There are two things you don't talk about on a date, religion and politics. Why? Because generally these topics divide our nation like no other. Not only do politics divide, but they cause massive rifts in the population. The election for the highest office in the United States is the pinnacle of this conflict. The 2016 presidential election has been quite entertaining as always. A constant stream of back and forth banter between both party's candidates has inevitably split the nation.
This election cycle is remarkably different than most. In prior elections such as 2012 presidential election, most candidates toed the party line. The most popular candidates from both parties were the normal ideologies that were generally the same. While the country was divided between reelecting President Obama or electing Mitt Romney, both candidates could not be considered extreme ideologically. In other words, the disunity in regards to the election was quite typical. 2016 has brought a very different election.
Apart from the abnormality of the sheer number of Republican candidates, the election has been dominated by two extreme candidates: Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. The pure fact is that these two candidates are political opposites that are much more ideological than their fellow candidates. These two have dominated much of the media attention. Donald Trump has been very outspoken, and therefore has gained a large percentage of the media, while Bernie Sanders has gained a large following for his anti establishment campaign. If we as media consumers and voters simply looked at the media's coverage of the election, our view would be greatly skewed.
Donald Trump was a well known figure prior to the election. He had previously mulled over running for president during the 2012 election. He is a well known figure due to his vast wealth and TV shows such as Celebrity Apprentice. Gallup Polls found that he was 91% familiar to the United States population. Currently, Donald Trump leads the GOP field, having won three states in a row; New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada (BBC).
His angry comments and willingness to say anything and everything regardless of the consequences has made him extremely popular among many Republicans. However his stances on Syrian immigrants and the Mexican border have gained him enemies across both parties. However his wins are deceiving. A huge percentage of the population, not just registered Democrats, dislike Donald Trump. According to Gallup polls, "At this point (two-week average through Jan. 27), 33% of Americans view Trump favorably and 60% unfavorably." With his stunning success in the primaries, these numbers are not clearly represented in regards to the results.
Bernie Sanders is on the other extreme end of the political spectrum. As a Vermont Senator, he was relatively little known across the country. He has quickly become very popular among young voters who enjoy his anti-establishment image. He has already won the Iowa primary, as well as the New Hampshire election. He is currently in a neck and neck battle with Hillary Clinton.
Many voters across the country do not take to Bernie Sanders and his admittedly socialist views. His proposals to raise taxes on the highest tax bracket has raised alarm. He has also made headlines for proposing free or reduced college. In addition he also supports raising the minimum wage across the United States. According to Gallup Polls, "As voting begins in the 2016 presidential primary, suddenly Bernie Sanders, once castigated as a long-shot bid for the Democratic nomination, has the edge over Hillary Clinton in net favorability among". In the most recent poll conducted by Gallup, Bernie Sanders is polling 53% among democrats.
These two candidates represent a huge amount of controversy and media coverage. Their extreme views and words in the case of Donald Trump distort the truth that most of the country favors other more ideologically moderate candidates such as Hillary Clinton or Marco Rubio. As always the middle ground seems to hide the actual opinions of the nation as a whole.
http://www.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/188936/trump-negative-image.aspx?g_source=ELECTION_2016&g_medium=topic&g_campaign=tiles
http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-35647126
I definitely find this post very important to those that do not understand how vital and critical this election is. Some people view it as a joke because Donald Trump is running and is winning the GOP debate, but it is real. Very real. The purpose behind voting is becoming lost, and the direction that our country is heading into now is viewed as pure comedy by other countries. Great post! Can't wait for the next one!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Tim! I think this post brings light to the fact that our country's views are being skewed by the media and how wrong that is. Sometimes I feel like people aren't voting for a candidate because of their political views, but because of the media coverage they receive.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I'm pretty excited to voting in the upcoming election. However, I feel that as you mentioned there are many potential candidates with vast different public policies that I find it difficult to chose one candidate.
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely a good topic to pick for your blog. I still can't believe this campaign is taking the route that it has so far. It's crazy to see how divided we are now. Also, I like how you format your blogs with small paragraphs. It makes them easier to read.
ReplyDeleteThis election is just.. a spectacle, to say the least. However, I really like what you mentioned at the end that the two extremes hide the truth, that most people are going for the more moderate ideologies. I'm really interested to see what will happen after the primaries.
ReplyDeleteDonald Trump is not ideologically extreme. Someone like me(Libertarian) is considered as someone who is ideologically extreme haha. Donald Trump is extreme in terms of character. Bernie Sanders, for sure, is ideologically extreme because he is democratic socialist. I think this country has gone too far from its originality. Founding Fathers would be surprised if Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are the front runners from their parties. I think the frustration among American people motivate people to support those extreme candidate. I think it is time for us to more rationally about who should be the president of this country. I am for Nobody for 2016.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great topic to explore for your blog, especially because of its relevance. I think that this election is has been really interesting to watch unfold because of how divided our nation seems to be. I like that you pointed out that Trump's recent wins are not indicative of the country's support for him because I've been wondering about that myself.
ReplyDeleteI've been following this election so closely it's really interesting to see a non-career politician doing so well in the Republican race. I would argue that Trump can actually be moderate on some of his viewpoints but the ones that are focused on are polarizing. I like Rubio a lot but also surprisingly seem so decent things in Trump. I can't wait to see how this race plays out. At this point if Trump wins the primary I think he will win the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteI like how you touched upon two different political factions. There is no doubt that Sanders is quite of a socialist, and Trump is just well-known for being himself during GOP debates. Yesterday, the 11th GOP debate, Rubio pointed out that Trump has never been serious about issues other than that of immigration. Trump shut him down verbally, as expected. Also it is very interesting how politicians are manipulating certain polls and statistics in order to make themselves stand out.
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