This is not a test. This is your feature editor at The Campus Ledger. Announcing the commencement of the election year sanctioned by the U.S Government. Weapons of fake facts, name calling, and verbal attacks have been authorized for use during the election year. No political officials are out of harm’s way. Commencing at the siren, all candidates are expected to attack opponents, the American people must decide the winner. Normal routine will be unavailable until results are posted November 3, 2020, when the election year concludes.
To some, or most, election year feels a lot like “The Purge.” A free-for-all, anything goes, verbal war between candidates on the debate stages, political rallies and on social media.
After the 2016 presidential race, the rhetoric of political candidates changed. The focus is not with ideas, policies or ethics of the candidate, but with slander, backstabbing and he said/she said scenarios — hopeful candidates were doing and saying anything they could to get the publicity they thought would secure their vote.
The democrat candidate race has been bringing back policy talk, but there have been several times where the media and the candidates bring up issues to try to “bash” another candidate. Attack another candidate, you get talked about more, and any publicity is good publicity.
I remember watching the presidential race unravel in 2016. I watched our current president create insulting nicknames for his opponents in the primaries and general election and attack people of his own political party. I found myself completely dumbfounded when a man whose full pockets carried him to the candidacy became the holder of the most powerful position in the United States government. And even more dumbfounded that people chose to stand beside him when he showed no intention of real policies or evidence that his plans could become a reality. Where did the political intelligence go?
Now as we embark on the journey of the 2020 election, I ask myself the same question, where did the political intelligence go? Will we get back to the facts, policies and plans that are what really matters or are we going to sit here and listen to the childish back and forth and stand behind “what sounds good?”
It is easy to ignore these things, to shut off the television, block people on Twitter and turn off the political noise. But if you decide to do this, you could suffer when a president is elected that you do not agree with.
As voters, we must go above this. We must pay attention to facts. We must check our sources. As voters, we must not let all the “hype” around the drama distort what we believe is right from wrong. We can’t let biased and opinionated media make the decision of whose box we check on the ballot in November.
Big topics in this election are the environment, healthcare and immigration. I would advise anyone who wants to be more truly politically involved to find out what each candidate’s beliefs and policies are on at least these three topics or topics that you find important. When making the decision to become more informed make it personal to you and the other people in the nation. A big question to ask yourself when looking at who to support is whether their policies help or hurt Americans.
If you do this, you can shut off the television sometimes. You can block the people on Twitter. You are doing your research and have enough knowledge to start performing your civic duty to vote. That’s what is so great (and sometimes scary) about politics and our government. You get to make the decision. You get to decide the fate of your future.
It’s time for everyone to stop being so afraid of politics. It’s time to stop avoiding talking about it. It’s time to open up, figure out what you believe in politically and get out and vote. There is not a better time to do this. It’s election year. Not the Purge. Exercise your civic duty and right to vote. Give yourself a voice in what affects your everyday life.
FAST FACTS:
A quick glance on candidates’ policies and opinions on the three big issues of environment, healthcare and immigration.
President Donald Trump:
Environment: President Trump’s goal for the environment in terms of policy, and what he has been doing during his current term, is to decrease regulations set by the EPA and past administrations. This is to make it easier for infrastructure to be built or coal to be mined, which in turn increases jobs. Linked is a statement from President Trump about these rollbacks. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-proposed-national-environmental-policy-act-regulations/
Healthcare: President Trump’s goal when becoming President was to repeal the Affordable Care Act with the American Health Care Act which basis is to repeal everything put in place with the Affordable Care Act. Linked is a government website stating what was eliminated and what was put in place with this act. https://www.rpc.senate.gov/policy-papers/the-american-health-care-act-of-2017
Immigration: President Trump’s goal for immigration is to secure the U.S.A’s southern border with a wall and increase I.C.E officers on the border and in Sancturary cities. In his current term, Donald Trump declared a national emergency and signed an executive order to start the border wall. He also supports ending chain migration, the Visa lottery and wants to move the country to a merit-based entry system. His administration put in a statute which justified the separation of families under its zero-tolerance border strategy. Linked is the White House’s website where Trump’s immigration policies are discussed, and more information is available. https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration/
Former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg:
Environment: Buttigieg is looking to tax carbon emissions and end new oil and gas leases on federal land and end offshore drilling. He also wants pay farmers to adopt climate-friendly practices.
Healthcare: Unlike other democrat candidates, Buttigieg opposes universal healthcare. Buttigieg wants to lower prescription drug costs and break patents on name brand drugs to allow more competition.
Immigration: Buttigieg is looking to repeal Section 1325 of Title 8 of the U.S. Code, this code says crossing over the border without getting checked by border patrol a misdemeanor offense. He also wants to allow citizenship for DACA recipients or “Dreamers.”
Senator Bernie Sanders:
Environment: Sen. Sanders supports closing current nuclear power reactors and banning fracking everywhere. He also plans on imposing government regulations to reduce carbon emissions. He also wants to pay farmers to implement climate-friendly practices.
Healthcare: Sen. Sanders has shown large support for Medicare for all and wants to implement it if he is elected. He also wants to lower drug costs and break patents on name brand drugs.
Immigration: Sen. Sanders wants to grant citizenship to DACA recipients. He also wants to repeal the statute put in by the Trump Administration. If elected he plans on not allowing anymore additional funding to the Southern border wall.
Senator Elizabeth Warren:
Environment: Sen. Warren’s environment policies include banning fracking everywhere and imposing government regulations to reduce carbon emissions. Like other candidates, Warren also plans on paying farmers to put in climate-friendly practices.
Healthcare: Like Sen. Sanders, Sen. Warren is all for Medicare for all. Sen. Warren also wants to implement government drug manufacturing.
Immigration: Sen. Sanders and Sen. Warren have very similar views on immigration. Sen. Warren wants to grant citizenship to DACA recipients, repeal the statute and does not support additional funding to the Southern border wall.
For more information good website is https://www.politico.com/2020-election/candidates-views-on-the-issues/ where you can see at–a–glance a political candidate’s plans and also find an in-depth description.