Cutting Through the Bullsh*t: A Recap of the First Presidetial Debate 2016 | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

Cutting Through the Bullsh*t: A Recap of the First Presidetial Debate 2016

Under all of the arguing, there was actually some substance.

17
Cutting Through the Bullsh*t: A Recap of the First Presidetial Debate 2016
YouTube

If you watched the debate last night, then you'll probably agree with me that most of it was bullsh*t. In my professional opinion, about 55 percent of the time was spent with Donald Trump talking over everyone, 10 percent was Lester Holt (the moderator) trying to regain control, 20 percent was Hillary and Donald seeing who could talk over each other the loudest, 5 percent consisted of Trump sniffling, and possibly 10 percent was actual substance. Luckily for you, I'm here to cut through all the arguing about emails and tax returns to give you the low down on some of the candidate's proposals to tackle the nation's issues.

To organize the debate, Lester Holt divided the topics into three areas: "Achieving Prosperity," "America's Direction," and "Securing America," with various topics falling under each heading. Here's what the candidates had to say about each topic.

1. Achieving Prosperity

Jobs

Hillary Clinton: Hillary wants to "build an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy at the top." She plans to create jobs for the middle class in areas like infrastructure, clean energy, technology, innovation and in the small business sector. This, she believes, will make the economy fairer for all involved. She would raise the national minimum wage and eliminate the gender wage gap. She supports families trying to balance their work and home lives by offering paid family and medical leave.

Donald Trump: Donald said that countries like Mexico and China are stealing all of the American jobs because domestic companies are outsourcing their work. To stop this outsourcing, he would reduce corporate tax rates from 35 percent to 15 percent to incentivize companies to grow their businesses in America rather than overseas. He also supports paid family and medical leave like Clinton, but might make the paid time shorter.

Taxes

Hillary Clinton: She would increase taxes for the wealthy. Part of this extra tax revenue would go toward making college more affordable for the middle class. In short, she believes that the wealthy should be taxed more to get the middle class out of debt.

Donald Trump: He would actually cut taxes for the wealthy. Trump said that the high tax rates for the wealthy cause them to spend their money overseas and that by lowering their tax rate, it would help stimulate the domestic economy.

2. America's Direction

Race

Hillary Clinton: Clinton wants everyone to both respect the law and be respected by the law. She wants to end racial profiling, and would retrain police forces to only use force when necessary in an attempt to restore trust between the communities and the police. She thinks the entire criminal justice system needs a reform, and would start this reform by creating stricter gun laws and imposing mandatory minimum sentences for prison time served for minor offenses.

Donald Trump: Trump says that America needs law and order for minorities in the inner cities. He supports racial profiling and did not detail a plan to diffuse racial tensions.

3. Securing America

Cyber Attacks

Hillary Clinton: She acknowledged that the recent cyber attacks on America's public and private sector information will be a big challenge to combat. She plans to make it clear to potential attackers that America has a great capacity and powerful tools with which to fight back. Clinton would disrupt ISIS propaganda efforts online in an effort to stop the terror group from infiltrating the minds of domestic citizens.

Donald Trump: He does not think that America has the great capabilities that Hillary referenced, and does not believe that it was Russia who hacked the Democratic National Convention. Trump says that America is slacking in terms of cyber security and in other areas of the government as well.

ISIS- Preventing Homegrown Terror Attacks

Hillary Clinton: Hillary would use more resources to search for information before and after terror attacks. Domestically, she would accomplish this by training officials to be better able to respond to terror threats and attacks. She used the example of the live capture of the recent New York City bomber, which will allow police to further interrogate him. Clinton also thinks that America needs to work more closely with foreign allies to be able to fight terrorism overseas. She would strengthen ties with Middle Eastern Muslims and with the American Muslim community because she believes that they can provide us with valuable information that we cannot find anywhere else.

Donald Trump: Trump plans to "knock the hell out of ISIS." He says that America needs to stop letting ISIS have access to oil supplies, because that is how they get their money, and as a result of their increased wealth, their extensive power.


For more information on the candidate's policies, visit Donald Trump's website or Hillary Clinton's website.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

694726
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

593625
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments