Editorial: Presidential debate demonstrates stark contrast between candidates
Monday evening’s presidential debate depicted a riled up Donald Trump talking about the issues themselves rather than the solutions in contrast to a prepared, calm Hillary Clinton, who illustrated a willingness to delve deep into the problems presented to her. The 2016 presidential election can be summed up in the exact same way.
Trump is a business man, not a politician. Although that is one of the reasons why he has come so far in this election, it is arguably one of the strongest reasons why he should not become president. If anything, the debate highlighted this notion. When Trump grew frustrated during the debate, he yelled and interrupted Clinton, broadcasting exactly what type of president he would be: one screaming and complaining during a meeting discussing nuclear weapons. If Trump can’t take a debate seriously, what makes anybody think he would take being president seriously?
Trump’s few strong points in the beginning about trade and the economy were forgotten as he began a trail of false statements such as his denial of calling climate change a hoax and saying he did not support the war in Iraq. He also claimed that the only reason he hasn’t released his tax returns is because they haven’t been audited, something Clinton was quick to counter with.
On the other end of the spectrum, Clinton had clearly spent a significant amount of time prepping for one of the biggest nights on her campaign trail. She talked about restoring trust between police and communities and laid out her plan for taxes and job reform. Clinton’s knowledge and experience shone through during the debate.
“I think Donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate,” stated Clinton during Monday evening’s debate. “And, yes, I did. And you know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be President, and that is a good thing.”
Many Trump supporters are sick of having the same politicians who are all talk, no action. However, when the presidency is between a qualified candidate and a business man who built a company with a million-dollar loan from his father and possesses a hotheaded temper and a lack of serious intellect about the job, the choice isn’t even a choice anymore.
It was clear by the end of the debate that Clinton had prepped far more intensively than Trump, which ultimately worked in her favor. This represents the biggest difference between the two candidates and why only one of them is capable of being president. In case the campaign hadn’t illustrated it clearly enough already, the debate explicitly portrayed two candidates: one president, and one reality TV show star.
Shawn Cottee • Sep 29, 2016 at 8:17 pm
I believe this is an incorrect way to look at these elections. although we all have different views we should take a nonpartisan look at the election. if this is the official news site of North Penn High School then it should be treated that way. students should not be one sided in their news letters. This is one of the main concerns of how media effects our views on both parties.
adviser • Sep 29, 2016 at 8:37 pm
The views expressed in the article and all articles filed under the Opinion section of the Knight Crier are clearly labeled as editorials. Editorials in the Knight Crier reflect the opinions of the individual writers. The Knight Crier accepts submissions to our Opinion section from all interested parties. Articles meant to reflect objective news reporting will be filed in other sections of our publication and will be so labeled.