Michigan primary preview

The 2016 presidential election has been a whirlwind of debates, insults, and conflicting policies. Many seniors will be able to vote in the November general election, and a few will meet the age requirement for the primaries. On March 8, Michigan will be holding its open primary for adults to vote for the candidate to represent their party. Here is a rundown of the candidates and their policies.

REPUBLICAN

Businessman Donald J. Trump has been all over the headlines in 2015 and 2016. He has consistently been leading in the polls, shooting from a meager 0.4 percent of the Republican vote
when he first announced his campaign to 30 percent, putting him comfortably in the lead. Trump plans to “bomb the shit out of” ISIL and make Mexico pay for a wall lining the Mexico-United States border to prevent undocumented immigrants from crossing it into the United States. He also plans to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants, including any child who was born in the United States, but to unauthorized parents. He is pro-second amendment rights, hopes to create a better program for veterans, and wants to reform America’s trade relationships, specifically with China.

Trump has been one of the most dominant candidates in the news, constantly being both condemned and praised for his brash language. Trump supporters explain that one of the reasons they are voting for him is his straight-forward approach to things, the way he speaks his mind, without worrying about so-called political correctness or the consequences. His critics believe that his racist and sexist comments shine a bad light on America. The other main reason people are onboard the Trump 2016 campaign is because they want a government less focused on social issues and more attention toward the economy. Many hope that he will bring his business skills into office to change global trade relations and boost businesses’ and corporations’ successes.

While Trump leads many polls and currently has the most Republican delegates, Canadian-born Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Florida Senator Marco Rubio fight for second. Cruz identifies as a proud conservative, naming himself the most effective fighter for second amendment rights, restoring the culture of marriage, and defending the nation. Cruz is often criticized for having an extremely religious campaign, as he has used his beliefs as a fact to build a bill or law upon. Somehow, he plans to “end the persecution” against Christians while simultaneously blurring the line between innocent Muslims and Islamic extremists. He claims that “Our rights do not come from government. They come from God.” He is proudly pro-life and against same-sex marriage as well as a non-believer in climate change. His main focus is restoring the Constitution and limiting the federal government’s power. Cruz has many of the same plans and opinions as Trump does, he just tends to be much quieter about them. While Trump is mainly talk with terribly vague plans, Cruz is calculated with constant bills being pushed for and passed.

Rubio holds the same ideas as both Cruz and Trump, without the strong religious beliefs and loud behaviors. He is credited with being a great speaker, talented at explaining concepts in front of Congress and for citizens. He is younger than most of the candidates, giving him an edge with younger Republican voters. However, he served a relatively short term in senate and his age leads many to think he is too inexperienced for the job of Commander in Chief. While both Rubio and Cruz oppose abortion, Rubio believes it should be illegal in every case, including rape and incest while Cruz condones the use of abortion only when the mother’s life is in danger.

DEMOCRAT

The democratic side of the race is between Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.  At the start of campaign season, Sanders was an unknown name holding less than four percent of the democratic vote. Since the announcement of his campaign, the senator has rapidly built momentum, dominating the 35 and under category of voters. Clinton holds much of the older vote, and she battles to keep the minority vote. Both candidates have long histories in politics, Sanders going on 35 years in office and Clinton holding about 30 under her belt as well. Clinton and Sanders hold similar values, both leaning to the left on most issues. However, there are a few major differences in the candidates.

Both seek to create a clearer path to citizenship for immigrants, raise the minimum wage to a living wage, support women’s right to abortion and Planned Parenthood, and wish to close tax loopholes on the wealthy. They also hope to end mass incarceration, reform the police force, and find solutions to climate change. Clinton, the more moderate of the two, wants to support President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act while Sanders pushes to make healthcare free, his plans mirroring those of Sweden and Norway. He also is working to regulate the banks and the businesses that caused the 2008 housing market crash, as well as legalize recreational marijuana. But the true defining factors between the two candidates lies more on their track records than their debates.

Sanders has been fighting for his beliefs since the 1960s, with evidence to prove it. A recently released video shows him getting dragged away by police at a civil rights protest as a college student, photos prove his attendance at civil rights activist and preacher Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech, and a transcript confirms Sanders’s support in LGBT+ peoples. All three of these events occurring before the start of the 21st century. His strength is in his consistency. Sanders has been a life-time supporter of same-sex marriage, civil rights, and voted against things that conflicted with his democratic ideals, all things Clinton cannot boast. She opposed same-sex marriage until 2010, rallied for Senator Barry Goldwater whose main goal was to re-segregate schools and the nation, and voted for the Iraq war, the Patriot Act, and bank bailouts.

However, Clinton knows how to get stuff done. Sanders is an idealist, thinking large and forward, projecting an America that we strive to be. Clinton understands the tiny steps it takes to reach the top, starting from the bottom. Voters must decide if they are willing to overlook the inconsistency of Clinton to make small step to big victories, or if they are willing to take a leap of faith and go big or go home. This is a race between where we want to go, and how we’re going to get there.