Hillary Clinton

By Orlee Marini-Rapoport

I want a president who will protect my two-mom family and the rights of all LGBT people. I want a president who fights for my right and the rights of all women to make decisions about their own bodies. I want a president who believes in science and who supports the 98% of scientists who know that climate change is real and man-made and that we need to do something about it. I want a president who understands that this country was founded by immigrants and that closing the borders to one particular race or religion is hateful. I want a president who understands that there is a difference between an 18th-century definition of the “right to bear arms” and a 21st-century “right” to bear semi-automatic weapons.

I want a president who will close the wage gap, so I don’t earn 79 cents to every man’s dollar. I want a president who believes in accessible, affordable healthcare as a basic human right. And most of all, I want a president who has the experience — as Senator, First Lady, and Secretary of State — to fight for all of this and more.

Hillary Clinton stands with minorities, with women, and with immigrants. She’s with us, and that’s why I’m with her.

Bernie Sanders

By Logan Knight

Bernie Sanders has been on the forefront of the fight for issues of social justice for his entire political career. He is vehemently opposed to the enormous influence of money in legislating and exemplifies issue-oriented politics. He has consistently fought against a criminal justice system that disproportionately affects communities of color. It is ridiculous that a black boy born today will have a one-in-four chance of being incarcerated.

I support Bernie Sanders, because he is fighting for a $15 minimum wage. People who work 40 hours a week should not need food stamps to feed their families.

I support Bernie Sanders, because he thinks that health care is a right for every human being. It is outrageous that 18,000 Americans die every year, because they cannot pay for the health care. While Chairman of the Veteran’s Affairs Committee, he introduced what would have been the single biggest benefits programs for veterans ever.

I support Bernie Sanders, because  we need a political revolution to radically change the government so that it works for everyone, especially the poor.

Marco Rubio

By Ballard Brown

Marco Rubio is the best candidate for the White House in 2016. He is a young, experienced Congressman who has proven in the madness of Super-Tuesday that many Americans hold him in high regard. While Ted Cruz has large support, he is far too extreme to win a general election. Donald Trump is the Republican front-runner, but I honestly believe that America would be better run and safer with Marco Rubio in charge. He has a clear vision for America, and is a young and appealing candidate. I believe that he is best suited to turn America in the right direction.

As with every candidate, there are flaws. Bernie Sanders is a socialist, Hillary Clinton is widely viewed as untrustworthy, Cruz is too extreme, and Donald Trump excites some of his followers into a mindless,  mob- driven frenzy. Rubio’s biggest drawback? From my point of view, his youth and accompanying level of experience are his only faults. However, we must remember that Rubio’s weakness does not damage his leadership potential. He is a trustworthy, thoughtful, and patriotic man who wants to put America back on track. Rubio is without a doubt the best candidate for the White House.

John Kasich

By Gavin Kennedy

This election year has given us pretty much everything we expected: lots of social media attention, Republican candidates being racist, and an overall feeling of disappointment in our political system. However, despite the despair one feels while watching a Republican debate, one candidate, John Kasich, seems to have risen above the name-calling and Donald Trump pouty-face-inducing rhetoric that we see so often on Fox News. Kasich is about as moderate as a modern day Republican comes. He cut taxes by 5 billion dollars in his native state of Ohio, created 400,000 jobs, and balanced the state budget. These conservative economics appease many desires of the Republican Party as a whole: more economic growth, less government regulation, and less taxes for all. Despite this economic one-sidedness, Kasich has shown blue flashes throughout his career as Ohio governor, expanding Medicaid in his state in the summer of 2015. Kasich’s willingness to compromise is encouraging. Kasich may be slightly boring, and he is certainly not a magnet of media attention, but he is an underrated candidate that seems to have been overshadowed by the sideshow that is Trump, Cruz and the rest of the Republicans.

Donald Trump

By Teddy Donnelley

First, I would like to start off by saying that I am not personally fully a Trump supporter. Nevertheless, I—or rather he—can point out some reasons for why his presidency could be beneficial for the United States.

In the Republican race for the nomination, Trump is by far the best candidate. He has said, “Look at the way [Cruz] dealt with the Senate, where he goes in there like a—you know, frankly like a little bit of a maniac. You’re never going to get things done that way.” In contrast he described Marco Rubio as “overly ambitious, too young-” and added, “…And I have better hair than he does, right?”

On the other side of the aisle, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are in a tight race for the Democratic nomination. “Unlike me,” Trump has said, “Hillary Clinton isn’t rich enough to be incorruptible.” He’s also described Bernie Sanders as “a total whack job.”

There you have it—the alternatives to Donald Trump are, in his own words, maniacs and whack jobs. He is the clearest choice for president of the United States. Trump has a proven track record of financial success and is actually one of the more socially moderate Republican candidates on issues like gay marriage and abortion.

#MakeAmericaGreatAgain.