CHALLENGING PRESIDENT TRUMP
While the 2020 presidential election is still more than a year away, the time to become familiar with the available options from both parties is rapidly approaching.
Currently, there are more than 100 candidates for the presidency, but the early odds suggest there are only two individuals to consider beyond President Donald Trump.
As far as the Democratic Party, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders leads the way. Sanders has received more than $10 million from nearly 400,000 donors since his recent announcement to run for office once again. His socialist vision for politics differs from the typical U.S. governmental structure, an aspect that intrigues many voters.
“The underlying principles of our government will not be greed, hatred and lies,” said Sanders in a recent rally at Brooklyn College. “It will not be racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia and religious bigotry. This is going to end.”
Beyond President Trump, the second-best bet from the Republican Party is former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld. After running for Vice President on the Libertarian ticket in 2016, Weld recently formed an exploratory committee to run as a Republican next year.
Weld served as the Massachusetts governor from 1991 to 1997, developing a reputation as a moderate Republican. He ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 1996 and, roughly 10 years later, led a failed campaign for governor of New York.
“A good candidate is one that has a strong background in politics and has held previous positions of power,” said Branden Ellis, freshman.
With so many available options beyond Trump, Sanders and Weld, though, the importance of widespread voter awareness is higher than ever.
“No matter who you vote for, make sure you do your research and try to get sources from all sides before you make your decision,” said Michael Buckley, senior.” “With so much misinformation out there, it is important to look into things ourselves.”
If the most recent presidential election is any indication, the 2020 race will be an eventful one. Within the next few months, the heat of the political whirlwind will only intensify as the nation inches closer to yet another likely showdown between Trump and Sanders.
