Last week, billionaire Donald Trump essentially secured the Republican Party nomination for president by winning the Indiana primary. On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has yet to secure what was once thought to be an inevitable nomination, though it is very likely she will still be able to do so despite an incredible and unexpected run by Sen. Bernie Sanders. Assuming these nominations hold true, we are in for a hell of a ride leading up to the general election in November. America now has to choose between a narcissistic ignoramus who got his start from a “small loan of a million dollars,” and a dishonest and untrustworthy woman who is still being investigated by the FBI.
At this point, many people, including myself, don’t know what to do. The most typical answer I get when I ask someone who they plan on voting for is, “I’m moving to Canada.” But let’s be realistic and assume that 322 million Americans aren’t going to move up north. America still has to elect its next commander in chief, and although many people do indeed like Trump and Clinton, there is still a great deal of voters who simply don’t know what to do.
I am a Republican, and my distaste for Clinton is evenly matched by my understanding that Trump not only does not represent my party but is also just a terrible person in general. There are also Democrats who are discontent that their presumptive nominee carries so much controversy and baggage. It is now up to all these people to take the next six months to decide which candidate they hate less.
Of course, there’s always the option of a third-party candidate stepping to the plate, but this simply isn’t possible in our two-party majoritarian system. I’d certainly be happy if a third party candidate formed a formidable campaign, whether he or she be a Libertarian, Republican who dropped out of the campaign earlier or even a Democrat who is more trustworthy and respectable than Clinton. But knowing this would likely throw the election in Clinton’s favor, it’s more rational to start choosing either Trump or Clinton. Now that the candidates are close to breaking away from primary campaigning, it is likely that their campaign rhetoric will change. Trump will have to tone himself down and start gaining support from the party establishment, and Clinton will have to regain trust and support in order to win a presidency she has waited for since 2008.
My optimism is overshadowed by my sense of reality. I know that I will have to choose one of these candidates. I’m 19 years old, and I want to vote not only because this is my first presidential election I’ll be able to vote in, but because this next president will greatly affect my future. I hope that voters end up electing what many consider the lesser of two evils.
Kyle Campbell is a sophomore government and politics major. He can be reached at kcampbelldbk@gmail.com
