IT'S ELECTION SEASON! In case you live under a rock and have not noticed the endless barrage of election news, ad campaigns, and relentless internet memes, it is that time again. In 8 short months, it will be time to head out to the polls and vote for our next American President.

If you have been tuning out all of the election noise, here is a brief list of candidates, their backgrounds, and their advertised viewpoints!

Republican GOP Candidates:

Senator Ted Cruz (Texas)

Ted Cruz is well known for his promise to fight for what he believes in, even when it is not the popular option. He voted for a balanced federal budget, and consistently opposed increasing the debt ceiling. In the way of civil liberties, Cruz opposes government intrusion (use of drones, NSA's data collection program, free speech limitations, etc.). He stands against Common Core implementation in schools and voted to maintain student loan subsidies at a market-based rate. Cruz wants to assist in domestic energy production and increase trade of domestically produced energy, and he disputes the notion that climate change is man-made (and the science that it exists at all). He has called for strict sanctions against Iran and Russia, opposes US involvement in the Syrian civil war, supports Israel, and is in favor of military force against ISIS. Cruz is an ardent opponent of Obamacare (Universal Healthcare). He opposes illegal amnesty and supports closing down our borders to the South. Cruz is a proponent of traditional marriage, is pro-life, and supports the idea of state's rights to make decisions on marriage equality and abortion. He opposes stricter gun control laws and fought the legislation of 2013 at every turn. There's also a wild rumor/meme that Cruz is actually the Zodiac Killer, so that's interesting (and also definitely not true)!

Donald J Trump (Drumpf)

PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS NOT YOUR CHOICE BECAUSE THIS IS A BAD PLAN! Nonetheless, I will list his viewpoints, as we should all be educated as to WHY this is a bad idea. In the way of budgeting and spending, Trump has not made his plans to stabilize our economy very specific, but says he is uniquely qualified to run the country as a lifetime business man. This is in spite of his going bankrupt more than once, once into debt of billions of dollars. He was a supporter of the NSA's data collection program, and says he will be an advocate for Christians, but refused to comment on religious freedom. Trump opposes Common Core, and supports educational vouchers and fostering competition. He opposes cap-and-trade to address climate change and says that he opposes wind energy production because he fears that the turbines may hurt the value of the golf resort he is developing in Scotland. Trump believes that we should be charging our allies for the cost of the security we provide, and he has been vague about his plans to defeat ISIS, saying only that he will defeat ISIS. He supports bailing out Wall Street and the auto industry, and believes that the government has every right to enforce eminent domain laws. He claims to be against Obamacare, but says that he supports universal healthcare, which is the same thing. On the issue of immigration, Trump says he is going to build a wall, and make Mexico pay for it. I should not have to elaborate for you to see how utterly stupid this is. Trump says that he is now pro-life, after years of being a staunch supporter of abortion rights. He supports traditional marriage and the states' right to choose for themselves, but ALSO supports the Supreme Court's right to choose for them, which is a complete contradiction. He has made a complete 180 on gun control, as he was once a supporter of the assault weapons ban, but now says that we should end the weapon and magazine ban and curtail the background check system. For more helpful information, watch the episode of Last Week Tonight in which John Oliver coined the hashtag #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain.

Governor John Kasich (Ohio)

Kasich was a part of the key group of conservatives who forced a balanced federal budget and paid down the national debt for the first time since the late 1960s. He has fought to remove restrictions on the First Amendment, and has fought the efforts to use facial recognition software on his state's driver's license database. Kasich supports Common Core being implemented, but also expanded the use of school voucher programs in his state. He has also eliminated tenure for teachers and implemented performance-based compensation. Kasich believes in climate change and has urged people to "pay attention to the science." However, he has also rolled back renewable energy standards and opposed cap-and-trade laws. In regards to foreign policy, Kasich is a limited interventionist. He is a supporter of Medicaid, even though he does not support Obamacare, and has worked to expand mental healthcare systems in Ohio. He deems himself a "compassionate conservative." Kasich is willing to support amnesty for immigrants and states that a pathway to citizenship may be necessary to fix the current system. He is a steadfast pro-life supporter, but does not believe that Roe v Wade should be overturned. He has stated in previous interviews and debates that he would attend the wedding of a gay friend of family member and has deferred to the courts on the issue of gay marriage. He believes that there are more important issues to be solved and that abortion and gay marriage are simply distractions. Kasich is a second amendment supporter, but also voted to expand background checks and in favor of the assault weapons ban.

Democratic Candidates:

Senator Hillary Clinton (New York)

Hillary is no stranger to national level politics, having already run one presidential campaign and serving as the Secretary of State under Obama during his first term as president. As a senator, she fought to balance the budget, then pay down the debt and cut taxes within that structure. She takes the stance that national security is more vital than individual rights and that the Patriot Act was necessary, if flawed. The ideas of Common Core are actually the product of the Clinton era in the 1990s, and she supports the implementation of after-school programs to keep kids out of trouble. She believes that education should be a right from preschool to college. Clinton is a supporter of cap-and-trade policies and wants to fund alternative energy sources to prevent the furthering of climate change that she says is obvious in the Arctic. As the once Secretary of State, Clinton was instrumental in the foreign policy developed during Obama's first term. She supports the idea of UN reform because she says that the US will benefit from it and she believes that we should engage in world affairs, especially when human rights are an issue. She is steadfastly against the anti-vaccine movement and called Universal Healthcare a core democratic principle. She has withdrawn her support of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) and says that her mind has changed regarding gay marriage; she also has stated that "gay soldiers need to shoot straight, not be straight." In regards to abortion and right to choose, she supports the woman's right to choose and believes that we should also attempt to reduce the number of abortions performed by funneling more support into adoption. Clinton believes that we should stop protecting the gun manufacturers and allow them to get sued, and is in favor of an assault weapons ban.

Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont)

Bernie Sanders is a senator from Vermont who also served in the House of Representatives for several years. Sanders is in favor of breaking up the Big Banking system and has set forth a comprehensive 12-point agenda for moving our economy forward. He wants to focus heavily on enforcing mortgage fraud laws and banning abusive credit practices. In regards to national security, Sanders wants to shut down the NSA data collection program, enhance the support for veterans when they return stateside from their deployments, and cut defense spending in order to fund college tuition. Sanders policies on education will include making public colleges and universities free or nearly free to all, enhancing the Head Start program to teach low income pre-schoolers, and reduce and potentially forgive student loan debt. He also supports Common Core to an extent, as well as standardized testing. He is an advocate of GMO labeling and does believe in climate change, saying that he believes it will lead to international security crises. His stance on foreign policy is that we need to stop being the policemen of the world and focus on destabilizing the ISIS threat. He also believes that our main focus should be on the humanitarian efforts, like reaching out to the Syrian refugees. Sanders maintains that the middle class will pay less with universal healthcare and that we need to expand and further support mental healthcare systems to prevent as many suicides and violent crimes from happening as possible. He is a staunch civil rights actor, extending his support to the Black Lives Matter movement, equal pay for equal work, and right to marry with no regard to sexual orientation. He has a history of funding family planning and advocates for the right to choose and the availability of emergency contraceptions for rape victims at all hospitals. Lastly, Sanders wants to reverse gun manufacturer immunity and ban semi-automatic weapons and close the gun show loophole.

Now, do what you will with this information. If you want to do more research, I would consider going to the links posted below, as that is where I found the bulk of the research that I condensed for this article. If you think you know enough based on this piece and what you have already been hearing, that's all well and good. But, by all means and for the love of god (whether you believe in him or not) and all of the other begging and pleading phrases, GET UP AND VOTE! The only way to have any hope that the candidate you favor will get elected is to VOTE! If you are not registered yet, and you don't live in a state where same-day registration has been enacted, figure out how to do that and REGISTER! Information should be available on your state's DMV website. You should also be able to get registration information at your local post office. Be sure to research this before mid-August, as most states have a registration deadline. If you are moving to a new state in or before September, register ASAP upon arriving in your new state. JUST VOTE! Our country may be flawed, but the democracy that we strive for CANNOT work if you DO NOT vote! PLEASE JUST GET OUT AND VOTE!

For more information, visit:

https://www.conservativereview.com/2016-presidenti...

http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

And again, VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!