The next presidential election will occur in November 2016. It’s still a year away, but the presidential race has already begun, and it has been raging for quite a while. It seems the top presidential candidates, after the first round of debates, are Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, and Ben Carson. However, opinion polls vary widely between candidates as do the political views of the candidates themselves. This presidential election could be one of the most important in recent decades as Congress is about to go through major reforms due to the recent resignation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner.
Running in the Republican primaries, Dr. Ben Carson is currently polling second next to Donald Trump. Carson's political views stand in stark contrast to those of Clinton and Sanders, understandably due to their party factions. Carson is pro-life, he believes that we should add a Balanced Budget Amendment in order to fix our current debt, he wants our common core education system overturned, he wants to dismantle Obamacare, and he is anti-gun control.
Check out some of Carson's most notable quotes here.
Polling as the number one Republican candidate, Donald Trump has caused quite a stir both politically and in the media. Compared to Carson, Trump only has publicly announced his political views on three different issues. Trump is an advocate for tax reform that would lower tax rates especially on the middle class, is anti-gun control, and is pro-immigration reform--a view that is radical in that his plan for reform is to build a wall across our southern border with Mexico and detain so-called “illegal” immigrants.
Take a look at some of Trump's most ridiculous quotes here.
The Democratic party candidate, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is polling very closely against Sanders, as many of their views on the important issues are similar. Clinton believes a key issue in the U.S. is sexual assaults on college campuses, that we must address climate change before it is too late, that college tuition rates and loans should be reformed. She is an advocate for equality when it comes to those with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, and women, and she is also pro-gun control.
Here are some of Clinton's most commented upon quotes.
The oldest presidential candidate running, Bernie Sanders is currently polling just slightly ahead of Clinton. Sanders is a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, which while having a negative connotation in American society, could potentially be beneficial to our country. Sanders believes that we should try to close the income inequality gap, that tuition at public colleges and universities should be free and debt free, believes the minimum wage should be raised, that climate change should be addressed, and he is currently fighting for LGBTQ equality, racial justice, a fair immigration policy, and women’s rights.
Check out some of Sanders' most powerful quotes.
These are just some of the key issues that the top presidential candidates believe have importance and each one values something different. In order to find the candidate worth voting for, each and every one of us should do our research. It is imperative that we shape our country's future by educating ourselves and voting.
