As the presidential elections are around the corner, I interviewed students around campus this week and asked them, “Who are you planning to vote for and why”? I found that my results had something in common; the sample democratic party I interviewed was finding conflict with voting this year. A student interviewed said, “I’m having a rough time voting this year”. While another student said:

Another anonymous student said “I’m a democrat through and through, I just find it difficult this year however, Kamala tends to switch up her personality at rallies.” In my opinion, I believe that this presidential election will be an interesting one. I believe that Donald Trump will help boost the state of the economy we are in. Under Trump’s administration, the U.S. saw significant tax cuts, particularly with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which aimed to boost business growth. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy experienced low unemployment rates. Donald Trump is also widely known for his toughness on immigration. Although some of the negative qualities most Americans could say about him stem from his controversial leadership style it is fair to say that Trump is a well leveraged businessman who is used to getting under his opponent’s skin and running the government in a business-like manner.

Delving further into the Democratic party’s side of things it is difficult to acknowledge the effectiveness of Kamala Harris due to the fact that her past is taken into account. Kamala has a criminal justice record and has faced criticism during her campaign due to her inconsistency in her position throughout the campaign. To me, it seems as though Kamala has been switching up who her personality will be for the sake of looking more appealing to whichever public eye may be watching. Although Trump’s reputation has been tarnished from his impeachment I believe his personality has remained unchanged throughout his campaign. “I believe that Trump would have a stronger impact than Kamala on crime in the city of Minneapolis if he was elected” Anonymous Student at the University of Minnesota. 

I believe that Trump’s strong stance against aggressive civil protests would be useful in helping diminish crime rates in the city of Minneapolis. This election will ultimately be defined by the issues that matter most to voters: economic recovery, public safety, social justice, healthcare, and the environment. Trump’s supporters are likely to focus on his past economic success and tough immigration policies, while his critics will continue to raise questions about his character, handling of the pandemic, and impact on democratic norms. The Democratic party isn’t aligning its more progressive base with the concerns of moderates. Both parties face the challenge of convincing voters that they are the best option to lead the country through a period of unprecedented uncertainty and division. In conclusion, I would love to see tougher policies and stronger law enforcement to help counteract the violence displayed around campus, but would also like to see said policies be rational and just.