Jacob Waring—Opinions & Features Editor
There are nearly twenty democratic hopefuls hoping to go one on one against President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. It appears that Trump will run unopposed in the Republican primaries. On the Democratic side, there seems to be more Democrats running than there are heads of the mythological, Greek monster Hydra.
There are currently ten months before the first primary in Iowa takes place. That is enough time to research, ask questions and understand who these people are.
Whether people like it or not, every aspect of our lives revolves around politics. We all should be paying attention to those running for president now rather than waiting until the Iowa primary. Ten months is plenty of time to see what kind of skeletons each presidential hopeful has hiding in their closet, as well as to discover their passions and see how they utilize them to pander for votes.
I implore everyone to invest in the time to see what these people are about now, rather than attempt to gather information.
We are a generation dealing with and inheriting the problems of gun violence, global warming, ballooning college debt, an endless global war on terrorism, increasing human migration and more.
For college age youths, politics can be a drag, as it revolves around topics that seemingly only concern the elderly.
Legislation surrounding Medicare, prescription drug costs, Social Security and more other health-related services tend not to be on our minds because we (if we are lucky with our health) do not benefit from those programs yet.
In the eyes of some, Sen. Cory Booker has a reputation for being cozy with ‘Big Pharma’. Perhaps, some have worries about Sen. Kamala Harris’ choices she made during her prosecutorial career, and debate whether it damns her candidacy or not. I am sure some will either be up in arms or ecstatic about Mirmar City, Fla. Mayor Wayne Messam’s proposal to forgive college students’ debt by forgiving U.S. Treasury-backed or private loans.
It is critical that voters are attentive to all the proposals, ideas and goals of the candidates, in order to weed out those unsuitable to handle the presidency. We need to deconstruct, dissect and debate amongst ourselves to discern if their proposals are feasible or ludicrous.
We have ample time to peel back their layers in order to reveal the content of their character. To find out if they deserve our votes or not.
The more I know, the more informed my future vote will become. Get informed and get out to the polls when the time comes: our lives and livelihoods may be at stake.
Photo Illustration: August Pelliccio
