*This article does not represent the views of Her Campus FSU
The presidential primaries are well under way. The primaries are where Republican and Democratic candidates campaign in hopes of being chosen as the person to represent their party in the presidential race. During debates, candidates from the same party take out advertisements against one another, criticize the others’ record and point out every flaw possible. Every candidate does this knowing that they could be running on the same ticket as their current opponent in a few short weeks.
Courtesy: Potus 2016
The Republican Party front runner Donald Trump is controversial, to say the least. He is a wealthy businessman with little, if any, knowledge on diplomatic foreign policy. He is not a typical candidate. His comments and behavior throughout his campaign have led to countless heated discussions, news stories and harsh criticism. There are several other candidates but only two others that are giving Trump any competition. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, both Hispanic, are in the fight for the Republican nomination as well. All of these candidates point out their differences in an attempt to obtain an advantage in votes. Donald Trump has been the front runner since his announcement to run and he shows no signs of slowing down. After coming in second to Ted Cruz in Iowa, he clearly won in both New Hampshire and Nevada. Both Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio will continue to fight for the lead as the battle moves throughout the country.
The Democratic Party is represented by Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, our former Secretary of State. They too are debating and campaigning for the democratic nomination. Although they have vowed to lead a clean campaign, their debates can get rather heated. Bernie Sanders accuses Hillary Clinton of being “party of the establishment” while Hillary states she is the one who can “get the job done”. Hillary won, just barely, in Iowa, had an embarrassing loss in New Hampshire but won Nevada. Hillary seems to be picking up speed in the race but Bernie continues to fight for the nomination.
As I watch the debates on television I can’t help but think how far we have come. We live in a society where we have a black president and the candidates running to potentially become the next president include two Hispanic males and a female. I know I will be watching closely in anticipation of who will be chosen. No matter who is nominated and elected, I’m glad we live in a country where opportunity exists for everyone. America still have a ways to go but progress is evident. Just 60 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. led the March on Washington (with a young Bernie Sanders in the crowd) in a country where “separate but equal” was the law of the land.
Today, we have a black president. The candidates running in the election are not the white male Anglo-Saxon Protestants who make up a majority of our past presidents. Instead we see two Hispanic males, one Jewish male, one black male and one female. Although we should be voting based on ideologies and not the consequence of a person’s birth, it is important to note the progress in the opportunities presented to the citizens of the United States. No matter who becomes nominated or who becomes elected, I am happy to live in a country where young children can see themselves represented in politics, letting them know that they can dream and accomplish great goals. With this presidential race, America is taking a great diversified step in the right direction.
Florida primaries are on March 15th so make sure you are registered and educated, Collegiettes! Don’t forget to vote!