At this point in time, the Republican Party has hosted multiple debates to test and compare their wide range of Presidential candidates. On the other hand, the Democratic Party is starting to heat up, as was displayed in their first debate on Tuesday Oct. 13. The two obvious front-runners are, and have been, Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The debate on Tuesday night supported the campaigns of both contenders and proved that both have reason and drive to be in the race, especially on facing issues that college students are concerned about, such as college tuition, the environment, gun laws and the economy.
Unlike members of the Republican Party, the contenders in the Democratic debate share similar viewpoints on how to deal with many of the issues student voters are facing. Sanders is, and should be, highly favored among many college students due to his concern and passionate appeals to progressive ideas. He places heavy emphasis on his policy’s focus of strengthening the middle class and making college tuition debt-free, if not completely tuition free. However, college students should be sure to listen to Clinton as well, valuing her wealth of experience as a reason to research her politics. She also has a plan for long-term economic growth and a layout that supports reasonably priced tuition as well as debt-free college opportunities.
As Clinton continues to lead over Sanders in the polls, the debate was a key way to evaluate personalities and stage presence, or to possibly be surprised by one of the other lesser-known candidates. However, Sanders and Clinton stole the stage, powering through their declarations with hope and measured finality. Each was strong in their position, and the respect they held for one another was evident; Sanders even went so far as to help defend Clinton on the subject of her private emails. Martin O’Malley stuck his nose into the conversation with some effort, Jim Webb whined about unequal time and Lincoln Chafee may have contributed at some point, however these three candidates could have stepped offstage and the audience may not have noticed or cared.
Sanders and Clinton are the clear figures for college students to pay attention to and research for their progressive ideas and serious desire to make changes for the better. Though the debate didn’t have a ‘winner’ necessarily between Sanders and Clinton, there is one absolute fact: Democrats are winning over Republicans, even if only in the ability to spend time discussing policies and aspirations instead of wasting time by slandering one another.
