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Pros And Cons Of The Election Of 2016

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Since the very beginning of the United States, Presidential Elections have happened every 4 years. Throughout time certain elections have occurred during difficult times in history, such as war and economic depressions. Elections tend to follow certain patterns regarding political issues and candidates tend to fit into archetypes based on the issues at that time. The election of 2016 resembles the election of 1980 based on how the candidates were portrayed by the media and how the candidates were received by the public. The Presidential Election of 2016 will go down in history as one of the most controversial elections the United States has ever witnessed. Both nominees, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, were well known public figures prior…show more content…
Hillary Clinton promised: students free public college tuition for families that made less than $125,000 a year, equal pay for men and women, an increased federal minimum wage, and increased federal infrastructure funding by $275 billion over a 5-year period. Republican Nominee Donald J. Trump promised: building a wall along the southern border, temporarily banning of Muslims from entering the United States until proper vetting could be done, renegotiation of trade deals like the “North American Free Trade Agreement” and the “Trans-Pacific Partnership” which were both set up by former President Bill Clinton, and fully repealing Obamacare and replace it with a market-based alternative. Both nominees experienced opposition towards them due to things they had said and done prior to and during the election. All these lead to slandering from both parties and also from the American people.
This year's election is a prime example of how slandering can effect a candidate. In politics the term “slandering” refers to “making false and damaging statements about someone.” However, slandering has been around since the earliest elections, the slander that was used during this particular election was some of the most vicious and personal; ranging from calling a candidate the devil, or accusing them of being a criminal or a rapist. Historically, slandering has played a major role in Presidential…show more content…
Trump to President Ronald Reagan, many similarities can be found between the two candidates. “…They are both great public performers, both demonstrate ideological flexibility in their public careers, and the ability to channel the social anxieties of evangelical voters…” (Zeitz 1). When taking into consideration that both Trump and Reagan were best known for their Hollywood careers prior to getting into politics and their use of the language of “hope and idealism”, it is clear that Trump and Reagan are alike when you consider their backgrounds and their base of supporters (Ryan 1 ). When comparing Hillary Clinton to Richard Nixon there are also many similarities. “…Like Nixon, Clinton was unable to appease the fears in her own party that she is fundamentally unelectable, but also like Nixon she has demonstrated policy mastery and political discipline that outlasts her challengers…”(Cohen 1). These traits that mirror past candidates are certainly the reason that Clinton and Trump garnered so much attention, and why many people were passionate about a particular candidate. This same passion is what drove the political upset that happened when the results of the Electoral College decided that Trump had
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