presidential election – The Transcript

Presidential election update

Emily Feldmesser, Transcript Correspondent

Republicans:

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump decided not to participate in the upcoming debate. The debate will be hosted on Jan. 28 by Fox News and Google, just a few days before Monday’s Iowa Caucus. Trump demanded Fox News anchor, Megyn Kelly to step down from moderating. When the network didn’t adhere to Trump’s request, he chose not to participate. CNN said Trump decided to boycott the debate, especially at Kelly’s helm, because “he didn’t believe he would be treated fairly.” According to The New York Times, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, after being booted off the previous debate stage, will be taking Trump’s podium.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, currently Trump’s most intense rival, offered to debate Trump “mano a mano,” according to CNN. Trump said instead of participating in the debate, he will host a fundraiser for “Veterans and Wounded Warriors,” Reuters reported.

Democrats:

Speaking of debates, there might be another chance for the three Democrats to come together. MSNBC and the New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper proposed the seventh Democratic debate just a few days before New Hampshire’s Feb. 9 primary. However, the Democratic National Committee has no plans to sanction the debate, according to Reuters.

That means if any of the candidates participate, it could impact any future participation in the debates. So far, former Governor Martin O’Malley has been the first one to accept the invitation. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would participate in the debate if it’s sanctioned and other candidates participate while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said he wouldn’t participate in an unsanctioned debate, reported The New York Times.

Presidential election update

Emily Feldmesser, Transcript Correspondent

Reporter’s Note: The 2016 Presidential election is barreling toward us with increasing speed. Since this election is shaping to be a contentious one, I thought it would be helpful for Ohio Wesleyan students to have a brief, weekly rundown of the race.

The Republicans:

The sixth Republican debate took place on Jan 14 in South Carolina. Senator Rand Paul and Carly Fiorina were both kicked off the main stage due to their low poll numbers. Paul chose not to participate in the undercard debate, instead answering questions via Twitter and the video app Periscope.

However, the big news from the debate was the rancor between frontrunner Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz. After a few weeks of agreeing with each other, the candidates became combative over certain issues. Trump has questioned whether Cruz, who was born in Canada, is actually eligible to run for president. According to CNN, the change in the relationship was due to Cruz catching up to Trump in recent poll numbers. Cruz said Trump “embodies New York values,” which refers to the city’s “famous liberalism,” said Reuters. Trump responded with how New York recovered after the September 11 attacks, according to CNN.

According to Reuters, viewers believed Trump won the debate with 37.3 percent. Cruz came in second with 26.6 percent and Senator Marco Rubio came in a distant third with 12.1 percent.

The Iowa caucuses are Feb. 1 and it’s the first time voters will be at the polls.

The Democrats:

The fourth Democratic debate was Sunday, Jan. 17, also took place in South Carolina. With only three candidates: Senator Bernie Sanders, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Governor Martin O’Malley, there was more opportunity for the candidates to have the floor.

Surprisingly, the Democratic candidates stayed away from attacking their Republican rivals, rather, they focused on each other, said CNN.

Clinton heavily aligned herself with President Barack Obama and his record, especially on gun control, health care and financial regulation, according to CNN. A contentious issue was health care, because just two hours before the debate, Sanders released details of his health care plan, according to The Washington Post. Clinton challenged the plan, and again threw her support behind Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

However, Sanders challenged Clinton’s strong ties to firms on Wall Street. O’Malley also questioned Clinton’s ties, according to The New York Times. Clinton shot back with Sanders’ weak record on gun control, saying he voted with the National Rifle Association. Sanders had no response.

Kanye 2020

As the 2016 presidential election approaches, political debates are beginning to heat up. This is expected.

Something that was not expected was one of the wealthiest real estate moguls in the country entering the race. That’s right, I’m talking about Donald Trump.

Trump announced his candidacy for the 2016 election on July 16. Many people believed that his campaign would not last long and that his abrasive personality would force him to drop out. However, it has been three months and not only is Trump leading air-time, but he is also leading the Republican polls by about 11 percent.

Trump has no doubt encountered some bumps in the road. For example, his feud with Fox News’s Megyn Kelly during the first Republican presidential debate. Yet he has only gained more publicity from events like this and it has made him stronger in his campaign.

Regardless of the political party you affiliate yourself with, there is one thing Donald Trump has done in the media. With all the different things going on in the world, many people, mainly millennials, can find themselves bored with politics. Donald Trump has grabbed the attention of many of those who typically turn their heads away from politics.

He’s not the only one that has done this recently. During MTV’s 2015 Video Music Awards on Aug. 30, celebrity rapper Kanye West accepted a Michael Jackson Vanguard Award. During his acceptance speech, he announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential race.

According to recent studies, the majority of people who vote in presidential elections are above the age of 45. Whether West’s announcement is legitimate or not, he too has turned the heads of the demographic of people that follow politics the least. I say legitimate because West has been said to have decided to run seconds before he made the announcement and implied that he was high at the show.

November 2016 is a long ways away. If the 2016 election hasn’t already caught your attention, there is a good chance that it eventually will.