Who You Should Vote for (or Pretend to Vote for) in the Presidential Election

With the presidential election coming up in November 2016, teenagers in America are asking many questions. Can Hillary Clinton become the first female president? What will my future in education look like? Is Donald Trump really running for president? But the main question, however, is: who will I vote for (or pretend to vote for) in the election. I know – there are so many candidates with so many different views, so how could I possibly choose the perfect president for 2016? Well don’t worry because I’m here to break it all down for you to help you decide who will become America’s Next Top Presidential Candidate.

There are so many people running for president this year, but a few are rising above the crowd and catching the public’s attention. On the democratic side, we have Hillary Clinton, our famous female candidate; Bernie Sanders, the socialist; and Joe Biden, our vice president who may or may not actually run for president. The main men on the republican side are Donald Trump, Chris Christie, and Jeb Bush. These six people (with the exception of about 35 more) will go head to head for the next year in hopes to finally getting the big desk in the Oval Office.

But why should we, as teenagers, care? Most of Pascack Hills won’t be voting in 2016, so why should any of us wrap our heads around this political phenomenon? It is important to get into politics now as teenagers, because even though most of you aren’t voting next year, this will be your future. The candidates are going head to head in debates, letting everyone know their views on the current hot topics in society. This includes social services, taxes, trade, foreign affairs, etc.

Most relevant to us, as high school students, is education. Who has the best plans for us in high school and college? Chris Christie, New Jersey native, wants more innovation in education, and Jeb Bush wants more technology. Who knows if that will benefit us as students or will make us pay? Hillary Clinton believes education should be as affordable and accessible as possible. She supports the idea of making the first two years of community college free to everyone, and she wants college to be as debt-free as possible. Sounds great right? Although Clinton doesn’t have a set plan for how she will tackle this goal, she says she “will be addressing it from the first day [she] becomes president.” Clinton’s democratic rival, Bernie Sanders wants to make all four-year public colleges tuition free. Again, sounds great, especially to some parents’ wallets.

Some of you go straight from school to your long, hard working job where you get paid only in tips or below minimum wage. If Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, or Bernie Sanders were your next president, the minimum wage would be raised. That makes those after school jobs sound a little better, doesn’t it? However, Chris Christie does not believe in raising minimum wage. And for those die-hard feminists who believe in equal pay for women, Hillary Clinton is your leading lady. Bernie Sanders and Chris Christie also advocate for equal pay.

One of the biggest debates is also about abortion. Are you pro-life or pro-choice? Most republicans, including Chris Christie and Donald Trump, and also Hillary Clinton, are pro-life, meaning they do not believe in abortions. Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are pro-choice, which allows the mother to choose whether she wants to have an abortion or not. Hillary Clinton advocates the death penalty, while Bernie Sanders opposes it. And the candidates that are advocating for legalizing marijuana include Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. Donald Trump supports medical marijuana, but not the widespread legalization. I guess Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie aren’t really “blazing” on the idea of the legalization of marijuana.

Hopefully, this was a non-confusing breakdown of the views of only a few presidential candidates. There are more candidates out there and more opinions to keep track of, so I suggest watching the news and keeping up with the Kardash- no I mean the 2016 election. Regardless of whether you are or aren’t voting this time around, it is important to keep track of the drama because this is your future, Pascack Hills. Who are you voting for?