Voting Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Karina Krul

November 7, 2016

For the second presidential debate, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump arrive on stage at Washington University in St. Louis on Oct. 9. (Washington Post photo by Melina Mara)

This is the first presidential election our generation will be able to vote in, and our

options are between an uneducated oompa loompa and an untrustworthy liar. This is

supposed to be an exciting first moment, but instead it is too often perceived as a

hopeless path to an empty future.

In our first election most of us are not choosing the candidate that will help America the

most, we are choosing the candidate that will mess up the country the least. That does

not encourage millennials to go out and vote, it encourages them to give up and stay

home.

Our first chance to have a voice in our government and we are told that it is a hopeless

cause. Promising right?

Clinton and Trump are the most disliked presidential candidates this country has seen

in a long time. Trump has continuously proven to have no experience and nowhere near

the proper knowledge required to be president of the United States. He has no previous

government positions, and he has filed for bankruptcy multiple times.

Clinton has proven to be untrustworthy. She has been caught lying and deleting emails.

On top of their clear character flaws, their policies are drastically different, and many

people do not agree with either of them. Many people have reserved to staying home on

November 8 th , to avoid supporting either candidate.

Between Trump’s vulgar comments towards women, Clinton’s role in the Benghazi

attack in 2012, Trump’s bankruptcies, and Clinton’s emails, there is not much to work

with as a young voter. There is not much draw to either candidate.

Clinton has been under investigation by the FBI, and nuclear-launch officers have said

they do not trust Trump with nuclear-launch codes – neither of those facts are very

reassuring.

Clinton is leading in most current polls, although not by much, but their numbers seem

to get closer every day. According to The Wall Street Journal, Clinton only leads Trump

by 4 percent. It is the people who decide to stay home on election day that will

ultimately decide our next president. The millennials giving up their first ever vote

because they do not want to choose a candidate, they will decide who wins. Ironic right?

While this election may not be the best or most promising, it may be one of the most

important. This election will still decide who leads our country for the next four years,

and it will set a foundation for the years after that.

Voting is important, regardless of who you support, or if you don’t support anyone.

Voting is a civic duty. Sure we do not have the best options for our first ever election, but

we still have options, we can still decide, and we need to.

Do not let the candidates strip you of your voting right, do not let their unpopularity

allow you to miss your first chance to have a voice.

About the Contributor

Karina Krul, Editor-in-chief

Karina Krul is a senior marine biology major with a triple minor in psychology, political science and marine affairs. This is her fourth year with The Charger Bulletin and she is excited to take on the position of editor-in-chief, after two consecutive years as student life editor. Outside of the paper she is the president of the University’s Model United Nations Team as well as a head delegate for their team competing in China. She also works as a policy intern for Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save the Sound. Upon graduation, Karina wants to pursue a career in marine policy or environmental lobbying.