(THE PICKET)—Though the general election is months away, 14 to be exact, the campaign to become the 45th president of the United States has already begun.
According to a Sept. 16 poll from CBS and The New York Times, Donald Trump leads Republicans with 27 percent support, followed closely by Ben Carson at 23 percent.
On the Democratic side, CBS and The New York Times find former New York senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton polling at 47 percent, leading Vermont senator and self-described socialist Bernie Sanders by 20 percentage points.
Shepherd students are divided in their opinions on the political whirlwind.
‘This election isn’t our typical ‘lesser of two evils’ situation. We have candidates from virtually every social niche to choose from. The GOP primary will produce a formidable candidate, as competition gives us the best ideas and products. Meanwhile, the (Democratic) Party’s next in line continues to lose ground to those willing to fight,” said Caleb Hudson, a 24-year-old senior majoring in political science. “With such a wide range of candidates supporting socialism to free markets, it’s an exciting election to follow. I’m hoping people get informed and turn out to vote.”
Mariah Merriweather, a 22-year-old senior majoring in political science, spoke specifically about the Republican front-runner.
“Donald Trump (is) focusing on the wrong things… he needs to worry about what he can do for our country. He’s talking about sending people back to their own country. That can cost $11 billion. That money could be used for education or it can be used for something more structured in the country.”
Trump’s remarks about undocumented immigrants have caused a stir as the businessman makes his run for the Republican nomination.
However, not everyone is as excited for campaign season. Four students declined to be quoted, saying they simply did not know enough about politics or the campaign. Ryan Wolfe, a 21-year-old senior majoring in accounting, said he is disillusioned by the political climate, and he does not pay attention to politics as a result.
Dr. Joseph Robbins, professor of political science, echoed the sentiment of apathy.
“Students are generally uninterested in political affairs, though this is likely to pick up a bit during election season. Further, students, or folks in this general age range, are rather apathetic, disillusioned, and disinterested in political affairs,” Robbins said.
Dr. Jacob Stump, professor of political science, said that student apathy is not necessarily a bad thing because it can serve as a commentary on disillusionment with “business as usual.” Stump cited the campaigns of Sanders and Trump, saying that they are both “edgy” candidates. Stump also pointed out that Sanders, being a congressional veteran of 24 years, serving first in the House of Representatives and currently in the Senate, is not as much of a “Washington outsider” as people think. Stump cited the proliferation of joke candidates as another expression of apathy as commentary on the political climate.
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