Thursday, March 28, 2024

Eight Things To Love (or Not Love) About 2016

Photo credit: Peter Stevens via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Photo credit: Peter Stevens via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

The 2016 presidential race is now in full swing, and so much has been going on. Candidates have been putting their feet in their mouths and moderators have been starting fights while the rest of the us try to deal with issues of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Here are eight things to love and strongly dislike this election season:

Love: The Catholic Bishops

The bishops have recently come out with a statement saying that Catholics who support abortion and euthanasia are in formal cooperation with evil. Formal cooperation means you are directly involved in the evil act even if you are not partaking in it. What does this mean for the Catholic vote? Catholics who wish to remain in good standing with the Church cannot vote for pro-choice candidates. I applaud the bishops for proclaiming their beliefs in a time when it is not popular to be Christian or pro-life.  While many politicians will do anything for power, the USCCB reminds us that policies never trump principles.

Don’t Love: Moderators

The moderators this year have been an absolute mess. Almost every question has been a total joke. They’re so bad that the candidates won’t even answer them (shout out to you, Governor Kasich). I will have to give them some props, however. During the CNBC debates, the GOP candidates became a glorious, conservative team fighting in the name of a fair and quality debate. On top of that, terrible moderation makes for very entertaining television.

Love: Carly Fiorina

Carly is the GOP’s chance at getting women to the voting booths. Diversity on the debate stage is so important to women, minorities and millennials. Carly, then, is the Republican’s ticket to these key voting groups. If she doesn’t make it to the top, it would be a smart move for any of the men on the floor to pick Carly as running mate.

Don’t Love: The Number of Republican Candidates

We started off with 17 candidates at beginning of this year, which proved that Republicans had no idea who to back. Our way to success was to back a couple of strong candidates that the country could get behind, but we came out swinging with our arms in a hundred different directions, leaving us with a conglomeration of candidates, none of whom had a solid lead.

Don’t Love: Lindsey Graham

Graham is one of the many problem candidates in this race. Even if only one person is supporting a candidate, he is one person who is not supporting the real players in the race. My advice to Graham, Pataki and the like: get lost, and let the big dogs come out to play.

Love: France

I would like to thank France for their bravery, hope and strength in the midst of great tragedy, fear and suffering in their country. Despite all this, they have still vowed to take in Syrians seeking refuge from civil war and terrorism. #PrayforParis

Don’t Love: Planned Parenthood

Nothing sets me off more than the seemingly feminist belief that the only issues that are women’s issues are reproductive issues. Somehow, Planned Parenthood is creating a coalition of women who believe the only issue to vote on this election is whether or not PP will be defunded. The hit TV show, Scandal, recently made sure that all popcorn-eating and wine-drinking women were on the same page with their controversial season finale. Their message: Planned Parenthood is here to stay, and if you’re not with us, you’re against women.

Love: Facebook

Fear has struck in the hearts of the whole world with the disaster in France, and Facebook is actually doing something to bring people together. It’s almost impossible to find someone without a French flag covering their profile picture. This may not seem like much to many, but it is a sign of solidarity with those suffering. It’s bringing together people of all nations towards one cause, and, frankly, the world needs that right now.

Carolina Baker works for the American Principles Project.

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