Following the most recent democratic debate, which occurred on Oct. 13, 2015, a multitude of political changes swept across Washington. Here are a list of seven that shocked the world, in some cases, myself included.
7. Lincoln Chafee Drops Out of the Democratic Race
On Oct. 23, Lincoln Chafee dropped out of the Democratic race for President. He declared for the race back in June, advocating on an agenda centered around peace. When he confirmed he was dropping out of the race, he continued his agenda for peace one last time, stating:
"As you know, I have been campaigning on a platform of Prosperity Through Peace, but after much thought, I have decided to end my campaign for president today. I would like to take this opportunity one last time to advocate for a chance be given to peace."
6. Jim Webb also Drops Out of the Democratic Race
On Oct. 20, Jim Webb dropped out if the Democratic Race for President, however, he is still considering an independent run. Webb believes the Democratic Party has moved away from the ideals of true Americans.
"For this reason, I am withdrawing from any consideration of being the Democratic Party's nominee for the presidency. The very nature of our democracy is under siege due to the power structure and the money that finances both political parities. It is time for a new Declaration of Independence -- not from an outside power but from the paralysis of a federal system that no longer serves the interests of the vast majority of the American people."
Webb said in a later interview that he will take a couple of weeks to consider an independent run.
5. Trump Supports Dictators
That's right. Just when you thought the most controversial thing Donald Trump could have said had been said already, he hits us with a whole new string of remarks, these regarding the former dictatorships of Iraq and Libya under Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi respectively. In an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's State of the Union, Trump replied clear as day,
"I mean, look at Libya. Look at Iraq. Iraq used to be no terrorists. He (Hussein) would kill the terrorists immediately, which is like now it's the Harvard of terrorism. If you look at Iraq from years ago, I'm not saying he was a nice guy, he was a horrible guy, but it was a lot better than it is right now. Right now, Iraq is a training ground for terrorists. Right now Libya, nobody even knows Libya, frankly there is no Iraq and there is no Libya. It's all broken up. They have no control. Nobody knows what's going on."
Trump later said if elected president, the history books would remember him as the Great Unifier.
4. Ben Carson Leads in Iowa
In two separate polls that came out on Thursday, Oct. 20, the results show that Retired Neurosurgeon Ben Carson now leads Donald Trump substantially in the first voting state of Iowa. In the first poll, it's Carson's 28 percent to Trump's 20 percent, and in the second poll, we see Carson at 28 percent again, compared to a dwindling 19 percent support of Trump in Iowa. These numbers come in huge for the doctor, as Iowa has less than 100 days before its first voting caucuses begin. Tick tock, Trump.
3. Representative Paul Ryan Runs for Speaker of The House
Moving away from the Presidential Race sphere, earlier this week, Representative Paul Ryan confirmed what everyone already knew: he will run to replace John Boehner as Speaker of The House. If elected, Paul Ryan, who is only 45 years old, will have a hefty burden placed on his shoulders. Ryan outlined his plan to include pushing important bills, such as immigration, which have a majority of support from Republicans, and also promised bold policy ideas on the House floor, like welfare reform, health care legislation, and a tax overhaul. He also required per running that the chamber would stand firm on those policy proposals with Senate Republicans and the White House. However, he softened his demand to roll back a procedure allowing lawmakers to overthrow a sitting speaker.
At the end of all this, he said he was ready to walk away if they said 'no' to him.
Bold move, Paul Ryan; let's see if it pays off.
2. Hillary and Katy Perry are BFFs
At a rally in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 24, Hillary Clinton was joined on stage by her husband, former president Bill Clinton, and super pop star Katy Perry. Perry, who has been an avid supporter of the Clinton Campaign, performed songs such as "America the Beautiful," "Firework," and "Wide Awake." Ending the concert with her number 1 hit "Roar," Perry also spoke to a crowd of hungry voters, encouraging them to make a change in next year's election.
"How many of you are going to be 18 next year, before November? Are you going to vote? Because you know you have the power, right? Listen, you have so much power and this is going to be one of the most important elections in over a decade. So much change can happen. Let's go Hillary!"
1. The last Jefferson-Jackson Dinner is held in Iowa
On Saturday Night, October 24th, the last Jefferson-Jackson Dinner was held in Des Moines, Iowa for democratic candidates, as a night to really pull out in front of the other candidates. This may be the last J-J dinner for democrats, as some feel it is inappropriate due to modern controversies over Jefferson's slave holding and Jackson's policy toward Native Americans while in office. Regardless, it was a very successful night for all the democrats, as they were able to get some great publicity and talk directly to key donors.
