Clinton vs. Trump: Who is Really Fit to Be Our President?
When comparing the candidates' experience and platforms, Hillary Clinton seems more fit to serve as president.
December 2015
Olivia McMaster '17
There is less than a month until 2016, and the biggest piece of news over the past four months has been the race for the presidency. Currently the two big front runners are Democrat Hillary Clinton, and Republican Donald Trump. But who is really qualified to be the next president of the United States of America? When comparing the candidate's education/experience, and their published political statements/viewpoints, it seems to be clear that Hillary Clinton is much more qualified to be our president.
First, when comparing the two candidate’s qualifications, it is important to examine their education and experiences.
To start, Clinton first graduated from Wellesley College as senior class president in 1969, and then went on to enroll in Yale Law School. After graduating with honors from Yale in 1973, she continued her education, by enrolling in the Yale Child Study Center, where she furthered her understanding of children and medicine. Finally, Clinton also worked in multiple facets of the political world during, and after her education, for example, becoming a member of U.S. Senator Walter Mondale's subcommittee on migrant workers, the presidential impeachment inquiry staff (where she advised the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives regarding the Nixon Watergate Scandal), and the University of Arkansas Law School in Fayetteville. She then went on to hold positions such as First Lady, the first woman elected into the Senate from New York, a presidential candidate in 2007, and US Secretary of State. Over the past 46 years, Clinton has been gathering information, and experience, in numerous political positions.
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Next, Trump; beginning at age thirteen, Trump was enrolled in the New York Military Academy, where he excelled both socially and academically. In 1964, Trump graduated from the Military Academy and began his secondary education at Fordham University. However, after two years, Trump transferred to the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1968 with a degree in economics. After he completed his education, Trump immediately took on his father’s real estate business. Trump soon used his knowledge in economics and business to expand his father’s company, taking it over in 1971. After he assumed control of the company, Trump started making changes such as changing the name of the company to Trump Organizations, and moving the headquarters to Manhattan, New York. As soon as he moved to New York, his success and empire began to grow exponentially. Over the next 33 years, Trump would expand his control by buying multiple properties in the US, starring in/producing his own reality TV show, and making multiple political threats. Some examples of his work include leasing the Trump Tower apartments, opening the Trump Plaza hotel and casino in AC, starring in NBC’s The Apprentice in 2004, and spreading rumors of a possible presidential run in 2012. While Trump has seen endless success, not much of it has been in the political world.
Second, it is key to examine both Clinton’s, and Trump’s political views and their plans for their presidential terms.
This time let's start with Trump. Throughout the early stages of this election, Trump has advertised that he will “Make America Great Again.” But for anyone inquiring about Trump's plans on achieving this goal, they will find that he only published his stance on five issues. Those issues include U.S-China Trade, Second Amendment Rights, Immigrant Reform, Tax Reform, and Veterans Administration Reform. While Trump’s supporters may agree with his opinions, it seems as though Trump has glanced over other numerous issues that affect the general public, such as education, women’s rights, disability rights, etc.
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Now it is time to take a look at Hillary Clinton. With her vast experience in the political field, Clinton has done the exact opposite of Trump. When visiting her website, anyone can access Clinton’s plans and viewpoints on 24 different issues. Some of these issues include education for children and adults, campus sexual assault, gun violence protection, LGBT equality, substance use disorder and addiction, etc.. After visiting Clinton’s website, her wisdom and vast knowledge is clear and she seems to have a more encompassing plan for the future of America.
At this point in time, most people believe that the 2016 presidential election will come down to a battle between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. While many people may support Trump for his loud mouth and radical views, when basing the qualifications of our next president on their education/experiences, and their published political views/plans, Clinton comes across as the more suitable candidate. With her multiple years of experience and vast knowledge on a wide variety of issues, Clinton, compared to Trump, is recognizably more qualified to be the next president of the United States of America.