll in Burlington, Vermont. With her he has three stepchildren, whom he considers his own.
Faith - Jewish
In 2010, amid the recession, Sanders took to the floor of the U.S. Senate to protest Bush-era tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans. Sanders filibustered for eight and a half hours (Impressive!). It wasn't among the longest filibusters ever, but Sanders made his point.
The Democratic National Committee publicly welcomed Sanders to the primary content, saying, “Having a wide range of progressive views in this race is good for the dialogue of our party and for our country. And Bernie Sanders is a progressive champion ... Throughout his career, he's been a fierce advocate for working families and has a strong record of supporting equal pay for women, working to raise the minimum wage, taking action on climate change, and fighting for an economy that works for the middle class. We couldn't be more excited to hear him say he's in.” Sanders has a very loyal group of supporters, mostly independent voters.
"In order for someone like me to be a viable candidate, you need to have a big grass-roots following. A large, large number of people who can knock on doors. That's what I've been doing for a long time. It's worked pretty well for me so far." (Bernie Sanders)
Ben Carson
"There is so much potential out there in young people and they aren't getting the right information or being encouraged in the right ways. This is our duty as a society." (Ben Carson)
Birth - September 18, 1951, in Detroit, Michigan
Education - In 1973, Carson graduated from Yale University, where he majored in psychology. He received his M.D. from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1977.
Family - In 1975 Carson married Lacena "Candy" Rustin. Together, the couple have three sons, as well as several grandchildren.
Faith - Protestant (Seventh-day Adventist)
Carson, who had been registered as a Republican, changed his registration to independent in the 1990s after watching Republicans impeach President Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice regarding an extramarital affair with Monica Lewinsky. "I just saw so much hypocrisy in both parties", he said. In February 2013, Carson said he was not a member of any political party. Later in 2014, the day the 2014 midterms, he rejoined the Republican Party, saying it was "truly a pragmatic move" because he was considering running for president in 2016.
On May 3, 2015, Carson confirmed his candidacy for president. The next day, May 4, 2015, at a rally in his hometown of Detroit, he officially announced his run for the Republican nomination in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Donald Trump
"I have made the tough decisions, always with an eye toward the bottom line. Perhaps it's time America was run like a business." (Donald Trump)
Birth - June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York
Education - Trump attended Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1968, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.
Family - Trump has two ex-wives (Ivana Zelníčková (m. 1977–91) and Marla Maples (m. 1993–99) In 2005, he married Melania Knauss. Trump has five children and seven grandchildren.
Faith - Christianity (Presbyterianism)
Trump began his career at his father's real estate company, Elizabeth Trump and Son. Beyond his traditional ventures in the real estate, Trump has established the Trump name and brand in other industries and products. In April 2011, Trump questioned President Barack Obama's proof of citizenship, alleging that he was born in Kenya. Trump floated the idea of running for president in 1988, 2004, and 2012, but did not enter those races
Trump formally announced his candidacy for president of the United States in the 2016 elections on June 16, 2015, from his headquarters in Trump Tower in New York City. Trump launched his campaign declaring the official slogan, "We are going to make our country great again"
Make sure you do not just vote for someone because they are a Republican or because they are a Democrat. Vote for the person not the party. Take some time to really get to know these candidates and the (many) others, and then on Election Day make your voice heard. Make sure you take a look at each one, because one of these people will be your next president.
