By now, everyone should know that this year’s presidential race is a hot topic. From both the Democratic and Republican side, the array of characters is (at the least) interesting. Held on Tuesday, January 26, The Democratic Town Hall was indeed a specular. This town-hall forum was so important for the candidates because this was last televised event before the big Iowa Caucus.
Why is this so important?
Besides being the first primary election of the campaign season, the Iowa caucus offers some type of prediction to party nominations, especially for the Democrats. In fact, in the last three Iowa contested caucuses winner for the Democrats became the party nomination. It is a pretty nice spot for any of the presidential hopefuls.
The next race after Iowa is the New Hampshire Primary on February 9.
Know Who You’re Voting for
It is very important to know who you are voting for no matter what side of the equation you represent. There is a lot of misinterpretation of facts and characters you could get from the media. That is why it is always important to do your research.
Remember, it is your right to vote, so no one should influence it. If you feel a candidate represents you properly then you should vote for that person. After all, there are currently 3 democratic candidates and 10 republican candidates to choose from. So hopefully, there is someone similar to you. Changing the future begins with voting.
Who am I rooting for?
Without a single doubt, I am voting Democrat. Although I am a registered independent, the Republican Party is just too questionable for me. I personally find that the Grand Old Party or GOP needs to catch up to the 21st century. Instead of being moderately progressive the party is stuck in a stationary position. I do understand that it is the conservative party, but eventually, that conservatism is going to need to budge in order to increase membership from the younger generation. Basically, it needs to be an “out with the old and in with the new” type of situation.
As we all know, America is a beautiful melting pot that is full of diversity. Not just solely in terms of race, but also in terms of gender identification, sexuality, religion, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. So for that reason alone, I think it’s very important to have a political party running a nation it reflects. Ironically, there is more diversity with the Republican Party presidential hopefuls this year.
With all that being said and explained, after watching the Democratic Town Hall I feel Bernie Sanders has my vote. I have always been attracted to Bernie Sanders as a political leader, but after Tuesday’s town hall I felt a complete solidified attachment. There is something in his eyes, something in his speech, and something in his overall humbleness that makes this self-proclaimed “Democratic-Socialist” extremely likeable. Who would ever think a 74-year-old man would be winning the hearts of the Millennial voters. This is mainly because of his perspective on war, college tuition, and universal health care. Also, Bernie Sanders seems to also hold racial equality at the top of his political agenda.
What about the Others?
Yes, I do respect Hillary Clinton for her courageous groundwork for gender equality and time as Secretary of State, but it seems like she does not really come from a place of authenticity. Frankly, she’s just a little too PC (political correct) to be PC. Meaning, she doesn’t want to push the envelope and has too much hesitation over deciding a decision. (That might be a product of running for president twice.) For example, one moment she says “All Lives Matter” and the next (in order to secure black votes) she’s standing up yelling “Black Lives Matter.” Which is it?
I think all that youth voters are looking for is just some honesty coming out of Washington. As for Martin O’Malley, he’s just too boring and needs a splash of personality. As far as his policies, I haven’t found them to be game-changers, end of story. At the end of the day, I’m looking for a candidate that isn’t afraid of testing the status quo and doesn’t mind creating conversations that are not usually covered.
Hey, but we all know the saying about opinions…
So whether you agree or disagree with my views on the candidates, it is extremely vital to develop your own opinion. Get informed and get involved, after all, this is your future.