So you've all been watching the news (or if you haven't you've seen the trending bar on Facebook), and probably see the plethora of articles and posts about the presidential candidates for 2016. Most of the time, I am shocked by the titles, such as that Ben Carson doesn't know the map of the United States, or that Trump made fun of a journalist with physical disabilities, or that Clinton used her personal email to contact confidential sources, and these are just a few of the articles that I have seen pop up in the recent months. Now, I know that I am not the first to admit that I am terrified of the 2016 presidential race, and I'm sure my reasons are similar to yours.
Facts don't matter anymore
Enter Trump and Carson. Above all, these two candidates have gone above and beyond in the land of lies and exaggeration. Trump makes statements that he can't back up or produce evidence to support it, such as the crowds of cheering Muslims on 9/11, even though investigations and local news ended the discussion. Carson, too, created a political map of the United States, and misplaced the eastern seaboard. While I know that politics is about persuasion and convincing the public that the politician's way is best, Trump and Carson are starting to lie to their supporters and to the general public about their own knowledge of events, and when they do make mistakes, they don't bother to fix them. It's as though the two of them can say whatever they want to and it will be regarded as true. It becomes a joke. I look at my news updates every day and see the newest statement from Trump that calls out a specific group of people in a derogatory way or claims that an event happened and that he saw it with his own eyes. Politics shouldn't be stand-up comedy about who can say the most ridiculous things, it should be a truth-seeking and fair representation and voice for the people. When did we reach this point in America?
Taking advantage of situations
Lately in the news, we have seen how atrocities such as the Planned Parenthood shooting, or the attack in San Bernardino, Calif., have struck at our collective consciousness as American citizens. But the candidates are using these situations to their advantage, with Clinton saying that guns should be banned because of these attacks, and that gun bans are better than prayers for the victims of these attacks, or that Planned Parenthoods should no longer be federally funded, or
even, as Marco Rubio announced, "that 9/11 and Paris were all a part of God's plan." It is statements like this that make me sick. Politicians should not be using people's terrible situations to further their agendas. No longer do these politicians focus on the American people, but rather their own personal and political agendas that aren't centered on the needs of Americans.
It might not matter anyway
While this statement is a bit controversial, I argue that the current state of the presidential race doesn't matter. There are fake Internet candidates (Deez Nuts), and the race has become a battle of who can polarize the most people. This is because in the Senate and in Congress, there are two clear sides, and no one is willing to compromise, which means that nothing gets done (i.e. the
federal budget). In reality, these politicians pledge to support whichever special interest throws them the most benefits of money or power, and everyday people are forced to pay the price. And no longer do the American people take voting as the serious responsibility that it is.
