News

The 2016 Presidential Elections

Manu Chopra, Quentin Freeman, Abhay Zope, Franchesca Rankin, and Miles Reis-Castillo
November 11, 2015

With the crowded field in the upcoming 2016 presidential elections, it is difficult to keep track of all the candidates running for the presidency. Here are some short descriptions of the most notable candidates.

Donald Trump- Donald John Trump is a real estate developer, businessman, and since mid-June, a presidential candidate. In an era of political greed, Trump has refused to take donations from Washington lobbyists. The Wharton Finance graduate has also promised a number of ideas including the deportation of all undocumented immigrants, the building of a border wall with Mexico, an increase of taxes on the one percent, as well as the bombing of the terrorist organization ISIS. Fun Fact: Donald Trump has attempted to sue comedian Bill Maher for five million dollars over the joke that Trump is secretly the lovechild of an orange-haired orangutan.

Campaign Website: https://www.donaldjtrump.com/

Hillary Clinton- Hillary Clinton is the wife of 42nd president Bill Clinton, a former secretary of state, and a long serving member of the United States Senate. If elected, the Democratic frontrunner would be the first female president as well as the second Clinton president. Hillary Clinton has a simple goal: to be a leader who acts for the interests of everyday Americans. The former secretary of state has proposed a number of ideas such as raising the minimum wage to $12 an hour, making college more affordable, and escalating the fight against climate change. Ms. Clinton used a non-government based server to send e-mail while serving as secretary of state, ultimately leading to her so-called “email scandal.” Fun Fact: Hillary Clinton was the first woman to be elected as a New York Senator.

Campaign Website: https://www.hillaryclinton.com/

Bernie Sanders -Bernie Sanders is a Democratic candidate, serving his second term in the Senate. He’s a Democratic Socialist—someone who believes that the country should be run to meet the needs of the average citizen, and not just profit the few. He is fighting for human rights—LGBT, racial, and gender equality, raising the minimum wage, and a fair immigration policy. If he were to become president, he would benefit LGTBQ+ people, people of color, women, veterans, immigrants, and anyone trying to live on the minimum wage today. Fun fact: He led his fellow classmates in a sit-in protesting racial segregation in housing at his university in 1962.

Campaign Website: https://berniesanders.com

Jeb Bush–The former Florida state governor, Jeb Bush is the son of 41st president George Bush and the brother of 43rd president George W. Bush. He slowly worked his way through the political ranks and stated that he would run for U.S. Senate. However, that never happened. Bush is known as a great supporter of the common core program. He also states that he will help to get Washington DC out of the business of creating problems. Fun Fact: Mr. Bush married his wife Columba in 1974–he met her while teaching English in Mexico.

Campaign Website: https://jeb2016.com

Ted Cruz- Texas Senator Ted Cruz is a member of the Republican party. He spent some time working as an attorney and adviser on the 2000 campaign for President George W. Bush. He became the solicitor general of Texas and argued cases involving the state. Cruz has gotten support based on his “ultraconservatism” from Tea Party figures such as Sarah Palin and Rand Paul. Cruz says that President Obama is trying to make our country worse by allowing millions of immigrants to come into our country illegally. He believes that it is fine that immigrants want to come here, however they should do it legally. He seems to have a much more aggressive take towards illegal immigrants and while most candidates support amnesty, Cruz explains: “I have never supported amnesty, and I led the fight against Chuck Schumer’s gang of eight amnesty legislation in the senate.” Fun Fact: Cruz was actually born in Calgary, Canada. Since he was born to an American mother, legal scholars say he can run for President.

Campaign Website: https://www.tedcruz.org/

Carly Fiorina- Carly Fiorina once worked as a secretary for a realty business. She rose through the management ranks at AT&T before becoming the CEO of Hewlett-Packard, the technology company she was forced to resign from in 2005. She identifies as a devout Christian and has been a part of many Christian- based charity foundations that are centered around giving back to the community. Now running for president as a Republican candidate, she says that the US should arm Ukrainians to fight Russian-backed rebels. She believes that border security should be tightened, and she did not endorse same-sex marriage before the Supreme Court confirmed it as a Constitutional right of every American. She also opposes raising the minimum wage. Fun fact: Ms. Fiorina was the first woman to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

Campaign Website: https://carlyforpresident.com/

Marco Rubio- Republican Marco Rubio, a junior senator from Florida since 2011, was the speaker for the House of Representatives in Florida. He, like Ted Cruz, is Cuban-American and is the youngest candidate in the field. He has been rising in the polls as of late. Rubio was part of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” who authored a bill that would provide illegal immigrants a path to legal status. However, since then, he has changed his position on illegal immigration many times, instead focusing on strengthening the border between the United States and Mexico. Rubio also does not believe in climate change, is pro-life, and wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Fun Fact: Marco Rubio is a big hip-hop and rap fan and his favorite artists include Eminem, Tupac, and Afrika Bambaataa.

Campaign Website: https://marcorubio.com

Rand Paul–Rand Paul is the junior senator from Kentucky. He is also the son of former presidential candidate and U.S. representative Ron Paul. Before running for the United States Senate, Rand Paul was an ophthalmologist, an eye doctor. He, like his father, is part of the Libertarian movement in the Republican party. He became famous this summer for his involvement in shutting down the NSA spying program. Fun Fact: Mr. Paul got into Duke Medical School without an undergraduate degree.

Campaign Website: https://www.randpaul.com/

Ben Carson–Ben Carson, like Trump and Fiorina, is a GOP presidential candidate without any political experience. He is a doctor, specializing in neurosurgery, at John Hopkins University. In 1984, at the age of 33, he became the head of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins University, the youngest major division head in the hospital’s history. He became a popular conservative figure after his speech at the 2013 National Prayer breakfast, when he bashed Obamacare while standing mere feet from the President. Carson is pro-life, in favor of a flat tax, and opposes same-sex marriage. He has recently come under fire for saying that a Muslim should not be president, and for saying that gun control partially caused the Holocaust. Fun Fact: Ben Carson is the first person to separate conjoined twins at the head.