After two years of speculation, Hillary Clinton finally announced she was running for President. Her video targeted every key demographic from recent college graduates and a gay couple to different ethnic groups and retirees. When she started her bid, she was basically the only Democratic candidate as compared to the overwhelming number of Republican candidates. She started the race off strong with a CBS News Poll showing that about 80% of Democrats were considering voting for her.
Flash forward to May when Bernie Sanders officially announced his bid for Presidency. His announcement was much less flashy than Hillary Clinton’s, but it had something honest about it that young people identified with. Sanders has since gained a very large following among America’s young people—much like Barack Obama did in 2008. His popularity is taking away the disillusionment that many young people previously had towards politicians and politics in general.
Issues like student debt make is quite obvious that college students should care about the campaign—no mater how early it is in the campaign season. So, I recruited 17 college women to share their views on Hillary Clinton and the Presidential campaign in general.
Catherine, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Class of 2016
“I think that Hillary Clinton would make a good President, or at least not a bad one. I don’t see any drastic changes taking place under her presidency for either the better or worse. To me, she seems as though she works to conform to the normalcy of a standard democratic politician. Her views seem to follow the trends of what the majority of Democrats are thinking…Other than the fact that Clinton is a female she seems like a very “typical” politician. A downside to this may be that she seems kind of disconnected by the majority of the country due to being engulfed in a political life…As of now, I am more of a Bernie Sanders supporter than a Hillary Clinton supporter because his views appear to more closely align with my own concerns. I definitely want to see more debates between them and learn more about their plans before I make a final decision. I would definitely support Hillary Clinton over any of the Republican candidates. If she did become president, I would be happy though because I think it is important to break the pattern of all male presidencies and I think that Hillary Clinton is a qualified individual.”
Alexia, New York University Class of 2017
“The idea of having a female president is exceptionally empowering as a woman. However, this force alone does not capture my vote for Hillary Clinton. I believe that she is missing clear goals and appears a bit conservative to younger female voters. Other democratic candidates such as Bernie Sanders, who has a lucid agenda and freer expression, are more appealing. That being said, if Sanders wasn’t running, I would systematically end up a Clinton supporter. However, Clinton comes off as old news and a bit conservative. I feel that the first female president should come in with greater appeal, greater joy in being a woman – a figure young progressive women could aspire to be. But I do realize that we are considerably far away from this point in history.”
Liz, The George Washington University Class of 2016.
“As a female, I’m inspired to see a strong, ambitious woman running for President…However, I think it’s important for voters to make informed decisions based on many factors, including a candidate’s voting history, background, and policy positions. There are many Democrats who are voting for Hillary Clinton simply because she is more “electable” against a Republican candidate or because she is a woman, but I believe that voters need to really consider her positions on the issues, which are often wavering and unclear… When it comes to the issues, I align more closely with Bernie Sanders’ platform. Bernie Sanders is tackling campaign reform through his own direct action…Sanders does not represent establishment politics and I will vote for him because I trust him more than Clinton to represent our country in the best way possible. I would be proud to see a woman in the White House…However, in the end, I will be judging candidates on their merits and their ideas, not their gender.”
Kimberly, University of Central Florida Class of 2019
“I am a big fan of Hillary Clinton. I think she faces a lot of unfair criticism, such as the outfits she wears or how serious she is, solely because she is a woman…She has done a lot to advance the rights of women in politics…As First Lady and then Secretary of State, I think she has a lot of political experience and is more than qualified to be president…I think, however, that I will vote for Bernie Sanders because he is better at getting laws passed across party lines; whereas, Republicans and other conservatives often refuse to compromise at all with Clinton. However, if Clinton is the Democratic candidate and beats out Sanders in the primaries, then I will definitely vote for her. I would be thrilled if Clinton is the first female president. She has done a lot for women’s rights and social rights in general. I think it is wrong to vote for her solely because she is a woman, but that is not why I am voting for her. I would never, for example, vote for Sarah Palin, who has no idea about many of the issues she speaks on and is much less knowledgeable than Clinton…”
Jacque, American University Class of 2014, The George Washington University Graduate School
“As a woman, I don’t see how one could not vote for Hillary. Even if you don’t agree with everything she says, she is undoubtedly the most qualified candidate…She knows Washington in her capacity as Secretary of State and as the first lady…My views align more with Bernie Sanders, but I would like to see Hilary in office.”
Baylee, University of Colorado Boulder Class of 2019
“As a female, I definitely think that we need a woman president. I think it would do a lot of good in promoting feminism and equality of all people. I am not a Clinton supporter, however, I do like a lot of her opinions. She wants to do all kinds of things like pay off national debt, expand Obamacare, and prioritize green energy. All of this requires a lot of money which many candidates tend not to pay enough mind to and just say things to get votes…What I don’t agree with is a lot of her foreign policy…I think some of the most important issues right now are raising the age for collecting social security, getting rid of national debt, and getting the money and big business out of politics. I think she dances around these topics a little too much to where I don’t trust that she will solve the issues…Overall, I would not be upset if she was the first female in office. I think that would be really great for all minorities and for women in the US. However, I would definitely support a stronger candidate who can crack down on the fundamental issues of our government before it addresses smaller issues affected by it.”
Fiori, University of Maryland Class of 2019
“As a female I think it’s great Hilary rose to the position to the point that she’s a respectable candidate for presidency. I think she had to go through a lot of hoops and she continues to face criticism not because of her physical standing but because of her gender…I’m more of a Bernie Sanders supporter, but she’s my second choice…she’s not the best but she’s better than the rest…But she takes stances on things just because she’ll know people will support her.”
Jessica, St. Mary’s College of Maryland Class of 2016
“Overall I think she is an intelligent woman and I think her advocacy for women’s rights and equality is one of the most important aspects of her candidacy, as well as her support for the LGBTQ community (even though her support did not exist until recently, but she admits she changed her mind). She obviously understands how the White House works which is important…I’m for Bernie Sanders but Hillary is my second choice.”
Emily, Arizona State University Class of 2017
“As a female, I think Clinton is an amazing role model. She has experienced some intense sexism in her field and she has proven time and time again that she can stand alone on her merits and accomplishments, regardless of who her husband is…I’m a Bernie supporter in terms of the primary. I have quite a few qualms about many of Clinton’s past policies and actions. I’m also skeptical about who her backers are and how that will dictate her actions if elected. I don’t think her being female is alone a good enough reason to support her…That being said, if she wins the Democratic primary I will absolutely vote for her…I would be thrilled if she was the first female in office…While I disagree with some of her policies, I do support most of her platform. So for that reason, I would much prefer her in office than anyone else, aside from Bernie Sanders because I 100% agree with his platform…”
Pari, University of Maryland Class of 2011, Columbia University Graduate School
“I don’t agree with all her views but I think she’s a solid choice for presidency… I wouldn’t say I’m totally on board with everything she has to offer, but no one else is really jumping out at me as a viable candidate at the moment. I think she’d be a good representative of the gender… she’s earned the spot in her own right, so hopefully it wouldn’t seem like she only got the opportunity due to being a former first lady and having certain advantages.”
Kristina, The Ohio State University Class of 2016
“I think Hilary Clinton is a strong, intelligent woman and represents females well. She is typically viewed negatively by social media outlets as a ball buster or bitch but I think people are intimidated by her intelligence and drive. I think she is a good candidate but I haven’t been keeping up with the political debates in order to pick a side. I would be proud if she was the first female representative in office because it would show how far women have come in history, but I wouldn’t want her to win solely based on her gender. I would make sure she has a strong campaign and realistic goals for this country.”
Rachel, St. Andrew’s University Class of 2017
“I think it’s great that we finally have a female running for president! However, Hilary is more than her gender and she is also a very progressive politician. I do support Hilary, but I honestly prefer Bernie. I think that she would represent women across the country in a positive way if she were to hold the office of president.”
Ida, University of Virginia Class of 2018
“I think of Hillary as a true possible candidate and when it comes to the 2016 elections. I believe it’s not gender that would make a good president but the policies…I think she has the chance to be a wonderful president…At the moment…I am looking into all three democrat candidates…If Hillary Clinton won the presidency, I would be proud and would feel as if a huge portion of the glass ceiling has been broken.”
Maren, Pennsylvania State University Class of 2016
“I feel that as a female, Hillary has a better understanding of what women’s rights mean and why they are important. Her fight for women’s rights, specifically women’s reproductive rights internationally, is inspiring. The number of men that stand up and want to talk about women’s rights like they have any idea is mind blowing. I think it’s time to have a female president…I would be very happy if she were the first female president. I think that she can hold her own as a female in a room of men and I think that she has a lot of relevant political experience.”
Cara, California College of the Arts Class of 2019
“I think that she stands for a lot of good things in women’s rights…but I feel like she changes her views depending on who she is talking to…but that’s how a lot of politicians are…I would definitely prefer her over any Republican candidate. I am a Hillary fan, but her gender won’t be the sole reason I’ll be voting for her.”
Sophie, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Class of 2019
“She’s the most qualified, but she seems over rehearsed and seems to do whatever will get her votes. My vote depends on who she’s running against. If she wins, I’d be glad that a woman was elected to the Presidency.”
Summer, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Class of 2015, New Mexico State University Graduate School
“It’s great to see a strong female in politics, but as a Libertarian, I don’t agree with her very left viewpoints and frankly I don’t think she acts with much integrity…A female president would be fantastic, but she’s not the one I would want representing our gender.”
While these women are a small subset of all college students, their opinions are very clear about the young feminist discourse towards Hillary. It would be empowering to see a woman as President, but should women settle for Hillary because she’s the only option? While these young women agree that Hillary is inspirational, they tend to be leaning towards other candidates like Bernie Sanders because of his authenticity. Luckily—students have a year to make up their mind about the 2016 election.