The Fourcast Magazine | The Elections Issue | Nov 2016

An Election Not Even Our Past Presidents Would Recognize The Fourcast Magazine | The Hockaday School November 2016

On the Cover “An Election Our Past Presidents Would Not Recognize”

By Tasneen Bashir

The Fourcast

The Hockaday School 11600 Welch Rd. Dallas, Texas 75229 214.363.6311 hockadayfourcast.org

Special Issue Volume 2, Issue 1 November 2016

The Elections Issue 5

Highlights

With the 24-hour news cycle, reporters publish thousands of stories, videos and graphics about the election every day. Get the rundown of the election without spending hours clicking through websites.

6

Hillary Clinton

8

Donald Trump

A foreign policy hawk and a public figure marred by scandal, Clinton has tried to unify left-wing Sanders supporters with centrists. Learn about her 30-year career in public office and her most recent campaign for president.

Trump, a real-estate mogul and former reality TV show host, has fractured the GOP between the moderate conservatives and the far right-wing members. Check out the section to learn more about his campaign, full of controversies, has isolated many centrists.

10

The Issues

12

Jill Stein

13

Gary Johnson

14

The Votes

16

The Opinions

This graphic examines the candidates’ stances on several of the major issues of the election. Figure out what Trump and Clinton think about topics such as samesex marriage, taxes and China.

Former physician Jill Stein offers an alternate candidate to left-wing former Sanders supporters. This political neophyte has not received much major media coverage, so read this article to better understand the Green Party candidate.

Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson formerly served as the governor of New Mexico. Advocating for minimal government interference, Johnson has polled comparatively well for third party candidates, reaching almost 10 percent in several polls.

These polarizing candidates have reshaped the traditional electoral map; former deep rep states are now purple, including Texas. Read about the new map and what this means for the upcoming election as well as how to vote on Nov. 8.

Want to know what Hockaday Young Republicans, Young Democrats and Young Independents feel about the election? Check out these interviews with the club leaders.

First female presidential candidate of a major party

,

,

, ,

candidate to accuse the election of being rigged billionaire presidential candidate

presidential debate with over 20 million viewers

candidate to receive 50 percent of donations from women

The Fourcast Magazine Volume 2, Issue 1 November 2016

.

Magazine Editor: Mary Orsak Managing Editor: Maria Katsulos Photo and Graphics Editor: Katie O’Meara Copy Editor: Elizabeth Guo The Candidates Editor: Ali Hurst The Votes Editor: Sonya Xu The Opinions Editor: Ashlynn Long Staff Writers: Amelia Brown, Charlotte Dross, Neha Dronamraju, Shreya Gunukula, Paige Halverson, Aurelia Han, Cheryl Hao, Maria Harrison, Amanda Kim, Heidi Kim, Ponette Kim, Eshani Kishore, Ashna Kumar and Sonya Xu Contributing Writers: Charlsie Doan and Maryam Boulari Staff Artist: Tasneen Bashir Faculty Adviser: Ana Rosenthal. Editorial Policy: The Fourcast Magazine is written primarily for students of the Hockaday Upper School, its faculty and staff. The Fourcast Magazine has a press run of 600 and is printed by Greater Dallas Press. It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community. Businesses who wish to advertise in The Fourcast Magazine should contact Maria Katsulos, Business Manager, at mkatsulos@ hockaday.org. We reserve the right to refuse any advertising which is deemed inappropriate to the Hockaday community. Opinions are clearly marked and are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any member of the Hockaday community. Any questions or concerns about should be addressed to Jenny Zhu, Editor-in-Chief, at jzhu@hockaday.org.

Highlights The 2016 campaign has encompassed many newsworthy moments. Below, The Fourcast has simplified a very complex election for your understanding.

6 out of 10

Americans want to see a third party candidate according to a September Gallup poll.

“There were concerns among physicians about what the vaccination schedule meant, the toxic substances like mercury which used to be rampant in vaccines.”

JILL STEIN, the Green Party candidate and former physician, on vaccines.

“To just be grossly generalistic, you can put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right?

Racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it.”

HILLARY CLINTON on Donald Trump supporters.

66.75 The average age of Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Jill Stein and Gary Johnson.

“This was a grave miscarriage of justice that the American people fully understood, and it is everybody’s hope that it is about to be corrected.”

DONALD TRUMP

“It’s pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election.

In fact, it’s not just strange; it’s unprecedented and it is deeply troubling.”

HILLARY CLINTON Trump and Clinton on the recent reopening of the Clinton email scandal following the discovery of new emails on former Congressman Anthony Weiner’s computer.

$650 million The amount of debt companies owned by Donald Trump owe, according to a New York Times report.

3

The number of times JILL STEIN has been arrested. She has been arrested for participating in a sit in, trespassing and vandalism.

The number of newspapers that have endorsed GARY JOHNSON for president.

6

“Yes, each state should have the right to display any flag they choose” GARY JOHNSON, the Libertarian Presidential candidate, said in response to a question about whether states should be able to fly the Confederate flag. w

HillaryClinton

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION AND GRAPHICS BY KATIE O’MEARA

H

illary Clinton has been on the political stage for over 30 years, making superlatives out of her name along the way: First Lady and first female senator from New York. And now with the 2016 elections, the first woman on a major political party ticket for the presidency.

Born on Oct. 26, 1947 to Hugh and Dorothy Rodham, Hillary Rodham grew up in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge. Her father, a World War II navy veteran, provided a comfortable lifestyle for his family as a textile worker, a fact which Mrs. Clinton has utilized in her presidential campaign to relate to lower and middle class families.

While some recognize her effort to reach the everyday American, critics, including entertainment media and late night talk shows, argue and make jokes that her spotlight in Washington is anything but relatable.

Mrs. Clinton at first followed her parents’ Republican political views as she campaigned for Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee in the 1964 election. But once she left home to attend Wellesley College in Massachusetts, her stance swayed to the left.

After graduation, Mrs. Clinton enrolled at Yale Law School where she met her future husband, Bill Clinton. She was one of 27 women and 125 classmates in her Yale Law graduating class.

Mrs. Clinton first gained a taste of the political sphere while working for the Children’s Defense Fund under her mentor, lawyer and children’s rights advocate Marian Wright Edelman. As the Watergate Scandal exploded in 1974, Mrs. Clinton also aided in the impeachment inquiry staff against President Richard Nixon, but with Nixon’s resignation, Clinton decided to move to Arkansas to teach criminal law and procedure at the University of Arkansas School of Law. One year later, she married Mr. Clinton and joined the historical Rose Law Firm in Little Rock as their first female associate and later first female partner-- two more superlatives she added to the list.

Once Mr. Clinton was elected governor of Arkansas in 1978, Mrs. Clinton’s goal as first lady was to improve education and health care, which inspired her to organize programs for children and the disadvantaged, including the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. She continued her career as a lawyer, and in 1980, she added “mother” to her long list of duties as she gave birth to her only child, Chelsea Victoria Clinton.

With Mr. Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, Mrs. Clinton served as one of his chief advisers, and while her husband’s name was on the ticket, Mrs. Clinton powered his campaign and seemed like a co-presidential candidate to some. Her husband called the campaign as a “twofer” because it was a “two for the price of one” presidency.

In March of 1992 during the campaign, the Clintons came under investigation with the Whitewater Controversy. This surrounded the 1978 occurrence of Mr. and Mrs. Clinton making financial contributions to the real estate business venture known as Whitewater Development Corporation that was accused of fraud and corruption. While neither of the Clintons were charged, their

7

Tim Kaine “What I have put forward doesn’t add a penny to the debt.”

-Hillary Clinton Although her tax increases would increase revenues by $1.4 trillion in 10 years, Clinton’s policies would also add $200 billion to the national debt.

business partner Jim McDougal was imprisoned. Mrs. Clinton assured the public that she did nothing wrong and that she didn’t hide any information, but her trustworthiness would come into question again in the future. She was later criticized for her role in the Travelgate Scandal where seven White House staff members were suspiciously fired. But perhaps the most prominent breaking scandal of the Clintons was Mr. Clinton’s alleged affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Mrs. Clinton decided to stand by him even during Mr. Clinton’s impeachment trial.

Despite the scandals, as first lady, Mrs. Clinton played a role in the legislative agenda of the presidency as she was appointed the head of the Task Force on National Health Care. She also led the fight for universal health care and created the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the biggest public health insurance expansion since Medicaid. Mrs. Clinton led the U.S. delegation at 1995 United Nations World Conference in Beijing and started a rally cry against human right abuses.

In 1999, Mrs. Clinton ran for a New York Senate seat, and she defeated Republican Rick Lazio to make history as the first woman U.S. senator from New York. During her senatorial career, she served on the Committee for Armed Services. Also, three bills sponsored by Clinton, which renamed a highway, relocated a post office and designated a national historical site, were passed as laws.

After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Mrs. Clinton pushed for an American invasion of Afghanistan. After serving her first term as senator, she was reelected in 2006 with a majority vote.

However, Mrs. Clinton did not settle for her role in Congress as she entered the race for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008 . Although she came in third in the Iowa caucus, five days later, a crucial

The Fact Check Both Clinton and Trump have been known to use incorrect facts and figures in their speeches and during debates. We have done the research and have provided accurate information so you can be an informed voter.

New Hampshire win propelled her back to the top. Barack Obama then surpassed Mrs. Clinton on Super Tuesday, but victories in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania showed that she was not yet defeated. In the end, narrow victories and further losses enabled Obama to take the Democratic party’s nomination.

Despite her presidential loss, Mrs. Clinton’s efforts in the campaign were not useless. President Obama appointed her as his Secretary of State. In this position, she greatly improved U.S. relations with foreign nations, but in 2013, she resigned as Secretary of State, possibly due to preparations for the 2016 campaign.

The next year, news broke that Mrs. Clinton had used a private email and server during her time as Secretary of State. As a result, the public further questioned not only her trustworthiness but also government transparency, honesty and security.

Although the FBI closed the case against Clinton, stating no illegal activity was present, it has been recently re-opened with emerging emails from Anthony Weiner, former New York Congressman who is being investigated for illicit texts.

Seven years after her first presidential bid, Mrs. Clinton announced she was running once again. Despite an unexpected fight from the little-known Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, Mrs. Clinton clinched the Democratic party nominee.

And on July 26, Mrs. Clinton officially gained the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination and announced her running mate as Tim Kaine, a senator from Virginia.

Despite the criticism and scandals circulating around Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, there is no denying that she is making history.

Aurelia Han ahan@hockaday.org

Perhaps what Clinton looked for in her choice of a vice presidential candidate was a safe option, and there is arguably no safer choice than Tim Kaine.

With his extensive political experience serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Board and as the former Democratic National Committee Chair, Kaine’s appeal lies in his ample political experience.

Clinton and Kaine are, for the most part, cut from the same cloth. Kaine is a Harvard-educated man and former attorney who has served as the Senator of Virginia since 2012. He combated discrimination on the basis of race and ability as a lawyer, and he taught legal ethics as a professor at the University of Richmond from 1988 to 1994. Similarly, Clinton graduated from Yale Law School and served as both a Senator from 2001 to 2009 and Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013.

However, Clinton chose Kaine for more than his political experience. Kaine hails from Virginia, a major swing state in this election, and Clinton hopes this decision will further push Virginian voters into her corner.

Kaine also fulfills Clinton’s desire to continue to attract minority voters as he has strong ties to both the Hispanic and African-American communities. He is fluent in Spanish, which he learned while spending a year in Honduras running a Catholic school. His deeply rooted Catholicism is another way in which Kaine appeals to Hispanic voters.

Kaine has no lack of experience when it comes to the African American population, either, which will serve as a key base for Clinton. Kaine served as a mayor and civil rights lawyer from 1987 to 2004 in Richmond, Virginia, where half of the population is black.

This experience will prove useful as Kaine works with Clinton to remedy the troubled relationship between African Americans and the police in many communities around the country.

As mainstream Democrats, Clinton and Kaine take the same stance on most issues, such as climate change, gun control and women’s rights. One notable exception to this is Kaine’s personal stance against abortion, a belief that stems from his Catholic religious beliefs. However, Kaine generally advocates for government non-intervention when it comes to women’s reproductive decisions. While Clinton and Kaine may differ on this issue, Kaine’s widely respected position among Democrats made him a prime candidate for Clinton’s running mate.

Eshani Kishore ekishore@hockaday.org

8

Mike Pence Republican vice presidential candidate Michael Richard Pence, more commonly known as Mike, started his career as a lawyer in Indiana in 1986 but has been involved with politics since 2000.

Pence did not grow up in a life of politics. After Pence’s grandfather, a devout Catholic, emigrated from Ireland in 1923 through Ellis Island, he worked as a bus driver to support his family. His faith was transferred to his grandson, causing him to grow up as a Democrat.

He became an admissions counselor for two years at his alma mater, Hanover University, before receiving a law degree from Indiana University in 1986. He then became an attorney in private practice.

Shortly after, Pence tried to get into politics by running for Congress but was defeated in his first two attempts by Democratic candidate Phil Sharp. Nevertheless, he started a political radio talk show, “The Mike Pence Show,” that aired on over 20 radio stations throughout Indiana, where he gained a reputation as a level-headed and open-minded speaker.

The success he earned won him a seat on Congress in 2000. Since then, Pence has served two terms as a Indiana U.S. Congressman and one term as an Indiana U.S. Senator.

While in office, Pence supported the controversial “religious objections bill,” which granted Indiana business owners legal protection if they chose to deny same-sex weddings. Later that year, Pence signed an amendment to the bill that stated that it was not legal to discriminate against gay people.

Pence also signed a bill earlier this year that placed restrictions on abortion providers, but the United States Supreme Court ultimately blocked this bill in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.

Pence did not always support Donald Trump for the 2016 election.

In fact, four days before the Republican primary in Indiana, he endorsed Ted Cruz, saying that he would be voting for him in the election. After Cruz dropped out of the race, Pence endorsed Trump .

Trump chose Pence as his vice presidential candidate for a variety of reasons: Pence provides the political experience that many critics of Trump desire and represents the conservative Republican Party’s ideals, which appeals to different constituents than Trump already has.

Ashna Kumar akumar@hockaday.org

“

We are going to make our country great again. I will be the greatest jobs president that God ever created.

C

ontroversy. This word has followed Donald Trump since June 16, 2016, after he announced his ambitions to run for president on the Republican ticket. Despite the hardships that have marked his campaign, Trump’s outlandish comments have attracted attention from major media outlets, contributing to his success and nomination as the official Republican candidate in the 2016 presidential election.

Born in 1946, Trump grew up with his four siblings in Queens, N.Y. His parents, Frederick C. and Mary MacLeod Trump, sent him at 13 to the New York Military Academy in order to teach him the values of discipline and order.

Trump achieved great academic success at the Academy and later attended the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a degree in economics.

After graduation Trump worked with his father, a successful builder and real estate developer. In 1971, Trump’s father granted his son a “small” $1 million dollar loan along with sole ownership of his company, which he renamed the Trump Organization. Before his father’s death in June of 1999, Frederick Trump also set up trusts for each of his children, splitting up his $300 million fortune. Trump immediately moved to Manhattan, which he saw as full of economic opportunity, and voiced ambitious plans to expand the company.

Trump received significant public attention in 1975 when he partnered with the Hyatt Hotel Corporation. After organizing extensive renovations and arranging financing measures, Trump helped open the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The hotel’s Popularity soared, resulting in great financial success and recognition for Trump as one of the city’s up-and-coming developers.

However, not all of Trump’s business endeavors have been marked with success. In 1973, the Trump Corporation was accused of violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against potential tenants based on race. Trump denied this accusation, and the case was settled with a compromise which required Trump to teach his employees about the Fair Housing Act and ensure that none of his business practices violated the act.

Additionally, in 1990, Trump’s business suffered as the real estate market fell into a recession. This same year Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, N.J. filed for bankruptcy along with two other casinos, Castle and Trump Plaza, the following year. He was forced to rely on extensive loans to keep

his business afloat, and many questioned whether his business would survive. However, despite this skepticism, Trump was able to revive his business, and by 1997 it was once again returned to its status prior to 1990.

In 2000, Trump showed interest in politics when he hired a committee to advise him whether or not to seek the presidential nomination of the Reform Party, a party in favor of populism, fiscal conservatism, protectionism and big tent anti-corruption.

However, his advisers urged him not to get involved in the election due to his poor polling numbers.

Trump registered as a Democrat in 2001.

But his political affiliations shifted when he registered as a Republican eight years later.

However, Trump did not abandon the idea entering the public sector after advisers warned against it, and he considered running for president in 1988, 2004 and 2012 and for Governor of New York in 2006 and 2014.

Although he never followed through with these campaigns, on June 16, 2015 , Trump announced from the stairs of the Trump Tower in New York City that , “I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again. I will be the greatest jobs president that God ever created.” Thus, Trump’s campaign slogan “Make America Great Again” was born.

Since that day, Trump’s campaign has been characterized by many political scandals. Soon after this announcement, Trump made his first major campaign mistake on July 6, 2015, when he stated that “The Mexican Government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists.” His public remarks degrading Mexican immigrants triggered a mob of opposition, particularly with reporter Jorge Ramos of Univision. As a result, NBC severed ties with Trump, refusing to telecast Miss USA, a pageant partially owned by Trump. Many other organizations withdrew their support and ended partnerships with Trump as well.

Following this incident, Trump refused to recognize Senator John McCain as a military hero because he was captured as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. This controversial statement caused a chain reaction as military veteran groups withdrew their support for the Trump campaign.

While most political pundits believed these controversies would end his campaign, the overwhelming focus on Trump in the media during the primary election

DonaldTrump grabbed the people’s attention and contributed to his victory.

Even after receiving the nomination, the scandals of Trump campaign continued.

Many Americans were shocked when The Washington Post released an Access Hollywood recording from 2005 in which Trump described to Billy Bush his attempts to have sex with a married woman and his ability to grope women without their consent due to his fame.

After the release of these statements Trump apologized to the American people, but when at least seven women came out and told the media that they had been sexually assaulted by Trump, he denied these charges and even insulted the appearance of several, stating “Believe me, she would not be my first choice, that I would tell you.”

This media outbreak caused Republicans including Senator John McCain, Kelly Ayotte, Mike Crapo, Shelley Moore Capito and others to withdraw their support from the Trump campaign.

But these are not the only Republicans who have chosen to pull their support from Trump’s campaign. Several noteworthy politicians including Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, former presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush and Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush have chosen not to endorse Trump. Former GOP nominee Mitt Romney sees Trump as a “phony, a fraud and a candidate whose attitudes are not the temperament of a stable thoughtful leader.”

Another incident that caused the American people to distrust Trump was his refusal to release his tax returns. This is the first time a major party candidate has not released this kind of information to the public since Richard Nixon started the tradition in 1969. CNN’s Phil Mattingly speculates Trump’s refusal has to do with his low tax rate as Mattingly found several years in the 1970s when Trump paid $0 in federal income tax because his business allows him to take advantage of the tax code and all of its loopholes.

In addition, during the final presidential debate on Oct. 19, Trump reiterated his concerns that the election was rigged in favor of his opponent. Trump also announced his refusal to accept the outcome of the election in the event of “a questionable result,” despite the uproar this may cause.

At the start of this unprecedented election, many politicians criticized Trump’s unconventional campaign. However, in spite of these critics, Trump has amassed a large group of supporters, who have stood by his campaign despite the countless controversies and scandals. His success among uneducated white citizens who disdain immigrants for “stealing their jobs” has revealed a large, vocal group of the electorate. Whatever the outcome, the next president will need to address the complaints of this group.

Amelia Brown abrown@hockaday.org

CLINTON, who called Trump’s tax plan “trumped up, trickle down economics,” plans to implement a “fair share surcharge” on the wealthy to ensure that these citizens do not pay a lower tax rate than middle-class citizens and to close loopholes that benefit the wealthy.

While CLINTON does not focus specifically on how to reduce the debt, she does plan to avoid an increase by ensuring that large corporations and wealthy citizens “pay their fair share [of taxes].”

Tax Plans Americans often feel strongly about tax plans not only because these plans outline the government spending on certain programs but also because these plans require many Americans to pay the federal government a portion of their salaries.

National Debt As the national debt has grown in past years, the debate regarding this issue has increased as well. The national debt, which currently stands at around $20 billion, creates a pressing dilemma that both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have attempted to solve.

TRUMP has a specific plan to reduce the national debt by cutting federal department budgets by two to three percent and raising tribute payments from Japan.

TRUMP, who has admitted to not paying federal income taxes, aims to change both the individual and corporate tax codes and generally reduce taxes.

CLINTON has voiced her desire for a more liberal court and would likely shift the balance of the court from conservative to liberal. However, she has not stated whether she would support Garland if elected.

Supreme Court When Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016, President Barack Obama named Chief Judge of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Merrick Garland as his nominee to fill the vacancy, but the Republican-controlled Senate has refused to vote or hold a hearing for Garland.

TRUMP, critical of the corporations that make money off of student debt, wants universities with multi-billion dollar endowments to spend more money on financial aid - or have their tax-exempt status revoked.

TRUMP has said that if elected, he would pick a conservative judge “in the mold of Justice Scalia.” With a Supreme Court of four conservative-leaning justices, Trump’s appointee would preserve the Republican majority on the bench.

College Debt Americans owe nearly $1.3 trillion in student loan debt, spread out among 43 million borrowers. Many students see college as the next step to a career, but high prices of universities prohibit many from attaining a degree.

CLINTON wants to provide free community college education to all and free in-state public university tuition to families with household incomes lower than $125,000.

CLINTON, while she used to oppose samesex marriage, is a strong supporter of the LGBT community and hopes to end discrimination while increasing these individuals’ rights.

TRUMP does not support Common Core, which he refers to as “education through Washington D.C.” He instead advocates for state and city level regulation of education.

Common Core, Obama’s federal plan for education, set standardized goals in the English language and mathematics at each grade level to ensure college and career readiness.

LGBT Rights In Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court in 2015 decided that same-sex marriage must be protected nationally. However, many conservatives have attempted to limit the number of same-sex marriages through discriminatory laws.

TRUMP subscribes to a conservative ideology on the issue of LGBT rights, arguing that states should maintain the right to decide the legality of gay marriage.

Although CLINTON believes that the implementation of Common Core was “problematic,” Clinton supports standardized benchmarks in each grade level.

CLINTON, on the other hand, is a longtime supporter of Planned Parenthood and fully supports a woman’s right to choose.

Abortion The debate regarding a woman’s right to make reproductive decisions has been a controversial and widely-debated topic for the last few decades.

Although TRUMP has wavered in his opinion regarding abortion and Planned Parenthood, as he used to be pro-choice, he is now decidedly prolife and has talked about punishing women who undergo abortions.

CLINTON hopes to collaborate with law enforcement, but she aims to bring about healthy relationships between the people and the police in light of the apparent police aggression towards specific groups, most notably African Americans.

Law Enforcement With recent police shootings of unarmed black men as well as the resulting retaliation against police departments such as the attack in Dallas, the topics of community policing and racial biases have been a major focuses of this election.

TRUMP believes in the concept of law and order.

If elected, he plans to support and strengthen law enforcement in the United States in order to reduce crime. Trump has gone as far as to associate crime with race and has mentioned reviving the practice of “stop and frisk,” a doctrine of racial profiling that was declared unconstitutional by a judge in New York in 2013.

In order to halt Mexican immigration and prevent “rapists” from entering the country, TRUMP wants to “build a wall” on the United States’ southern border, which Trump claims will be paid for by Mexico. His policy also calls for the immediate deportation of as many as 6.5 million illegal immigrants currently residing in the U.S. as well as the dismantling of sanctuary cities.

Immigration The most recent data shows that the illegal immigrant population in the United States is around 11 million and the legal immigrant population is around 37 million with approximately 28 percent of them arriving from Mexico.

Although CLINTON formerly supported this trade deal while serving as President Obama’s Secretary of State and called it the “gold standard,” she now opposes it and claims that it does not meet her standards in cracking down on currency manipulation as well as pharmaceutical patent protections inside poorer countries.

Trans-Pacific Partnership The TPP, initiated by Obama but has not yet passed the Senate, aims to create global trade rules that will increase exports and grow the economy. The TPP also strives to improve relationships with South Pacific nations such as Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.

TRUMP also wishes to withdraw from the TPP because he believes that it will be damaging to American manufacturing.

CLINTON, following the policies of her predecessor President Barack Obama, hopes to “introduce comprehensive immigration reform,” creating a pathway to citizenship for those who enter the country illegally and providing immigrants with affordable health care.

Issues on the

In the current election that often focuses on all the scandals and statements, The Fourcast has outlined the stances of the candidates of the two major parties on the most talked about issues.

CLINTON has had a lot of experience with Mexico: as Secretary of State during the Obama administration, she worked with the country to create the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas and to lower gang violence. Clinton has repeatedly criticized Trump’s diplomacy with Mexico and stated that he “failed his first foreign test” his meeting with Nieto, commenting on his lack of foreign policy skills.

Mexico The United State’s relationship with Mexico is vital since the nations share a 2000 mile border, and each year, the two trade 1.4 billion dollars of goods, making Mexico the U.S.’s second largest market for exports.

TRUMP has mentioned Mexico from the beginning of the presidential race, saying that U.S has been the “dumping ground” for all of Mexico’s problems and Mexico “has been beating America at the border.”

However, in a visit to Mexico City last August where he met with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Trump said he wanted to focus on developing a stronger relationship with our southern neighbor while still instituting comprehensive immigration reform.

CLINTON remains very critical of China as a result of China’s poor human rights record and disregard for the environment but wants to maintain trade with the nation.

China The U.S. and China have maintained a long-standing and complex relationship, as the two nations have contrasting views on various issues, such as those concerning democracy, trade relations and foreign policy.

TRUMP has taken a harsh stance toward China, describing the country as one of the top adversaries of the U.S. as well as a currency manipulator. He also wants to increase military presence to prevent Chinese territorial expansion.

CLINTON supports the recent agreement and actually initiated conversations that lead to the deal while she served as Secretary of State. She would still like to monitor Iran closely and enact sanctions for any violations.

Iran The Iranian leaders’ alleged manufacture of nuclear weapons has made Iran an adversary of the U.S. for decades. Recently, the Obama administration signed the Iranian Nuclear Deal to restrict their production of nuclear weapons while lifting economic sanctions against the country.

TRUMP has been particularly critical of this nuclear agreement with Iran, and he believes that it will be difficult to enforce the suspension of their nuclear weapon production and that the deal will economically benefit Iran.

CLINTON recognizes Putin as a dictator who is at odds with the U.S. over international issues such as the crisis in Syria and Ukraine. Clinton also wishes to impose sanctions against Russia for its intervention in Ukraine.

Russia Over the past few years, Russia, under President Vladimir Putin, has attempted to expand its influence into neighboring Eastern European countries. However, this expansion of power increased tensions with the U.S., which aims to halt Russian aggression.

Despite this strain, TRUMP has maintained a positive view of Russia, even proposing an alliance with the country and complimenting his leadership style.

11

12

T

he Green Party of the United States, a progressive and leftwing political party, is not as well-known and lacks the support that both the Democratic and Republican Party have.

Despite limited media coverage and less recognition from American citizens, Jill Stein, the 2016 Green Party nominee, continues to fight for the party’s cause.

Born to Joseph and Gladys Stein on May 14, 1950 in Highland Park, Illinois, Stein was raised in a Reform Jewish household. After high school, she studied psychology, sociology and anthropology at Harvard University, and she went on to graduate from Harvard Medical School and practiced internal medicine for 25 years.

During her years as a doctor, Stein became increasingly concerned about the link between an individual’s health and their socioeconomic status and environment. Her experience as a physician provided her with a patient’s perspective as she had firsthand contact with their struggles. Her advocacy started with environmental conditions. She turned to activism and began protesting mercury and dioxin pollution, marking the beginning of her career involving environmental politics.

Stein has been arrested twice for peacefully protesting, first at the 2012 presidential debate where she trespassed, and a second time on Oct. 31, 2012, at a Keystone XL Pipeline protest site in North Dakota after attempting to bring food and drink to protesters . Despite these obstacles, she has pursued her passion by serving on the boards of environmental awareness organizations including Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities.

Stein’s first taste of politics came in 2002 when she was recruited by Green-Rainbow party activists to run for Governor of Massachusetts against Mitt Romney. Although she was not elected, Stein remains the face of the Green Party, also known as the Green-Rainbow Party, to this day.

Some of her earlier political accomplishments include leading the “Secure Green Future” movement to transfer subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy and to create green jobs as well as receiving environmental protection awards such as Clean Water Action’s “Not in Anyone’s Backyard” Award, the Children’s Health Hero” Award and the Toxic Action Center’s Citizen Award.

In addition to running as a Green Party gubernatorial candidate in Massachusetts, Stein was also elected to represent the Green

Party as the Massachusetts House of Representatives candidate, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth candidate and Town of Lexington Town Meeting Representative.

In her presidential campaign, Stein promotes her liberal agenda including LGBT rights, gender equality, participatory grassroots democracy, environmentalism and non-violence. Her policies and values closely resemble those of Senator Bernie Sanders, who ran for the Democratic nomination.

Since dropping out of the race, Sanders has openly endorsed Hillary Clinton. However, according to The Guardian, many of Sanders’ supporters have shifted their support to Stein instead.

Stein desires to change the system and move the country from being centered around the greed and exploitation that accompanies capitalism to an economy that “puts people over profit.” Coined “Power to the People Plan,” Stein’s proposal aims to empower Americans to fix the broken political system and exercise the right of a true democracy, where people of all socioeconomic statuses, races, sexualities and ethnicities wield the same opportunity and the same power to make a difference.

Stein has garnered support from public figures such as Cornel West, an American philosopher, academic, social activist, public intellectual and member of an organization called the Democratic Socialists of America.

According to West, Jill Stein is the only progressive woman in the race. He believes that Stein’s policies and values far exceed those of Clinton and even Sanders and that her policies will reverse the damage that militarism from the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations has done.

In spite of this support, Stein still faces the obstacle of limited media coverage. She continues to fight for her right to publicity.

She argues that she and other third party candidates have a right to appear in presidential debates along with the two major “nightmare parties,” a term she came up with in response to a claim that her campaign consisted of “fairytale policies.”

Recent polls show Jill Stein lagging behind at 2.4 percent, a number on par with that of former third-party candidate Ralph Nader. Despite Stein’s activism and dedication to her cause, her policies do not seem feasible to the general public and she garners relatively low public support.

She also strives to change the system.

Neha Dronamraju ndronamraju@hockaday.org

JillStein

GaryJohnson

The History of Third Parties William Wirt In 1832, William Wirt ran for the presidency for the Anti-Masonic Party, the first third party in the United States.

After only a decade of existence, this party merged with the Whig Party.

Eugene V. Debs Eugene V. Debs was the Socialist Party candidate in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912 and 1920. Debs garnered six percent of the popular vote in 1912, his most successful election year.

Theodore Roosevelt In the election of 1912, Theodore Roosevelt ran as a member of the Progressive or Bull Moose Party.

Strom Thurmond Strom Thurmond ran for the States’ Rights Party, colloquially known as the “Dixiecrats,” in 1948. This offshoot of the Democratic Party existed only for this election year.

Libertarian Party The Libertarian Party was founded in 1971 partly in response to the dissatisfaction regarding the Vietnam War and the Nixon administration as a whole.

Green Party In 1991, the Green Party USA was created and in 2001 was surpassed by the Green Party of the United States.

Constitution Party The U.S. Taxpayers’ Party was founded in 1991 and later re-founded as the Constitution Party in 1999.

Ross Perot Ross Perot ran as an independent candidate in 1992 and the candidate for his own Reform Party in 1996. Many believe that Perot greatly skewed the 1992 election, stealing the win from Democratic candidate Al Gore.

Ralph Nader Nader ran for the presidency under the Green Party in 1996 and 2000, then as an independent in 2004 and 2008.

Ali Hurst ahurst@hockaday.org

W

hen you think of the 2016 United States Presidential Election, you automatically picture Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. And the words “Build a wall,” Benghazi, sex scandal, tax fraud and erased emails come to mind.

While Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are representing the two major political parties, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party respectively, and are dominating the airtime and news coverage, Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson and his running mate William Weld often never cross Americans’ minds.

Born in Minot, North Dakota, in 1953, Gary Johnson, a practicing Lutheran, lived with his mother, who worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and his father, who taught special education students. After moving to Taos, New Mexico as a child, Johnson graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1975 with a degree in political science.

In college, Johnson met his wife with whom he shares a daughter, but the two divorced in 2005. Since 2009, he has been engaged to Kate Prusack, a real estate broker in New Mexico, and they have one son together.

Shortly after graduating from UNM, Johnson started Big J. Enterprises, a construction company that provided specialty mechanical services for manufacturing facilities. In 1976, it grew into a multi-million dollar corporation, and he sold it in 1999.

Aside from his business career, Johnson served two terms as the Republican Governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003. His gubernatorial campaign ran with the slogan “People Before Politics,” and his platform advocated for tax cuts, improving education and limiting state government spending. In his first term, he invested nearly a half billion more dollars in education each year and reduced the number of state employees by 6 percent.

Nine years after his gubernatorial career, Johnson announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president in the 2012 election via Twitter on April 21, 2011. Although he participated in the first of the Republican presidential debates, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and other Republican candidates eventually overshadowed Johnson, and he polled around 2 percent of the Republican votes.

Thus, on Dec. 28, 2011, Johnson formally suspended his campaign, and subsequently announced his plan to run for the 2012 presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party crediting the switch to his inability to participate in presidential debates as a Republican candidate.

Although he secured the Libertarian presidential nomination in May 2012, the results of the 2012 presidential election showed that Johnson only won about 1 percent of the popular vote, but he hinted at possibly running again in the 2016 election.

Sure enough, on Jan. 6, 2016, Gary Johnson announced his candidacy for the presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party on “Coast to Coast,” a Fox Business show hosted by veteran business journalist Neil Cavuto.

For the 2016 presidential election, Johnson chose William Weld, two-term Republican Governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997, as his running mate and the vice presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party.

This 2016 presidential campaign used again the “Live Free” slogan as his along with a new “Our Best America Yet” slogan.

With the use of Twitter, speeches and other mediums, Johnson voices his views on the issues.

Johnson personally opposes abortion, but recognizes women’s right to their own bodies and believes that the government should not interfere with their decision.

When it comes to immigration, Johnson advocates for a simpler legal immigration program with more background checks and an efficient system of providing work visas.

However, he also believes that some immigrants are not well-intentioned.

As Commander-in-Chief, Johnson would likely bring troops back home to the U.S., ending American intervention overseas. Only after thorough deliberation and a clear approval from Congress will Johnson enter any war. Instead, he wants to focus on improving foreign relations.

Johnson’s economic plan looks similar to the one during his gubernatorial career where he cut government spending and taxes, limited the oversight of the government and ended government support and sponsorships of enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, corporations focused on securing mortgages.

But most presidential campaigns have a few blunders here and there, and Johnson is no exception.

In a New Yorker article published on July 25, 2016, the Washington correspondent Ryan Lizza pointed out that Johnson forgot who Harriet Tubman, a former slave and abolitionist, was after speaking at a Politico convention in June.

Then, in an interview on MSNBC, Johnson said, “What is Aleppo?,” when asked about the war-torn Syrian city in the midst of a refugee crisis. It was only after a MSNBC commentator explained the importance of and struggle in Aleppo that Johnson finally understood the significance of this city.

Currently, Johnson polls around 7 percent according to a CNN poll. Although he is ahead of Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein, his numbers are almost 40 percent below the numbers of both Clinton and Trump.

Maria Harrison mharrison@hockaday.org

Newspaper Endorsements As of Oct. 28, 55 of the top 100 newspapers have endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, several of which have never endorsed a candidate. On the other hand, only six newspapers have endorsed Trump in this election: the St. Joseph News-Press, the Santa Barbara News-Press, the Waxahachie Daily Light, the Times-Gazette in Hillsboro, Ohio, Antelope Valley Press and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

1. The Atlantic Magazine: The magazine has only endorsed three candidates in its history: Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon B. Johnson and Clinton.

2. Dallas Morning News: The newspaper has not endorsed a Democrat since the 1960s.

3. Foreign Policy: In the magazine’s half a century history, the magazine has never endorsed a candidate.

4. The New York Times 5. Washington Post 6. St. Joseph News-Press 7. The Santa Barbara News-Press 8. The Times-Gazette in Hillsboro, Ohio 9. The Antelope Valley Press in Palmdale, California 10. The Las Vegas Review-Journal

1 2

4

3

5

Mary Orsak morsak@hockaday.org

6 8

7

10

9

15

A Changing Electoral Landscape

U

nprecedented, unprecedented, unprecedented. Look to the media and you’ll find that this election, in many aspects, has been associated with a certain buzzword: unprecedented. Hillary Clinton is the first female presidential nominee of a major political party, and Donald Trump is the first billionaire presidential candidate who has starred in a leading role of a reality TV series.

Reflecting this nationwide rejection of tradition, states in the 2016 election have oscillated on the fine boundary between safe and swing state. Media companies have consequently followed by setting precedent themselves, decidedly joining in this polarizing political discourse.

Wait, Back Up. How’s the Winner Chosen in the First Place?

When they cast their ballots in November, U.S. voters may appear to be voting for a presidential candidate. But they’re technically not voting for a candidate; instead, they’re voting for “electors” that support the candidate.

These electors, oftentimes party leaders or officials, then cast their votes that decide the candidate, as part of a group called the Electoral College. The number of electors each state has depends on the number of its Congressional representatives, including those in the Senate and House of Representatives.

While a sparsely-populated Alaska might only have three electoral votes due to its small number of congressmen, Texas may cast 38 electoral votes.

All states (except for Maine and Nebraska) utilize a winner-takes-all system.

If a candidate wins the majority of votes in the state, he or she takes all the electoral votes of the state. The U.S. has a total of 538 electors, and to become president, a candidate needs to win a majority, or at least 270 electors.

Swing States: What Are They, And Why Are They Important?

Certain states in the U.S., called “safe states,” have traditionally voted for the same party in multiple elections. For instance, southern states like Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina generally vote Republican; New England states like Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island usually vote Democrat.

Outside these traditional party strongholds, there are “swing states,” in which no single party holds overwhelming support over the other. In swing states, recent elections have often gone both ways, and for the candidates, these swing states remain the key to winning the election.

But with the unpredictable nature of the 2016 election and its polarizing candidates, some traditionally safe states have become, or at least skimmed the possibility of becoming, swing states.

In early spring, some publications like Texas Monthly speculated that Texas may even become blue by November. Though still red according to recent Washington Post polls, Texas may not be the traditional Republican stronghold that it once appeared to be. Trump leads by single digits of three points in a Oct. 27 poll conducted by the Texas Tribune, and some gambling sites, such as Irish betting service PaddyPower, even include Texas in the bets for Democratic-leaning swing states of the U.S. election.

These facts, along with the mere consideration of Texas becoming blue, are surprising given that Texas has been decidedly red for much of the past century. In fact, the Electoral College in Texas has not supported a Democratic presidential candidate since the crowd-pandering Jimmy Carter in 1976.

But this switch of safe and swing states has not occurred solely in Texas. In Minnesota, long considered part of the Democratic stronghold or “blue wall,” a Democrat holds every statewide office. A Republican presidential candidate hasn’t carried the state since 1972, and President Obama won the state by eight and 10 points in 2008 and 2012, respectively. But no longer is Minnesota reliably Democratic. RealClearPolitics averages of late September polls show that Minnesota now teeters between Clinton and Trump as a definitive swing state.

Jenny Zhu jzhu@hockaday.org

Following the Money Graphic by Shreya Gunukula sgunukula@hockaday.org

Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump

$497,808,791

Gary Johnson

Candidate Committee Money

$189,453,103

Outside Money

$247,541,449 $59,389,531

Jill Stein

Candidate Committee Money Outside Money

$3,509,477 Candidate Committee Money. No Outside Money $11,410,313 Candidate Committee Money $1,383,852 Outside Money

In recent years, elections have become expensive, forcing candidates to rely on both committee money and outside money from SuperPACS. Check out this graphic to learn where the candidates receive their money and how much each campaign has raised.

Source: Center for Responsive Politics

10 Questions

JennyZhu

Co-President of Young Democrats Senior Jenny Zhu joined the Young Democrats Club her sophomore year, and along with Senior Maria Katsulos, has held club meetings to discuss the party and their candidate, Hillary Clinton.

What political party do you identify with?

Democratic party.

Why do you think think you identify with these beliefs?

At Hockaday, there was a lot of like, not as much politically liberal but just a very empowering environment for women and just an accepting kind of community for whatever quirks that a person has, whether that is sexual orientation or ethnicity. And for me at least in my personal view, a lot of those things really align with the social aspect of the democratic platform.

In the upcoming election, do you support Hillary Clinton, you party’s nomination?

Yes, I do.

What do you think qualifies someone for president?

This is an unpopular opinion. I know voters, especially in the GOP today don’t like this, but I really root for political experience. A lot of the time if you do not have that political experience, it can work to your detriment, whether it is foreign policy or how to work with the bureaucracy that is the government. I think that is a major thing, that political experience really can help any presidential candidate.

What do you think makes Clinton successful?

The political experience, the fact that she is women, which I support but I also I hope that does not completely define her. There are a lot of aspects to see why she is a good candidate outside just being a woman.

Another thing that I really like about her is the dignity she shows in facing the difficulties that she did.

What do you feel about Republican nominee Donald Trump?

I do not want to be too harsh with my words here, but I think he is racist, xenophobic, misogynistic. And I think that it is hard for him to understand perspectives outside of his own, which is what troubles me.

Do you think that in light of Donald Trump’s comments about women that he should stop campaigning?

I think that, though I would like to see his campaign be ended as soon as possible, I guess strategically for Hillary it would be better if he didn’t.

What makes this election different from previous ones?

A lot of precedent is being broken with, which is not always a bad thing but most people in this election might think it is a bad thing for now. Obviously, Hillary is the first female presidential candidate of a major political party. Donald Trump has said a lot of things of an unprecedented magnitude. I also feel like there is a lot more pandering towards the crowds.

How has the media played a role?

I think that the media obviously played a huge role, and being a part of the Fourcast myself, I have been particularly looking at the way they cover Donald Trump. I do not think that we should hate on the media to the extent that some have done but there definitely is some area for criticism.

And just in the early parts of the election season, the attention that they gave Donald Trump. Also just a focus away from policies and more to what they were saying, like personal attacks and personality based areas and realms.

What is a piece of advice for a young voter?

It is inevitable. We are going to have a president in January. Choose whichever one you think is better. Of course I want you to chose the Democratic one but if you honestly beleive in an Independent Jill Stein, or Gary Johnson, or Republican nominee Donald Trump, choose whoever you want to see in the White House in January.

Mary Claire Wilson mwilson@hockaday.org

17 10 Questions

CharlsieDoan

Vice President of Young Republicans Sophomore Charlsie Doan joined the Young Republicans Club last year and alongside the club’s president Gabriella Sanford has held meetings about candidate Donald Trump.

Do you support Donald Trump, the candidate your party has endorsed?

I support constitutional conservatism, and I think in some aspects Trump is the best candidate from the two major parties in that respect because he supports states’ rights and judicial conservatism. However, I do not agree with all of his far-right rhetoric on immigration and abortion and I don’t agree with some of the public statements he makes. I think Trump is the lesser of two evils.

What issues do you think are most crucial to this election?

The economy and jobs; the economy affects every single American regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

We should all care about it.

How do you feel the candidates have performed in the presidential debates so far?

I think both are lacking the dignity that we have seen in all other presidents up until this point, regardless of political party, and I think they both try too much to draw America’s attention to the faults of the other instead of focusing on their own policies. However, although both candidates have made major mistakes, both have had their strong moments too.

What do you think are Trump’s greatest strengths and faults?

I think Trump’s greatest strength by far is his ability to manipulate the media.

Additionally, I think the fact that he is a businessman and not a career politician is another strength. I would say his greatest fault is his inability to hold his tongue. His comments about women in particular are disgusting, and he has alienated so many other groups, like Hispanics, because he has made offensive comments.

What are your thoughts on the Trump’s divisive nature?

I think Trump has made some serious mistakes. The Republican Party is struggling already with divisiveness, and the smart thing for him to do would have been to keep himself in favor with the establishment Republicans at least to present some semblance of unity within the party to the public.

How have the Young Republicans gotten involved in this year’s election?

I think the important thing we are doing is reminding people that the Republican Party isn’t necessarily defined by Trump’s hair; we are a big party with diverse opinions and it’s important not to stereotype us all based on what Trump is saying.

Do you think this election stands out from years past? If so, why?

Definitely. The candidates are more polarizing than possibly I think ever before, and they have evoked such strong emotions in people. Voter registration in Texas is at a high, which shows that this election is really motivating people to get involved in politics.

What would you like to see in your party moving forward?

The Republican Party really just needs to work on uniting and accepting differences of opinion between different Republican factions in order to further an overall conservative agenda. I think the GOP also needs to work on reaching out to minority groups.

What is your opinion on the media portrayal of the elections so far?

The media is one of the conundrums of America. I support the First Amendment wholeheartedly, but I think so much of America is not smart enough to realize that if they only rely on one or two news sources, they won’t get an accurate idea of what is going on.

What do you look for in the ideal candidate?

Experience in making decisions is the most important qualification a candidate needs.

Being just a senator is not enough. I liked John Kasich and Chris Christie because they were governors of their states and had to manage people, budgets, and be responsible for the outcomes of their decisions. Carly Fiorina was even better; she had to make some really big decisions as CEO of HP. Elizabeth Guo eguo1@hockaday.org

18 10 Questions

MaryamBolouri

Co-President of Young Independents Senior Bolouri joined the Young Indepedents this year, and along with Senior Sonya Xu, has led the club in discussing the role of the various third party candidates in this election.

What candidate do you endorse?

I’m supporting Hillary Clinton in this election.

What is the process of researching and coming to a decision in terms of which candidate to support?

It involves looking through policies on the issues that are most important to you. It’s really just a matter of choosing someone and voting for who you think is going to do a good job in office and who is going to initiate the kind of legislation you want.

What is your opinion on how the media has covered this election?

It’s easy to focus on all of the negative moments where the candidates are picking each other apart based on personality and not discussing politics. I think that there’s so much of that in this election, particularly within the debates. I think that the media is doing a fair job of portraying that.

Do you think that Gary Johnson and Jill Stein should be able to participate in the debates?

I think they should be, and I think it would be interesting to see them participate in the debates. Jill Stein and Gary Johnson would add another opinion to the mix and take some of the focus away from Trump versus Hillary.

How do you think the third party candidates will affect the outcome of the election?

I think Johnson in particular will steal a decent amount of votes, probably from Trump. However, I don’t think it will be substantial enough to tip this election either way.

What qualities do you look for in a presidential candidate?

Someone who is strong and responsible but also respectful. Respect is so important because you’re communicating with all different kinds of people and that’s something that we’re not seeing a lot of in this election, particularly between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Why do you choose not to identify with one of the major parties?

Because I feel it’s important to follow candidates and not parties. That being said, I wouldn’t want to restrict myself to either party or restrict myself to either of those parties’ beliefs.

What issues are most important to you and how have the candidates addressed those issues?

First of all, Equal pay is very important.

Johnson has said he doesn’t support equal pay, which is disappointing. Abortion and gun control are very important issues to me.

Johnson has said that he doesn’t want any restrictions on guns and he thinks that the country would be safer if guns were unrestricted which I can’t see why he thinks that.

What do you think is the role of third party candidates?

We’ve seen throughout history and even now that the Independent Party is the third option. It’s the one that’s there when you don’t agree with Democrats or Republicans or with the parties’ candidates. I think it’s good that we have a third option. It’s interesting to deviate from the two-party politics that we’re so used to.

How do hope that this election will change future elections?

I’d hope that we don’t go too far in the direction of having people with very little political experience running. I would hope that this election makes voters realize that we need a president who has experience and knows what they’re doing, and that we don’t need a president who is like Trump. I hope we don’t make the same mistake of letting someone like Trump come this far again.

Ashlynn Long along@hockaday.org

Last ,

few months of the Obama administration

election in which current high schoolers cannot vote

.

,

time the Obama’s dogs Bo and Sunny can run on the White House lawn

VOTE.