After taking a look at the presidential candidates for both parties, the most common reaction these days is utter confusion. For a multitude of reasons, the presidential field this year is anything but ordinary.
The most striking characteristic of this year’s field is that being a politician actually seems to be a negative. It would appear that the American people’s frustration with Washington has reached new heights.
With the top two polling candidates in the Republican field having never before held public office, it seems the right is bound and determined to present a non-politician as their candidate. Dr. Ben Carson is a neurosurgeon, and Donald Trump is a businessman turned reality TV personality.
If either of these men do win the nomination, it would be absolutely unprecedented. A major party has never in our history nominated a candidate without political or military experience!
Another glaringly different attribute is the diversity within the field. Each side has a woman that is a legitimate contender to win the nomination. Clinton is on top of the Democratic polls, and Carly Fiorina is polling in the top five for the Republicans.
Dr. Carson is making a serious bid to be the next African-American man to be president as he leads in the latest Republican polls. Also on the Republican side, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are hoping to become the first Hispanic president.
The most interesting peculiarity of this year’s field, however, is how each party’s field compares to their stereotype.
With the Democrats coming off the election and reelection of Barack Obama, you might expect a field of trail blazers vying to continue to carry that torch. In this case, you would be wrong. As was made quite apparent at the first Democratic debate, it may be time for the Republicans to hand the “Grumpy Old People” nickname over to the Democrats.
Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush are about as close as it gets to American royalty. While Hillary would be the first female president, a 67-year-old becoming the second Clinton in the White House just doesn’t have the same effect.
The Republicans, meanwhile, have done an awful job of living up to their stereotype of being rich white men. As the polls stand now, an African-American neurosurgeon would be their candidate.
While second-place Donald Trump is the spitting image of the stereotype, the rest of the field certainly speaks to the unexpected makeup of a Republican field. Third place and fourth places are held by 44-year-old Hispanic Senators Rubio and Cruz. Businesswoman Fiorina and Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal are also in the top eight.
While this year’s presidential field may look unorthodox, it does appear to be on track to bring another historic first to the White House in one way or another. As to who the history maker will be, only time will tell.
