It is almost that time when the dinner table conversation revolves around politics, politics and more politics. There are 26 candidates who have declared that they are running for president, 24 Democrats and 2 Republicans. The number difference between the two parties is no surprise as the current President, Donald Trump, is a Republican.
Democrats
Michael Bennet (US Senator from Colorado) believes in the education system and will plan on increasing the spending on education if he gets elected. Also, Bennet has had on emphasis on expanding economic opportunities and adding integrity into our government. He plans on having government taking control of the health insurance system and creating tax cuts for families with children. Bennet believes the prices are rising and wages are too low which creates very minimal economic mobility. He is trying to fix this problem by lower prices and raising wages and in doing this he hopes that there will be more people entering the middle-class.
Joseph R. Biden Jr. (“Our best days still lie ahead,” Vice President of United States from 2009-2017) is very against the current President Donald Trump, he believes that “every morning President Donald Trump wakes up determined to further America and Americans.” If elected Biden plans on undoing the damage Donald Trump has done the world. Biden is thinks very high on unity and compromise. He believes “there is not a single thing we cannot do if we do it together.” Biden says that the people of America are sick and tired of division and Biden is determined to fix this division.
Bill de Blasio (Mayor of New York City) is trying to increase wages and protect workers from power corporations so that the middle class can get rebuilt. Wants to invest more money into schools and give people coming home from jail a second chance. He also wants to end tax breaks for companies that ship overseas and corporations tax breaks. He hopes this will help make they taxing system more fair. Wants to help working class, for example lower interest rates on student loans.
Cory Booker (“Together, America, We Will Rise,” US Senator from New Jersey) believes that private prisons should be abolished, prescriptions drugs should be less expensive and is a supporter of Green New Deal. The Green New Deal is to help prevent climate change by significantly reducing the amount of Greenhouse gases given off to our atmosphere. Booker is focusing on unity and equality by addressing racial discrimination.
Steve Bullock (Governor of Montana) is trying to give everyone a voice, not just those who have a big bank. He feels the Government has been so corrupt by people with large amounts of money. He is upset how millionaires are getting tax cuts and the average American is lost in the wind to suffer. Bullock will also try to lower healthcare prices to make it more affordable. Also a big issue is the climate crisis, he is tired of watching these politicians do nothing as our Earth is getting polluted and destroyed.
Peter Buttigieg (“It’s time for a new generation of American leadership,” Mayor of South Bend, Indiana) supports the Green New Deal because he feels climate change is a huge problem for the younger generation. He is a huge support of labor and union groups and wants to help working people achieve economic stability. Buttigiegs views on gun control is there should always be a background check when purchasing a gun, there should be gun control laws made and there should be no guns allowed in school. A problem Buttigeig has with Trump is he dislikes how Trump has to tweet his foreign policy.
Julián Castro (“One Nation, One Destiny”, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2014-2017) believes all should have Medicare and everyone should be able to afford a house. He is all about hard work and dedication, and his reason for running for President is because he believes if people work together, the American life will be great and the future will be much better. Castro has a major theme of unity.
John Delaney- (“Focus on the Future,” US House Representative from Maryland 2013-2019) Delaney is trying to end the big corruption in politics and is working to make a better future. One of his campaign promises is to only work on bipartisan legislation during his first 100 days as President.
Tulsi Gabbard- (“Lead with Love,” US House of Representative from Hawaii) Gabbard was a veteran in the Iraq war which is why she is focused on foreign policy. She is big on protecting our environment, healthcare for all and support for small businesses. Another thing she will try to do is break up the big banks. Gabbards experience in Iraq may be the reason why she is trying to bring an era of peace. A interesting fact about Gabbard is that she is the first Hindu to run for President.
Kirsten Gillibrand (“Brave Wins” US Senator from New York) is looking to attack economic and social issues. Some examples of issues are sexual assault in the military, healthcare for 9/11 first responders and Medicare for all. One of her top priorities is the safety of America. Gillibrand is trying to help make the lives of active military better by giving them more benefits and once the soldiers return home, she is trying to make jobs, education and many other things more accessible to them.
Mike Gravel (US Senator from Alaska from 1969 to 1981) is not planning on seeking Democratic nomination. According to a spokesperson Gravel with withdraw from the race and endorse the most progressive candidate. Gravels’ main intentions for running was to bring the ideas of anti-war to the Democratic debate stage.
Kamala Harris (“For the People” US Senator from California) is focused on economical issues. She is working on a debt-free college and if she pulls that off, it would impact so many students as most people know because student loans are one of the most stressful problems in College. Another money related issue is, Harris plans on giving a tax cut for Middle Class and Working Class families of up to $500 dollars a month. She is also believes Medicare should be for all.
John Hickenlooper (Governor of Colorado from 2011-2019) is running for President because he feels “we” need to get things done in Washington. Some of his concerns are the environmental issues caused by oil and gas companies, expanding Medicaid in the state ande make laws limiting the sale of certain gun magazines and expand background checks. An impress statement Hickenlooper made was he feels he is capable of earning bipartisan support which is extremely hard as Republicans and Democrats continuously disagree.
Jay Inslee (“Our Moment” Governor of Washington) is running because he feels he is the only candidate that puts the ongoing issue of climate change on the top of priorities list. He has many ways to fix this problem such as installing wind turbines or establishing solar energy sources across the nation. His main goal is to clean the environment because he knows if climate changes goes unsolved the future of the Earth is uncertain.
Amy Klobuchar (“Amy for America” US Senator from Minnesota) is focusing on automatic voter registration, reducing the amount of money in politics and restoring climate regulations that were eliminated by Trump. She is running because she wants to eliminate the chaos in government and replace it with opportunity. Government shutdowns were a big focus for Klobuchar, she said she is tired of “divided politics.”
Wayne Messam (“Wayne for America” Mayor of Miramar, Florida) is focusing on economic issues preventing opportunities. He will try to cancel the $1.5 trillion in student debt. This is one of the issues that are prevent Americans from reaching their dreams.
Seth Moulton (US House of Representatives from Massachusetts) served for US Marine Corps and was deployed in Iraq from 2003-2008. This is the reason why he stresses the importance of the country being safe and strong. He feels that teachers need to get paid what they deserve and give all students the preparation they need at school for the new economy. Moulton believes that all should have cheap and affordable healthcare and leaders that you can trust. Another policy he believes in is the Green New Deal, which helps protect our planet from climate change.
Beto O’Rourke (“Beto For America, Beto For All” Former US House of Representative from Texas from 2012-2018) believes would try to establish universal healthcare. One of his biggest issues is climate change. He believes the problem is great that he has a 4 step outline of the solution on his website. A third rising issue is immigration. O’Rourke believes that the US should be tolerant to the immigrants trying to work, be with family or escaping persecution.
Tim Ryan (Former US House of Representative from Ohio from 2003-2013) decided to run when his daughters friends father got laid off and Ryan’s daughter called him sobbing saying “You have to do something.” This the reason why he will focus on making jobs more available to people and minimizing job loss. But, before any of this, Ryan said “I understand that legacy of job loss. I understand where we need to go. The country is so divided right now that we can’t get a plan together. The first thing we have to do is unify.” Ryan’s main goal is to make the economy thrive for everyone so everyone can reach the American Dream.
Bernie Sanders (“Not me, Us” US Senator from Vermont) is focusing his campaign on economic issues. Some examples of issues are Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, $15 minimum wage, tuition-free college and much more. He also will fight for Women’s and Disability Rights and LGBTQ equality. Sanders will help rebuild Puerto Rico and feels past US presidents have left Puerto Rico in the wind. A few other economic issues he has is he wants Large Corporations and Wall Street to pay their share in taxes and create jobs opportunities for all people.
Eric Swalwell (“Go Big. Be Bold. Do Good.” US House of Representative from California) is extremely focused on the gun violence issue. He feels lawmakers love guns more than our kids. Swalwell would put a mandatory buyback of all semiautomatic assault weapons if you are not in law enforcement or gun clubs. Also he would impose a universal background check on anyone buying weapons or ammunition. A few more things he plans on doing is investing in ALS and Alzheimer’s cure and debt-free college for students.
Elizabeth Warren (“Persist” US Senator from Massachusetts) has focused her campaign on economic issues. One issue she has is taxing the wealthiest 75,000 families to help fund universal childcare, student loan debt relief, the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. Other issues include ending the corruption in Washington, rebuilding the Middle Class and strengthening our Democracy. She also wants to create equality in justice for all people, no matter the gender, race, etc.
Marianne Williamson (“Join the Evolution” Lecturer and author) supports Medicare for All, Green New Deal and $100 billion in reparations in slavery. Also she says the US foreign policy and national security “should be based on efforts to wage peace than on efforts to prepare for war.”
Andrew Yang (“Humanity First; Make America Think Harder; Not Left, Not Right, Forward” Entrepreneur) has focused on Universal Base Income or UBI. Yangs’ UBI guarantees every American citizen over 18 years old recieve $1,000 a month or $12,000 a year. He believes that this can help financially as more and more people are fired from their jobs because of new technological advancements. Also he feels this extra income will help start peoples lives up as the money can pay bills, used for groceries, etc. Yang also wants to create Medicare for All to give healthcare to all Americans.
Republicans
Donald J. Trump (“Keep America Great” Current US president) has stressed the importance that every decision he makes will be to benefit the American people. As many know, he thinks very highly on building “the wall.” This wall separates Mexico and the United States. Trump believes we must protect our country from other countries that are “making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs.” President Trump promised economic growth during his 1st term and there is no doubt he will continue to build up our economy if re-elected. He has also tried to denuclearize North Korea and believes that if re-elect, his attempt of denuclearization will be successful. Another foreign issue is the ongoing problems with Iran. Trump said “If they do anything, it will be a very bad mistake,” when speaking about Iran. This shows that he will not mess around with Iran if re-elected.
William F. Weld (“Because America deserves better” Governor of Massachusetts from 1991-1997) has focused his campaign on economic issues and criticizing President Trump’s personality. He feels Trump is dividing the people more than focusing on issues such as overspending or job loss due to new technology.