Standard Election Special

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the Standard

U.S. Presidential Election Special Edition

November 8, 2016

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The Standard

Hillary Clinton ISHAAN RAHMAN STAFF WRITER

New York Senator (2001-2009) Secretary of State (2009-2013)

EDUCATION

Supports Common Core, but believes education should expand in areas like computer science and opposes charter schools.

HEALTH CARE

Expand Obamacare and create a state-funded health care service.

IMMIGRATION

Supports a legislation that would create a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

TRADE

Ensure that free trade agreements benefit Americans and opposes Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

TERRORISM

Conduct U.S. airstrikes along with arming and supporting Arab and Kurdish forces in the Middle East.

FOREIGN POLICY

Urge China to pressure North Korea to disarm its nuclear weapons. Also sanction Russia for Ukraine intervention and expand missile defenses in Eastern Europe.

GUNS

Expand background checks, specifically online and for gun shows. Also wants to ban assault weapons and prevent those on terrorist watch lists from purchasing guns.

TAXES

Raise taxes on the highest earners and create a new tax rate for those earning over $5 million.

PHOTOS FROM CNN AND HILARYCLINTON.COM

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The Standard

Donald Trump President of the Trump Organization (1971-Present)

EDUCATION

Opposes Common Core, but supports charter schools because of the belief that schools would improve with more competition.

HEALTH CARE

Repeal Obamacare and allow insurance companies to compete across state borders.

IMMIGRATION

Build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and enact stricter rules regarding Muslims entering the U.S.

TRADE

Ensure that free trade agreements benefit Americans and opposes Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). Wants to renegotiate or leave NAFTA.

TERRORISM

Expand coalition operations by attacking the funding of the Islamic State, increase intelligence sharing, combat online propaganda and recruit through cyber warfare.

China to pressure North Korea to disarm its nuclear weapons. Also forge a FOREIGN POLICY Urge relationship with the Russian President and protect the U.S. from Chinese cyber attacks.

GUNS

Aims to reform background check system, but not expand it and supports civilians owning assault weapons.

TAXES

Lower the top rate of income tax to 33 percent and make cut taxes for all income groups.

SOURCES: EMGN, POLITIFACT, BUSINESS INSIDER, BBC NEWS, PBS, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, DONALDJTRUMP.COM, HILLARYCLINTON.COM

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Students intern for Clinton SOPHIE ASHLEY OPINIONS EDITOR

U

nable to support Hillary Clinton with a vote in the upcoming election, Jacob Duff (’17) and Liadh Mesch (’19) contributed by interning for the Hillary campaign.

Duff interned for Clinton in her tri-state finance office in Manhattan for about a month this past summer. His job involved calling supporters from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut who had donated over $30,000 to the campaign and organizing their names into lists. Duff was handling the largest group of donors.

Mesch supported Clinton by doing volunteer work over the past year on the global side of her campaign. An avid Clinton supporter, Mesch worked as an events intern for the global headquarters for the campaign in London.

“I make name tags and get people to help out with the actual event. A lot of it is just checking names at the door, coat check, making sure everyone’s paid and brought their passport,” Mesch said.

For Mesch and Duff, the internships provided unique opportunities unrelated to politics. “There was this day where I was a receptionist for the office.

Bob Dylan called and I had a phone call with him,” Duff said, “It was pretty cool talking to him.” At one point in his intership, Duff even got the chance to meet and share a short dialogue with Clinton.

Similarly, Mesch worked at events where many of the guests she was helping were well-known. “I met Chelsea Clinton, which was definitely my highlight, and Anna Wintour at the same event,” she said.

Among others were tennis player Billy Jean King, Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright and filmmaker and producer Dustin Lance Black.

Even without the celebrity encounters, the internships would have been memorable solely for other reasons. Both internships helped the students develop an understanding of how a presidential campaign works. The period of time they spent working for Clinton allowed them to, according to Duff, “learn the in’s

and out’s of a campaign.”

Duff and Mesch got to witness first hand how much work is actually put into a campaign, as well as the constant attention that is paid to every facet of the candidacy.

that you wouldn’t know about her work in Africa and Iraq,” she said.

Both students were among a small number of high school interns, the rest being university age or older.

This made the work a little

Caoimhe Mesch (’18) and Liadh Mesch (’19) at a recent Hillary Clinton event with tennis player Billy Jean King. PHOTO COURTESY OF LIADH MESCH

For Mesch, the internship also increased her knowledge of Clinton as a person and further strengthened her support for the candidate. “Actually going to all these events where people who knew her so well spoke about why they supported her and why they were doing these things really made me more of an advocate for her. I learned things

harder, as they both felt that they had to prove themselves to their older, more experienced colleagues.

Even though these jobs required a lot of dedication and hard work, Duff definitely feels it was worth it. “If [Clinton] is successful, I feel like I would’ve contributed to it. It’s a good story to tell people. I helped a president become a president.”

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The Standard

Why ‘I’m with her’

Commentary

Guest Writer Maddie Kolaja (’18) believes Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton is a role model and would be an exemplary leader as president

A

s a woman, as a democrat, and as a conscious global citizen, I support Hillary Clinton because she is the only candidate whose views align with my own.

Clinton is undeniably the most qualified candidate for President of the United States. She has dedicated her entire life to public service, having served as First Lady, New York Senator and Secretary of State. Her opponent, Donald Trump, on the other hand, has had no prior experience in government.

The only candidate who truly understands what being president entails is Clinton. She is prepared to navigate matters of national security and international relations and all other issues that she may encounter as president.

Her policies on health care support the belief that accessible health care is a basic human right. I have grown up with the privilege of always having access to round-the-clock medical care, but not all Americans have that same liberty. Clinton has been fighting for affordable health care for decades and with her plans to revise Obamacare, I believe that she will prioritize this issue.

Many of my peers take for granted the effect that Clinton has had on the American political landscape and all the glass ceilings that she has shattered. Clinton is a trailblaz-

“I support Hillary Clinton not because I am a woman, but because I believe in equality and respect for all people.” er and one of the most influential women of our time. It is thanks to Hillary Clinton that I grew up believing that I have every bit as much of a chance to be president as my brother does. She advocates for women’s issues, including the gender pay gap, domestic abuse and reproductive rights. These are issues that affect me and all of my female classmates and teachers.

Donald Trump is a misogynist, having made countless sexist com-

ments perpetuating rape culture.

I support Clinton not because I am a woman, but because I believe in equality and respect for all people.

Clinton also advocates for other oppressed groups. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are the principles on which the U.S. was founded, and it is the duty of our President to ensure those rights for all Americans. Clinton advocates for African American communities, supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and advocating for the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

While Trump’s policies would reinforce the current cycle of oppression and inequality in America, Clinton aims to help the country make strides towards equality, giving all Americans equal opportunity no matter their race, gender or sexual orientation.

Though I disagree with many of Trump’s policies, I am not supporting Hillary Clinton because she is the “lesser of two evils.” Clinton is not an evil. She has her flaws, but so do you and I, and so did the 43 men who were all previously elected president in the past.

Clinton is dedicated, perseverant, and she stands up for what she believes in. She is everything that your parents have taught you to be.

She inspires me. And that is why “I’m with her.”

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Affirming the importance of voting Commentary

QUINN WHITMAN FEATURES EDITOR

O

f the eligible citizens, 112 million Americans chose not to vote in the 2012 Presidential Election.

That is over 46 percent of eligible voters who didn’t exercise their constitutional right, according to a Pew Research study.

These facts are shocking. It is incredibly frustrating when such a large number of people don’t vote.

Voters aged 18-24 have the worst turnout rate at the polls: Almost 58% didn’t vote in the 2012 general election. That means we are missing the votes of more than half of our generation.

It is almost certain that either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will assume office as president.

Although their policies and actions have been controversial, the American public must educate themselves about these candidates. As America is such a diverse nation, the voting demographic should reflect the people as a whole rather than the select few participating. When there are so many people who choose not to vote, it reflects poorly on all of us.

Everyone who is eligible should choose to make an impact with their votes in this election. That means

people should not cop out by voting for a third party candidate who has almost no chance of winning the election.

The nation as a whole should be putting their votes towards a candidate that is likely to win rather

“

If more Americans would cast votes in swing states such as Ohio, it could rock the vote and change the outcome of the election. than casting throwaway votes as an excuse to just cast a vote. Voters need to understand that the chance of a third-party candidate winning is close to impossible. Therefore, Americans should not waste their votes on third-party candidates. Instead, the American people should understand the policies of Trump and Clinton and how it will affect them, as one of them will likely be president for at least the upcoming four years.

According to the Ohio Secretary of State, over 70 percent of eligible citizens voted in Ohio in the 2012 Presidential Election. If oth-

er states had turnout rates similar to Ohio, it could have completely flipped the vote.

Although there has definitely been progress, as around 70 million more Americans are registered to vote this year than in previous elections, all eligible Americans should look to cast their votes.

Another reason the 2016 vote in important is the death of Republican Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in February. With his death, the Supreme Court has been deadlocked at four Republicans and four Democrats.

Republicans have controlled the Supreme Court for over 45 years, so a change in power would be very imactful for the American judicial system. The new president will decide who will fill the final seat, and therefore which way the court will lean.

A vote on cases regarding issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage and the death penalty could be decided based on the beliefs of the final person seated on the Supreme Court.

I am calling for the 93 million Americans who didn’t vote in the 2012 Election to cast their vote in the upcoming 2016 Presidential Election. America needs your vote more than ever.

2012 Voter Turnout

45% Age 18-29

59.5% Age 30-44

67.9% Age 45-64

72% Age 65+ DATA FROM U.S. Census Bureau

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The Standard

Mapping political influences

“

Students share what impacts their political views and what they hope to see in the next president ANKIT MEHRA ONLINE DIRECTOR

”

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By the nu

The Standa

62.7% Quick facts

2.8% 2.4%

A survey of 212 High Scho some of the political trend Of the student body prefer Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States

Of the student body prefer Jill Stein as the next President of the United States Of the student body prefer Gary Johnson as the next President of the United States

100%

20.8%

Of the student body would not vote for one of the top four leading candidates

Of students eligible to vote on November 8, will vote

58.5%

DATA FROM A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE STANDARD

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of students identify as Democrats

14.6%

of students identify as Republican

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numbers

he Standard

High School students reveals cal trends within the school

%

Of the student body prefer Donald Trump as the next President of the United States

Students who support the political party of their parent or guardian Students in the High School eligible to vote

11.3%

Same 73.1%

5.2% can vote

Different 26.9%

94.8% cannot vote

80.7% 59.4% 46.7%

What influences your vote?

33% 18.9% Policies of the candidates

Students who identify as Republicans not voting for Trump

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Family’s political views

For 50%

Media

Education at ASL

Friends’ political views

12.7% Other

Against 50%

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The Standard

Dramatic campaigns overshadow history SOURNA DANESHVAR, JR. LEAD NEWS EDITOR

AK

A

Washington Post headline read “U.S decisevely elects first black president” when President Barack Obama won the election on November 4, 2008. A similar headline could very well be read on November 9: “U.S. elects first female president.”

However, Clinton breaking political norms as a women has not been a featured topic leading up to the election.

Faculty Advisor of the Gender Equity Club Mark Mazzenga believes the “rhetoric” of both presidential candidates has supplanted the media coverage Clinton would have received for possibly being the first female president. “There are, truthfully, far more exciting stories outside of the fact that we are on the cusp of having our first female president,” he said.

The road for Clinton thus far, with her treatment from the media and general populace, has proved challenging for women’s respect. “You hear things like ‘That b****. She looks like a man. She’s ugly.’ You hear criticism about how she dresses, which [male] presidential candidates rarely get criticized about how they dress,” Mazzenga said. “Even if those things seem trivial, ultimately they’re not trivial because what they do is they dredge up our, if not explicit, implicit bias.”

Though other aspects of the election garnered more attention than the poten-

If only women voted WA ID MT ND MN WI MI OR UT DE SD IA

VT NH MA

IL OH PA NY CT

CA NV CO NE MO IN

ME

RI

KY MD NJ DE

AZ NM KS AR TN WV VA NC OK LA MS AL GA SC HI

AK

TX

FL

If only men voted WA ID MT ND MN WI MI OR UT DE SD

IA

ME

VT NH MA

IL

OH PA NY CT

CA NV CO NE MO IN

KY MD NJ DE

RI

AZ NM KS AR TN WV VA NC OK LA MS AL GA SC HI

TX

FL DATA FROM fivethirtyeight.com

tial unprecedented step for women, Chloe Fink (’17) values the fact that Clinton has advanced this far. in the race. “It shows how far we’ve come as a nation, the fact that she’s gotten this far especially shows that we have progressed – that we’re not stuck in the olden times.

I think it’s great that she’s come this far and hopefully we’ll go further,” Fink said.

Clinton reaching the White House would represent historic progress for women in power, but Luke Bandeen (’17) believes it’s far from the final step towards gender equity. “If people were to take [her presidency] as a sign that we’re no longer sexist that would be the incorrect way to take

it,” he said.

Given the burgeoning progress for women in politics Bandeen believes “It’s easy to say we’re in a much better place than we used to be.”

However, that sentiment can coax complacency, “which actually leads to us taking more of a step backwards.”

Should Clinton win the presidential nomination, Fink sees greater development for women’s rights, specifically regarding abortion and equal pay in the workforce. “I’m hoping that if Hillary is in office that women will get more rights and we will be seen as just as capable as men and it will level the playing field as much as possible,” she said.

In a political circle dominated by men, Katya Smith (’19) feels Clinton could provide an invaluable perspective for women when proposing new legislation “because there’s the potential to actWually have someone in the room be able to relate to these experiences.”

Smith also feels the lack of women in politics can “be really hard for young girls.”

Clinton’s presidency could encourage girls to pursue politics, Smith said.

Conversely, Fink worries that the quality of Clinton’s presidency will determine the future possibilities for female presidents rather than Clinton reaching the Oval Office itself. “I do honestly think that if she has a really bad run as president that people are going to vilify her and it’s not going to be seen as Hillary’s fault it’s going to be seen as this is the gender’s fault,” she said. “It is my concern then that we won’t have another woman president for another 10, 20 years.”

Regardless of which candidate wins, Mazzenga views the next president as incredibly influential. “Symbolically this election has great value. The president is our first citizen, they are our international ambassador,” Mazzenga said. “They are the symbol around which we move forward and the rest of the world sees us and if we elect a figure like Donald Trump who has such a proven misogynistic record we are saying volumes symbolically about what we value.”

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Women should not vote for Trump Commentary

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s both a U.S. citizen and a woman, the thought of Donald Trump as President is frightening.

In school when writing an argumentative piece, I have always been taught to consider both sides of the argument. W h e n following the election these past months, I have tried to approach it in the same manner. When I hear Trump’s comments on women and the numerous sexual assault accusations, I am at a loss.

The President of the United States should not be a man who is so openly degrading with his views of women.

Trump’s “locker room talk” perpetuates rape culture. As a married, adult man and a father, his sexual encounters with women should not be something to brag about. On or off the record, in or out of context, these comments are not ones that should ever be said by a presidential candidate with such pride and conviction.

What he says matters because millions listen.

When someone in the public eye is casual about sexual assault accusations, not only denying them but accusing the women of lying to seek fame, this is the tone he sets for oth-

Age 18 -34 25%

69%

Age 65 +

Overall

51%

43%

55%

35%

49%

40%

52%

39%

59%

43%

The values indicate the projected voting percentage for both candidates based on gender and ages. White represents that demographic who will not vote for either candidate. DATA FROM PEW RESEARCH CENTER

ers. His actions and rhetoric are reducing the severity of these accusations, and instead criticizing the women for publicizing their interactions.

For someone who aspires to go to university in the U.S., where sexual assault on college campus is a common occurrence, Trump’s casual demeanor toward rape and views on women further exacerbates this problem. To have a President whose actions indicate he is ignorant to the severity of such behavior is not reassuring.

To elect a man who degrades women and promotes misogyny is a step in the wrong direction for the women of America.

Women make or break this vote, the ones who decide if Trump can in fact claim the Oval Office. To the women of the U.S., I pose a simple question: How can you elect this man?

“

To elect a man who degrades women and promotes misogyny is a step in the wrong direction for the women of America.

A recent Hillary Clinton campaign advertisement tackles such issues. Called “Mirrors”, the video shows young girls looking at themselves in the mirror, while Trump’s comments on women are overlaid.

The video poses one simple question at the end, “Is this the president we want for our daughters?”

This question is one I contemplate also. For mothers: What message is Trump promoting to your daughters? When I read articles online or hear

“

MICHAELA TOWFIGHI LEAD FEATURES EDITOR

short clips of the news, the words “Trump” and “women” are paired handin-hand.

His messages and female degradation are broadcasted worldwide and hard to avoid. His views on women are no secret, and I struggle to comprehend how we would want this man as a role model to young girls.

Our next president should inspire the girls of our nation, and clearly that is something Donald Trump fails to do.

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Racing for a majority MARTHA COLLINS DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The 2016 election brings uncertainty to the future of the senate and which party will hold a majority.

Current Senate Split 54 Republican Seats

46 Democratic Seats Including two Independents

2016 Senate Race 36 Seats not for re-election

IL

Tammoyrth Duckvws. irk* Mark K

9 Safe 14 Safe 2 7 2 Seats Seats

NC

NV

Marco Rubio* vs.

Patrick Murphy

Richard Burr* vs.

Deborah Ross

Catherine Cortez Mastro vs.

Joe Heck

Two Leaning Left

Ru old Feings. v Ronon* o J hns

KY

FL

Rand Pa u vs. l* Jim Gra y

Two Leaning Right

Seven Toss-ups

Percentage point margin between candidates is five or less.

Less than 10 percentage points in favor of the Democrat.

WIss

30 Seats not for re-election

Less than 10 percentage points in favor of the Republican.

MO

PA

NH

IN

Roy Blunt* vs.6 Jason Kander

Katie McGinty vs.

Pat Toomey*

Maggie Hassan vs.

Kelly Ayotte*

Evan Bayh vs.

Todd Young

AZ

John Mc Ca vs. in* Ann Kirpatric k

*Candidate is an incumbent.

Data as of November 1, 2016.

DATA FROM fivethirtyeight.com, cnbc.com, 270towin.com.

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Scandals should discount Clinton Commentary Staff Writer William Brummette (’17) expresses his concerns with the potential of another Clinton presidency and highlights her campagin flaws.

H

illary Clinton might have the temperament to be president, but she definitely has many flaws which make her unfit to be president of the U.S. Clinton’s complicity in the email scandal and the lying that was involved illustrate her unpresidential behavior.

Clinton claimed that there were no classified emails on this private server. Yet, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation James Comey uncovered that there were emails marked classified on this private email server. Comey also said that Clinton was negligent with classified information.

It is slightly disconcerting that someone who was careless with such information could be the next president.

Had foreign governments, such as China or Russia, been able to gain access to her email server, the consequences would have been disastrous. Other nations would have had unprecedented access to U.S. intelligence security briefings.

Clinton’s dishonesty extends beyond her email scandal. She lied to the American people about the attacks on a secret U.S. outpost in Benghazi, which left four Americans dead. While she was not responsible for the attack, she did lie to the American people about it, claiming it was a video that sparked the attack while in private she explained that the attack had nothing to do with the video and was orchestrated by a group affiliated with Al Qaeda. At the Republican National Convention in July, the mother of Sean Smith, a U.S. diplomat who was killed in the Benghazi attack, explained that at the

“The email scandal and the lying that was involved illustrate her unpresidential behavior” funeral of her son, Clinton said that the video was responsible for the attack. Yet, Clinton knew that this was not the case.

The lie Clinton told at Smith’s funeral illustrates her deceitfulness and her lack of care for anyone but herself.

If her email scandal was not damaging enough, the fact that the Clinton foundation has taken large donations from countries in the Middle East, most notably United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, clearly shows her dishonest nature. Many of these nations have been known to oppress women and the Clinton Foundation accepts donations from them, yet Clinton claims that she stands up for women’s rights.

Clinton’s stance against fracking is another example of her untrustworthy character. She stated that she is against fracking for environmental reasons however, the increase in fracking has helped lower oil prices and consequently hurt

Saudi Arabia, underpinning the true reason Clinton is opposed to fracking.

In order to influence Clinton, Saudi Arabians donated large amounts of money to her campaign and foundation.

Why should someone who is at the mercy of other nations be the president of the United States?

Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state is another area of concern. Her proposed shift to Asia (meaning a larger U.S. presence in Asia in the face of Chinese expansion in the region) and her reset of relations with Russia (essentially an attempt to better relations with Russia), have been complete failures.

Russia is on the rise and has been able to effectively counter NATO and the U.S. with regards to its operations in Syria and Ukraine.

China has been able to convince former U.S. allies in Asia, such as the Philippines, to distance themselves from the U.S. The Chinese have also been able to convince former U.S. allies that China is now writing the big checks, with regards to infrastructure developments.

Recently the President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte has asked China to construct a railroad from his province to the capital city, Manila. The U.S. is not willing to complete such a project.

The world is more dangerous now than when Clinton became secretary of state. The scandals associated with Clinton, her obedience to rich donors and her poor record as secretary of state indicate that her presidency would be unsuccessful.

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Election panel covers presidential race MARTHA COLLINS DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

F

ramed magazine covers of himself were everywhere, his walls plastered with them and his desk strewn with piles and piles of his face. During a Speaker Series panel discussion on the upcoming U.S. election, former ASL parent Mary Jordan of The Washington Post recounted visiting Donald Trump’s Trump Tower office to interview him last spring.

At the event on October 10, Jordan drew similarities between her personal conversations with Trump and his behavior in “the video,” or the 2005 tape of Trump and TV personality Billy Bush.

She mentioned how many Republican politicians were retracting their support for Trump after the release of the video, in an attempt to retain a Republican majority in Congress.

Former ASL parent Kevin Sullivan, also from The Washington Post, provided insight into why a Trump presidency is attractive to so many voters. Sullivan spent months traveling around the U.S. interviewing Trump supporters, becoming familiar with the common sentiments of dissolution across regions of the U.S. Along with Sullivan and Jordan, current ASL parent John Edwards III from the Wall Street Journal and Jessica Hartogs (’00) from CNBC participated as panelists. Student moderator posed questions on a range of issues. The conversation centered around what made this election unique and unlike any previous race.

Panelists spoke about “confirmation bias,” or the tendency of people to ignore facts and cling on to their views.

The four journalists discussed their role

From Left: Jessica Hartogs (‘00), John Edwards III, Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan particiapte as panelists at the Presidential Election Speaker Series event on October 10, 2016.

PHOTO BY WENDY ROBINSON

Questions asked by panel moderators Christopher Fletcher (’17) and Martha “Will Donald Collins (’17): Trump’s nomination have down-stream effects for the Republican Party in other elections for congress as well?”

“How is this - Collins Presidential election a reflection of trends of anti-globalization and disillusioned citizens?”

- Flectcher “With the American political climate becoming more and more polarized, how is “confirmation bias”, or the tendency of people to ignore facts and cling on to their views, affecting the way the media operates?”

- Collins

in this election as members of the media and how the intense media coverage Trump garnered during the primaries fueled the success of his campaign.

Hartogs, who is based in London and focuses on European politics, drew parallels between the disillusionment amongst U.S. voters and the sentiment amongst U.K. citizens who voted to leave the European Union.

The panelists also discussed how the Clinton campaign is “branding her.” During the primaries the aim was to brand Clinton as the candidate who was going to be the first female nominated by a major party, and eventually the first female president. The goal was to encourage the American people to see her not as the second Clinton, but the potential first female president.

However, now that the race has narrowed down to Trump and Clinton, her campaign aims to brand her as the best candidate, regardless of gender.

Although both campaigns aim to show how their candidate is better than the opponent, Edwards discussed a similarity is their policies, in how neither candidate is championing free trade.

Edwards also commented on The Wall Street Journal’s poll, released the same day of the panel event, that showed Clinton ahead by 11 points. He believes that this election will not come down to the wire.

Despite Edwards assertions, Sullivan believes Trump has been able to overcome many scandals throughout this race, and the potential for more exposing facts was still likely ahead of the election day. Sullivan maintained that anything can happen in this election.

Editor’s Note: The author, Martha Collins (’17), served as one of two moderators for this event, along wtih Christopher Fletcher (’17).

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Media trumps all Commentary ALEXANDRA GERS CULTURE EDITOR

I

t is almost impossible to avoid news about Donald Trump or the presidential election. He’s everywhere: Newspapers, social media and Saturday Night Live (SNL) skits. In the same way it is said that social media aided Obama’s 2008 presidential win, it is also responsible for launching Donald Trump into his position as the Republican Party’s presidential nominee.

According to The New York Times, during the primary election, Trump received about $2 billion in free advertising compared to Hillary Clinton’s $7.5 million. News corpora t i o n s aim to make profit, and they do this by publishing stories that garner readership.

Trump was an outsider, something new and he provided the media with a wealth of news to report on. I strongly believe that this exhaustive media coverage o f

PHOTO FROM flickr.com/marcn

Donald Trump during the primary election was responsible for putting him on the map as a candidate for change.

It is possible that his lack of filter and complete disregard for most political norms were also culpable for his popularity amongst voters. The anger people are feeling towards the current political state in the U.S. may have caused them to look to Trump, an unconventional candidate unlike any other. That being said, I don’t believe it was the “merit” of Trump’s ideals that got him where he is right now.

The media’s role in Trump’s campaign is no justification for his actions or his words. However, I can see his appeal to a certain group of people. His promise to be explicitly the opposite of most politicians represents hope to a large majority. As The Atlantic wrote, “Trump embodies the rage of the white middle class.”

While the media emphasizes his lack of political correctness, it just added fuel to the already growing fire of support for him. There was much less negative media coverage on Trump during the primaries, partially because people didn’t take his candidacy seriously and partially because Republican “elites” didn’t discredit his ability to run for office.

Similarly, not all news sources are discounting Trump’s presidential ability. News stations such as Fox and The New York Post have endorsed him. While all of the news and media I consume has been supportive of Clinton’s candidacy, those who

support Trump idealize him to their viewers.

News and media publications are now realizing that it is almost too late and they’re attempting to backtrack by piling negative content into our newsfeeds and newspapers.

While I think it’s commendable to shed light on the awful things Trump has said and done, the media must realize they are partially responsible for putting him in the position he currently stands: America’s potential president.

PHOTO FROM Wikimedia Commons

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