Andrea Diaz
Staff Writer
Idaho State University students and faculty have diverse opinions on the upcoming presidential election and what this will mean for their future. with current President Donald Trump running for re-election as the Republican candidate with Mike Pence as his running mate. Democrats nominated former Vice President Joe Biden, who chose Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate.
According to Ballotpedia, during the Trump presidency, one of the administration’s main policy initiatives has been working to fulfill his initial campaign promise to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare. Another controversial move that the Trump Presidency made was signing an executive order directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to consider formally repealing the Clean Power Plan, a federal rule finalized in 2015 mandating the reduction of carbon dioxide and similar emissions from power plants.
Some policy initiatives of the Biden campaign include spending $2 trillion over four years to improve infrastructure, creating zero-emissions public transportation, building sustainable housing, creating clean-energy jobs and calling for lawmakers to make it easier to sue over wage discrimination.
Some of his other proposed policies include wanting to strengthen auto emission standards, supporting raising the national minimum wage to $15/hr., supporting made-in-America manufacturing, refraining from totally defunding the police by hiring more diverse police officers and supporting making public colleges and universities tuition-free to most students.
Greg Engelmann, a sophomore majoring in computer science says, “Donald Trump has only served to accelerate the right wing fanaticism of the United States, but him losing is not even close to a solution. What does this election mean to me? It means it’s time for the American People to force the change they desire.” Engelmann also says, “I hope this election will be the last straw for the United States before people finally make the direct action push needed to improve our way of life.”
“The elections aren’t based on what the people want; it’s basically only for the parties and their extremists. The minority is overpowering the majority because they are making the most noise,” says senior cosmetology student, Tess Gillings.
“I would have cared more if the election wasn’t based on money and who knows who.” says Gillings.
ISU senior and physics major, Alex Gose-Eells has a similar view.
“I do feel like the American population is misrepresented with the delegates that we have,” says Gose-Eells.
“It shouldn’t be that we always have to choose the lesser of two evils or the more capable of two incompetents.”
Business technology sophomore and cosmetology student, Kyla Wolbert, also has some views on the upcoming presidential election.
“People need to get their head out of their asses and realize that defunding the police, taking away guns, and voting for people like Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton will be the death of America,” said Wolbert. “It’s democratic bullshit that enforces people to wear masks, stay in their homes and drive businesses to the ground.”
Wolbert also says, “The official democrats up for governmental and presidential positions are incompetent and ineligible to be running our country.”
Faculty members also have strong opinions on what this upcoming presidential election may mean for the next few upcoming years, possibly even decades.
“The 2020 presidential election certainly presents a dramatic choice between two very different views of this country,” said the Chair of the Department of Political Science, Mark McBeth, who holds a doctorate in political science.
“Young people, in particular, have much at stake in the election as they are arriving as new voters at this historic time and they will have a significant influence in ultimately determining the election’s outcome even though their two main choices for POTUS are 74 and 77 years old. Young people are truly living in historic times,” said McBeth.
This year’s 2020 presidential election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 and it will have a monumental impact on how America moves forward as a country. Trump and Biden have vastly different opinions and action plans on how to handle the issues currently facing America. It is up to the voters to choose what they want that change to look like.
According to howto.vote the steps to voting by mail in Idaho include: “Request your mail-in ballot with a mail ballot application, fill out the application completely, submit the request to your local election office. You should request your ballot as far in advance of the election as possible. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Friday, October 23, 2020.When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it.”
Do not forget to vote this November to have your voice be heard and take steps toward the change you want to see.
