So far (officially) only two candidates (with backing from a major party) have thrust themselves into the media spotlight by launching their campaign to run for the office of President of the United States in 2016. The Senator from Kentucky, Dr. Rand Paul, is a former ophthalmologist by way of Kentucky and son of venerated libertarian darling Ron Paul. His announcement came on Monday. Since his announcement he has been under fire for his sometimes questionable reactions to media scrutiny. Before Paul there was Senator Ted Cruz from Texas, the first official candidate for the Republican party, who is branding himself as the values-based religious option for the Republican palette. Both share the Republican sentiment that Washington is broken, that they are newcomers/outsiders and the government that governs best governs least. What are there chances against someone with the political clout of Jeb Bush or the more mainstream grassroots support of Gov. Scott Walker? Also, can they compete with the support of their likely Democratic challenger Hilary Clinton, who is set to announce her candidacy on Sunday?
Read all the linked articles to get an idea of how the 2016 Presidential race is shaping up in its infant stages and answer the following questions. The thoughtfulness and in-depth analysis contained in your response will determine the value of your post. It is undeniable that these two first official candidates provide a fresh look on the field for 2016, but do you think they have a chance to win the primary? What about the general election? Why or why not? If you were a Republican voter in the primary booth this fall, who would you vote for (assuming Christie, Walker, Rubio, Bush, or anyone else you might think of run) and why? Would it be better for someone like Bush (center-leaning conservative) or Paul (right-leaning conservative) to win the primary? What do you think the American people want in 2016? If you were a voter (which most of you will be) what would you want the new President to address when they take office in 2017? What issues do you think need to be on the policy agenda? Be specific in your answers.
17 comments:
No it is not deniable that the first two candidates provide a fresh new look for the US, but I believe Rand Paul would be able to win the primary because of Ted Cruz being way to Conservative and Rand Paul is someone that is actually willing to work in between to make up for the best solution. Rand Paul looks like he could beat out Ted Cruz in the general elections as well. If I was a voting in the primaries this fall I would vote for Jeb Bush because of the experience he has with running the country with his father and older brother being the president of the United States at one point. And is also not as conservative and also not that as liberal. He would be one of those candidates that is willing to work things out to make American the best country in the world. Jeb Bush who is a center leaning conservative to win both the primary and the general election. I think the American people would want a republican president in 2016 but then again some people might want to see a Lady running the country.
I believe Rand Paul has a better chance because he is more well known and also Ted Cruz is too conservative. I would pick Bush because he is more centered. I believe Bush has a better chance of winning the primary because he is more centered. I believe they need to discuss gun control. I believe they should not allow guns anywhere where there are kids or a great mass of people.
I believe Rand Paul and Ted Cruz would be at a disadvantage in the Republican primary if Jeb Bush and Scott Walker were to announce candidacy because Bush and Walker already have a large following while Paul is being heavily scrutinized for flip flopping opinions and Cruz is criticized by secularists.
Out of the four Republican candidates, I think Jeb Bush would have the best chances of winning the Republican primary because of his following and because the right-leaning conservative vote is shared amongst the other three (Paul, Cruz, and Walker) while Bush has both the center-leaning and the independents.
Hilary Clinton definitely has a significant advantage for being the only defined Democratic candidate in the Democratic primary. The Republican support roughly split into 1/4ths for each of the Republican candidates could not equal the full Democratic support of Hilary Clinton.
If I were to vote for the Republican primary, I would vote for Scott Walker. After reading his "On the Issues" file (http://www.ontheissues.org/Scott_Walker.htm), I feel my beliefs are in line of what he has to offer, especially his views on healthcare and education. I could not bring myself to vote for Ted Cruz because of his involvement of religion. As for Rand Paul, his view regarding civil rights are frightening and his views favor the will of corporations, which I do not agree with and leads me to believe he is under their influence.
I think it would be best for center-leaning Bush to win the primary. It would be logical to say that a center-leaning candidate would be more open to compromise which is needed for progress.
I think the American people really want a fresh start in the executive so that progress, whether it be Republican or Democratic, can be achieved.
I think relevant topics today that need to be addressed would be entitlement spending, civil rights, foreign relations, and healthcare for sure.
I don’t think Ted Cruz is a strong candidate, simply because he is too right-winged and affiliates himself with religion; the majority of Americans call themselves independent and do not ‘brand’ themselves with religion, as Ted Cruz has done. I think Ron Paul has a stronger chance than Ted Cruz, but I don’t think either will pull more votes than Jeb Bush or Gov. Scott Walker. I don’t think either of them have a chance against Hilary Clinton because she is well-known, has sufficient funding, is most likely the main Democratic candidate, and is less polarized on the left wing-right wing scale than Ron Paul and Ted Cruz are. (Hilary Clinton is not as far left and Ron Paul and Ted Bush are to the right). I think Jeb Bush has the strongest chance of winning the primary because he, like Hilary Clinton, is well-known, more center-leaning, and does not ‘brand’ himself with religion. I don’t think Ron Paul or Ted Cruz have a chance at winning the general election, simply because they are very right-winged, thus differentiation themselves from most Americans. I think I would vote for Bush in the Republican primary because I think he has the strongest chance of winning the general election. To support my party (the Republican Party, in this hypothetical scenario) I would choose Bush because, if I were to vote for Walker then I think Walker would be destroyed in the general election, especially if he were up against a strong Democratic candidate like Hilary Clinton. It would be better for Bush to win the primary because, being a center-leaning conservative, he appeals to a larger proportion of the American population. I think if any other Republican candidate were chosen, they would be easily defeated in the general election. To fortify my reasoning, Mitt Romney purposely chose not to run in this presidential race because he knew that Bush had a better chance of pulling votes than other Republican candidates, including Romney himself. I think Americans want to see a more center-leaning president who is able to work with congress, despite different views. I completely agree with Cody in that the most pressing issues in 2017 should be entitlement spending, civil rights, foreign relations, and healthcare. Entitlement spending is already a huge issue because it costs the nation so much and we are already in an extreme amount of debt. Civil rights is certainly important, especially because of all the events occurring involving police shooting innocent people and the new law/proposed laws that may allow businesses to refuse proving services to people of different sexual orientation. It astonishes me that the U.S., being a first world country with a booming economy and religious freedom, freedom of speech, etc., still has issues with civil rights. Foreign relations is a pressing issue, as seen by the conflicts in the Middle East. Lastly, healthcare is pretty much a disaster. The only issue I would add is education, simply because I think it’s ridiculous to charge families so much to send their kids to college.
I don't think Rand Paul or Ted Cruz would have a better chance of winning primary against Jeb Bush considering he is more known around and he is more centered with his opinions and less one sided. Since Hillary Clinton announced today that she is running for presidency, I think she has a big advantage coming up since she is known and people have been waiting to see what she decides. People in 2016 want change and want hope for the future and more safety precautions and most importantly, more jobs.Some issues on my policy agenda would be safety, employment, education and getting the healthcare straightened up. Change is what America needs to see now and we need to work together to see what's best for everybody.
I doubt Paul or Cruz will win the primary simply because I feel like the republican party will want to continue the Bush dynasty, hoping center-leaning Jeb will be influenced some by his father and grandfather’s legacies. Also, Ted Cruz’s 26 hour filibuster and sole blame for the government shutdown will tarnish his reputation. I doubt anyone, republican or democrat will want a president responsible for shutting down the government. Walker’s more military approach will be popular among veterans and military family members, but Jeb could easily ride his last name into the oval office. I think it would be better for Bush to win if he is more center-leaning because the current senate has done approximately nothing and is experiencing terrible gridlock so if Jeb can be more compromising with democrats it will be advantageous to pass more things through congress and get things done. From my research, I found that Walker had trouble handling his state problems alone, which raises concern that he will be able to run the entire country. I think in 2016, there’s a great chance Hillary will be elected since feminism is such a prevalent topic and female voters are likely to vote for her so they can see a woman take office. When I vote in the election, I want the president elected to focus on stabilizing the economy and foreign affairs. Issues on the policy agenda absolutely be educational reform because this standardization is counterproductive in educating the future of America and something needs to change. Instead of wondering what the Russians are doing with their free time we should be ensuring a stable future for our own children.
I believe that Rand Paul and Ted Cruz have disadvantages since Jeb Bush is more well known and experinced. Although, I don’t think either of them have a chance against Hilary Clinton because she is well-known, has sufficient funding, is most likely the main Democratic candidate, and is less polarized on the scale than Ron Paul and Ted Cruz are.
I think Ted Cruz does not have a good chance of winning since he is more one sided about his beliefs. I agree with Nicole Genge when she says "Honestly, I would go for somebody more middlie - of - the-road just because I think they would have a better chance of winning everything.Because they could persuade either side and they wouldn't cause much controversy." as she describes Ted Cruz. She says this because she knows that Cruz won't appeal to many of the voters or the young people, thus not allowing to get a lot of votes. But that doesn't mean Rand Paul has a better chance of winning either. Reading the articles about Rand Paul stresses on how the media only focused on his temper rather than his policies. This can effect the voting turnout, especially if people will only remember as Rand Paul as a man with a temper. However, I think Jeb Bush and Scott Walker has a better chance of winning the primary rather then the general election if they were to announce their candidacy.
If I were a Republican voter I would vote for probably vote for Marco Rubio since he doesn't believe in abortion, but understands that women's right is the law.
I think it would be better for Jeb Bush to win the primary since he is more known and is a center - leaning conservative, which appeals to the citizens in America than Paul. I also believe it is because Rand Paul is seen as having the same ideas as his father, who was not as popular to the voters.
I think American people want the issues that have been going on for years (gay marriage, abortion, discrimination, others) answered in 2016. Many young voters are accepting gay marriage and is protesting to allow gay marriage to become legal. However, these pressing issues will lead to great controversies, leading to a political gridlock.
I would want President Hilary Clinton to be the president because she is a woman, and women are the most demographically underrepresented people overall.
I think the pressing issues that need to be on the policy agenda should be the discrimination against race and police brutality after the whole Michael Brown and Ferguson events. I also would want gay marriage to be on the policy agenda since I personally think gay marriage is okay. Gun control is another, such as regulation from buying them at gun shows, especially when the guns look illegal.
Both candidates provide a fresh look and could be great in the primary but I think Rand Paul would do better especially in the general because he is more willing to compromise than the other candidate. It would also be better for Paul to win the Primary because of that same reason. And he would appeal to the younger crowd which is who will be voting for him if he won and decided to run again. The people most likely want someone who is able to compromise between both parties. I believe the most pressing issue is police brutality and unnecessary force. There has been a cop shooting or injuring an unarmed man almost everyday for the past month or two. Also medical reforms need to corrected because there are still a lot of individuals who can go see a doctor because they can't afford it or the doctor doesn't do their job well.
Rand Paul appears to be the much stronger candidate in my person opinion. Not only is he more well spoken, but I think that his education in medicine will prove to be very beneficiary for him in the Republican sector. They are especially trying to remove Obamacare, and with his experience in that he may prove to be a vital political figure for conservatives. Ted Cruz has an ethnical advantage as he is half Cuban, however his policies tend to be a little to conservative while Rand Paul may appear more center right, this in spite of his father who appears to be a little more radical than most presidential candidates. Jeb Bush has the name that is honestly very bad at this time, no one really wants another dynasty in the white house, there needs to be a new face and a new change within the republican party to really make any difference in their ventures for policy change.
Both candidates are obviously strong enough to gain the public’s eye, but I believe that Ted Cruz does not have a very strong chance to win the primary due to his strong religious basis. His quote, "God isn't done with America yet," may have the tendency to scare some voters from thinking that he will not make decisions based off of logic and reasoning. They definitely don’t have a chance against Hilary Clinton who has more financial support, is the number one Democrat supported candidate, and she has less extreme policies towards the left (unlike Ted Cruz who is very set in his policies as a Republican). I would vote for Jeb Bush due to his advocacy to improve economic conditions for future generations and his experience growing up in the spotlight knowing what is right and wrong for a leader to do for their country. He does not take any extreme positions on issues like Ted Cruz and religion which opens him up to a larger voting base. Also, more independent people will vote for his more centralist ideas that are not targeted too far left or right making it easier for him to work with people on both sides of the agenda. It would be nice to have a clear winner (either Republican or Democrat) for the primary, but if a person like Jeb Bush were to win, he could work with people who have conservative and liberal ideas since he is not stuck on one side.
America wants something different than it needs. We need someone who can keep us from being involved in any more foreign disputes while we heal our own economy and social systems, but the American people want policy reform and to help other nations even though we ourselves are not in a position to do so. I would like to see a president address our nation’s health crisis. In a world where iPhones are second nature, children are dying of starvation, malnutrition, and obesity by the time they should be graduating high school. If we are such a strong nation, then how can we let the next generations become so weak? The president must focus on where we need to be as a nation and where countries like China are. If they can achieve higher education for millions, we should be able to get our children through at least the 12th grade.
I believe that Rand Paul has a better chance of winning the primary and the general because Ted Cruz is extremely conservative. If I were a republican voting in the primary booth this fall I would most likely vote for Bush because he is the most well known and I agree mostly with what is in his policy and his family has been in politics for a really long time and they have experience with running the country. It would be better for Bush to win the primary because he is the least conservative and I believe he appeals more to the American citizens. I think the people want someone who sticks to what they said they were going to do in their term before they were elected. I would want the president to address the fact that women are still not considered equal to men. Men still make more and get way more advantages in the work place than women do. I also would want them to not attack women when it comes to abortion because at the end of the day it is that women's body and her decision.
I feel as though Bush has the most influential position in the republican race (and if I identified as a republican he’d have my vote) would therefore win over the republican primary. I think that Bush has an advantage because he’s already well known and has a large support base and therefore an equally large amount of funding. I think that his policies aren’t too conservative and are more center based and which aligns with the ideals of most Americans these days. Unlike Ted Cruz his emphasis isn’t on religious affiliation which I think is a significant asset as well since a poignant portion of Americans do not identify with a single religion. I think Ted Cruz’s affiliation will ultimately be his downfall. Since the United States as a whole has always been a reference for individual liberties and freedoms I don’t think that in the zenith of gay marriage laws being passed and gay rights being a prime topic of discussion that he’d fair well. There’s no doubt that he’d try to intertwine politics and religion as he has done in his speeches and the American public is so split regarding religion that, that just wouldn’t go over well. I think that the American people in 2016 want someone who is timely; someone whose policies aren’t dated. I think that they want liberal policies that allow them to practice their lives as they’re comfortable without making extreme alterations anywhere in the federal government. I think the American people are looking for stability more than anything. I’d like the new president to address concerns about race relations, taxes, and education. I think Rand Paul’s sassiness would account for weakness overall. I think that his temper would divert the attention from his stance on subjects when giving speeches or answering questions that the public may have and would just rub the American public the wrong way. If in case I was voting my vote would be for Hillary because women are underrepresented.
I think both Paul and Cruz don't have the best chance to win the primary because Rand Paul has been under the media spotlight in a very negative way, which has a big influence on the way the voters vote. In one article I read, Rand Paul requests men reporters when being interviewed instead of women reporters as women are too "emotional." He hushed a CNBC female reporter, which can definitely have an affect on women voters where they will choose to not to vote for Paul. Ted Cruz I believe will be viewed as too extreme and voters want politicians who are more balanced. I don't think they'll win the general election because even though their names are well known by many, they are well known in a bad way where people wouldn't want these two people as president.
If I was a republican, I would vote for Bush because he is the most moderate out of the names provided in my opinion. So even though I disagree with some of his political views, he's less extreme in practice. I would want Bush because of that vs. Paul since I think Paul is too extreme.
I think the American People want a president who will deliver on what they promise in their campaigns. I believe they want lower taxes and unemployment and more social equality as well as well as affordable healthcare. These are definitely a few issues I want to be addressed since these are issues I strongly believe in. America is progressing, but I want to see it progress even further. I want strong, proactive change.
Rand Paul is very well known so in my opinion it gives him a good chance of winning the primary. Ted Cruz has very strong opinions, which many may not agree with. I would vote for Bush because there have been several Bush’s in office and they are well known and have lots of personal experience in knowing what to do. He would have a lot of supporters gained from his family as well as those who support him, which would be good for him in the outcome of the elections. In 2016 I believe the people just want someone who is confident in what they are doing and considers a change such as Hillary and a woman to take a stand in office. I also agree that there should be a change and a woman should take office. Issues that need to be on the policy agenda are healthcare, education, and gun control. Healthcare is an essential factor of which many American’s are concerned about. Education also is impertinent for our future generations, which I believe everyone needs and for some people it is difficult due to how expensive it is. Gun control also, seems like it is always an issue so resolutions need to be met regarding people’s rights.
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