A vote for redemption, the lesser of two evils, or a historical first?
For college freshman and Wando alumni Nicole Breen, both candidates are sub-optimal, but there is a clear-cut correct choice.
“To me [my main issue] is keeping Trump out of office again… it’s more of a morality thing,” Breen said. “I never saw myself voting, in my first presidential election… to keep someone out of office instead of someone I was passionate about.”
Breen stands apart from Harris on many issues, but she sees a greater threat to Democracy in the other candidate.
“I don’t feel good with a felon or someone who is liable for sexual assault in office,” Breen said. “I don’t love everything Kamala stands for, I think I’m a little bit lefter, but I can’t see myself voting for anyone else, like a third party, because if people like me do that, then we’re going to get Trump back.”
Biden’s withdrawal from the election caused a massive stir in the Democratic party and presidential race, with a new candidate that has been able to achieve a higher approval rating compared to her predecessor.
“I was going to vote for Biden, even though it was going to be hard for me, just because… he did seem a little old, not totally fit for office, but not feel good about it. I feel better voting for Kamala, I like the idea of somebody that more people are passionate about than Biden,” Breen said. “The switch from Biden to Kamala made me more excited to vote for the democrats.”
Breen has her reasons against voting for Trump.
“The felony case… and the sexual assault case made me confirm a lot of my dislike [for Trump]. Also the Ohio immigrant flat out racism [during the presidential debate]… really got me,” Breen said. “If there was a point of no return, he already probably reached it, but that to me was such blatant xenophobic racism my jaw dropped. if I hadn’t already reached
the point of no return, it was that.”
Breen does not entirely support Harris.
“I see Kamala as center left… she’s going down a Biden, center-left plan, which I think is smart to win, but I don’t see her as a particularly left candidate,” Breen said. “I’d like to vote for a Bernie [Sanders]-type character.”
Between the aisles remain many Amercans who do not know which “evil” is the lesser
they choose to endorse. Among those people are current Wando senior Zackary Wiley and
graduate Jacob Cutter.
For Cutter, the choice is somewhat clear, his issue resides in the controversiality of the
choice.
“The issue I’m most worried about, is something that I don’t feel like [either] of the
[candidates] are talking about, and it’s the separation… between the sides of our democracy,” Cutter said. “If you say you are a Republican or Democrat to the wrong person, you’re basically asked ‘why the f— would you think that?’”
Cutter sees the disadvantages of both candidates, but his concerns lie more to one candidate than the other.
“I heavily dislike Trump; in my opinion he’s not the best man to be running a country… nor
do I think Kamala is the best woman to be running a country… [but] I think Kamala is a pretty okay choice,” Cutter said. “I’m a little scared of what Trump would do in office.”
“I’m kinda glad [Pres. Joe Biden] dropped out, just because if he were to have stayed in… he would’ve lost. Imma keep it 100 percent real, two 80-something-year-old people running for president is not something I want… I don’t want to choose between a senile old person and an a–hole old person,” Cutter said.
Cutter sees the potential in each candidate, but over all he has to choose.
“I’m kind of sitting in the middle right now… I want to believe in both sides because sectionalism is my biggest worry,” Cutter said. “I might be center, leaning towards left… [but] personally, I’m voting for Kamala.”
In Wiley’s case, research is key.
“If you make a decision based on one [topic]… I don’t know if that’s super smart because you don’t know all of [their policies],” Wiley said.
For Wiley, the key issue is maintaining freedoms.
“My most important issue right now is… being able to make sure some [laws] don’t get overturned… one of the Supreme Court justices said, once Roe v. Wade got overturned, that ‘I hope I can start overturning some other things.’ One of those cases was the one that got gay marriage legalized in America,” Wiley said. “That makes me feel uncomfortable.”
His perspective was altered for when the unexpected happened in July.
“As soon as Biden dropped, it solidified where I was going to stand with Biden and Trump, I was probably leaning towards Trump because… definitely seeing the [current] president on the decline these past few years… now that I know that there’s another candidate that’s capable of taking that role, I have a better [idea of who to vote for],” Wiley said.
With all the new changes in mind, Wiley’s current decision is still up for more self analysis.
“I identify as an independent, but I am a little left leaning,” Wiley said. “As of now I would probably vote for Kamala, but I definitely want to do more research economically.”
For center-right voter and graduate Jacob Trammel, Donald Trump is far from who he wants representing his party.
“I think, as Republicans, we haven’t been able to put forward a legit candidate… for the last eightyears, since I was 10, the only thing the Republican Party could put forward was Trump,” Trammel said. “My least favorite Republican in the world is Donald
Trump.”
Trammel would be more likely to vote for other candidates, but any contest for the Republican primary spot has been shut down.
“You saw… candidates tried to go up against him… Vivek [Ramaswamy], [Ron] DeSantis… but when a candidate holds a solid 30 percent, there’s nothing you can really do,” Trammel said. “Why can’t we get someone better… why can’t we get someone who can actually win an election?”
With these frustrations in mind, Trammel has to make a decision.
“I find myself very upset with my party a lot,” Trammel said. “I’m going to vote for Trump… I’m not happy with it, I wish I could vote for anyone but, but… my two options are bad and worse.”
For graduate Gregor Smith, Trump is his reluctant but preferred choice.
“I don’t really like both candidates. I think there were better candidates than Trump that could have been elected, but because he is what most closely aligns [with what I believe in], that’s who I’m going to vote for,” Smith said. “[I like] a lot of the tax cuts he said he was [going to] do… he would close the border, and… bring gas prices down.” Smith has his reasons against voting for Harris.
“[Biden dropping out] automatically gave Harris a spot… she didn’t earn the spot, she was just given it,” Smith said.