The presidential race is in full swing, and voters are currently choosing their sides. The field this year is full of people who have very strong opinions, which speaks volumes about America’s current political climate. It seems obvious that Democrats could never agree with a President like Trump or Cruz, or even Rubio.
And Republicans often disagree with Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders. So how can we ever come together as a country when our candidates are so off to one side? The point of a President, ideally, is to try to unite the parties by compromising and being more moderate. We’ve had strong Presidents in the past who have been pretty clear cut Democrat or Republican. However, this year, all the candidates seem even more radical.
The fact that a racist conservative like Trump is so popular makes one wonder what is going on to make this happen. Or, the fact that democratic socialist Bernie Sanders is so popular. How are these strong opinioned people getting a lot of support, and why aren’t voters demanding more moderate candidates? For Trump, it seems obvious that Americans are scared about the current climate of the world and their fear makes them turn to a radical man who promises to take that fear away.
With Sanders, perhaps he is right in saying that people want a political revolution and they want to change the political climate. Both men offer an ideal and attractive (to each respective party) method to relieve the stress or worries that voters have in this day and age. This brings up an important question: Are people really that scared? Is the current state of the world so bad that people turn to these radical candidates?
The threat of ISIS, the campaign of Black Lives Matter, the growing feminist movement, the ongoing debate about gun laws - these are all issues that have created a divided country. People seem to have much stronger opinions - opinions that often are way right or way left, hardly in the middle. It seems clear that Americans want a solution, and they want it soon. They’re willing to elect someone who is a radical in order to get the kind of country that they want and the kind of country they’d want their children to grow up in.
Democrats and Republicans have always disagreed, and it’s safe to say they’ll keep on disagreeing on certain issues. But wouldn’t it be better to have a President who wasn’t so off to one side, that they were more close to the middle? That way, both parties could be happy about something.
However, this year, Americans want results. They’re willing to build a wall at the border if it means more safety; they’re willing to tax the rich if it means more equality; they’re willing to elect a President who they believe will make things right. Even at the cost of creating a climate where Democrats and Republicans couldn’t be more far apart. It will certainly be interesting to see where the next four years take us, and how it will change our country. Hopefully, it will be good change.
