In our previous article detailing Montclair State University students on the Democratic presidential candidates, we mentioned that this season has been quite…interesting.
Whether you’re voting or not, or simply don’t have an opinion, we can all agree that we haven’t seen a presidential race quite like this. Our candidates come with differing positions for an even greater amount of issues.
Here, a handful of Montclair students provided each candidate with ratings from 1-10 on a variety of issues and some provided their opinions as well.
Donald Trump
Average rating for education policies: 3
Average rating for economic policies: 4
Average rating for immigration policies: 2
Average rating for campaign performance: 2
Average rating for effectiveness as president: 3
“Trump’s campaign uses the the insecurities and fears of Americans and turns them into anger and hostility, using minorities as scapegoats. He is using a national platform for create a toxic and violent atmosphere in this country.” – Liz, 21
“I’m very conservative, so I’m a Trump fan. But, I am voting for whoever gets the Republican nomination.” – Jake, 19
“I’d give Trump a 5 out of 10, just because he’s a genius when it comes to economics and he’s invested in America, so he would ‘make America great again’ to the best of his abilities.” – Michael, 20
Ted Cruz
Average rating for education policies: 4
Average rating for economic policies: 5
Average rating for immigration policies: 2
Average rating for campaign performance: 2
Average rating for effectiveness as president: 1
“Ted Cruz isn’t much better, so I’ll give him a 4 out of 10. From what I’ve seen, he’s not very competent either, but he’s better than Trump.” – Danielle, 22
“Cruz uses his understanding of his religion as the base of his campaign, making him one of the most radical candidates. He keeps using Christianity as an argument for his policies when America was founded on a separation of church and state. His ignorance and bigotry is equal to that of Trump.” – Sarah, 20
“I personally think Cruz makes some valid points, especially for our economy, but I honestly feel like he’s been completely swept up in taking down Donald Trump and saying anything to make himself look better. He’s losing his focus.” – Jordan, 21
John Kasich
Average rating for education policies: 6
Average rating for economic policies: 7
Average rating for immigration policies: 6
Average rating for campaign performance: 5
Average rating for effectiveness as president: 4
“He’s someone who actually has a track record of surpluses . . . but the fact that Kasich is viewed as a moderate because of how right wing the other GOP candidates are is terribly ironic.”– David, 21
“I don’t know much about Kasich, just that he does share some radical views but he is less extreme than the other two.” – Sarah, 20
“John Kasich seems to be the only one with an actual plan, but he’s overlooked a lot because of what’s happening between Trump and Cruz.” – Brian, 20