On the eve of Election Day, I sit and contemplate about the lasting negative effects of this presidential campaign. I worry about the refugees seeking a better life in the US. I worry about the drastic change in American politics and what that means for the world. Most importantly, I worry about the future of either candidates presidency. (*This is just an opinion. I don't have all the facts. These are just thoughts spewing out of me.)
When Trump announced his run for presidency, I laughed it off. No way can a billionaire with no knowledge of politics run and gain voters. Sure, he's famous, but that's all he is. A celebrity. Then there was Hillary Clinton. She has experience and understanding of policies, so surely she'd win by landslide.
Nope. I was wrong.
This presidential campaign is unlike the first one I was old enough to understand: Obama against Romney. I wanted Obama to win, to see an educated man of color sit in the Oval Office and make change for people of color, for those not privileged enough.
Again, I was wrong, yet I knew why. Obama isn't the face of all people of color. He doesn't represent us, and most certainly does not represent all Black people. His experiences are not like others, even if there is a similar outcome. He could only do so much with such a division of Republicans and Democrats in Congress. Obama has done good for the country, whether people want to believe it or not. Now I worry about the next presidents impact.
Donald Trump's campaign from the get go seemed like a joke. A year long joke that just didn't end. People actually rallied for Trump: they saw him as America's savior, the guy who would "Make America Great Again." Who was it great for? I look back and cannot, for the life of me, fathom that his supporters actually believe that Obama's presidency was at fault for 9/11. There are supporters of his who believe that Obama's presidency created racism, and that it hadn't existed until then. I'm worried because these people are blind in their ignorance and hatred, that they don't understand the history of America.
Hillary Clinton's campaign seemed to be the more organized, the better one. She has experience working in the White House and has knowledge of politics, of the economy. It didn't hurt either that she is a woman, the first possible woman to be president. That's exciting, yet I feel disconnected from her. I would love to have a female president, and I'm sure Hillary would do her best, but she hasn't said much about Standing Rock. Plus, there's the issue about the content of the deleted emails as well as the DNC's rigging in favor of Clinton. The Democratic party isn't as unified as the Republican party.
Sure, I can vote third party. I am dissatisfied with the candidates. This is my first time voting, and it comes down to choosing between lesser evils, but that's kind of a stretch. Evil can't be measured. Right?
I think and worry about immigrants, Muslims, the Black Lives Matter movement and #NoDAPL. What will happen to people of color as they continue to face racism and fear. Will the election of the next president work to unify the people of the US? I fear that racism will lead to more violence against people who only came here for a better life. The growing anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment will not make America great again. This presidential election is doing more harm than good. Come Election Day, the impact and influence will continue and the legacy of this presidential campaign will live on.
