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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

On the Indiana primary and the aftermath
Today and yesterday have been two of the biggest days in the 2016 election cycle. Bigger than the candidates announcing their intent to run? Not quite, but bigger than what we've seen so far. Why?
1. Ted Cruz suspended his campaign
Despite coming in second or even first in many a primary, and picking his Vice President just days ago, Ted Cruz has stepped aside, following the paths of Carson and Rubio before him. Cruz stepping down could mean a couple things, things I will discuss in my implications section later, Cruz, you put up a good fight. Despite the Zodiac killer memes and your college roommate attacking you, you did what a lot of men are not willing to do. You ran a campaign the best way you saw fit, and you fought for what you believed in. That's all one can do.
2. Bernie Sanders upset Hillary Clinton in Indiana
Why is this important? Because it was not supposed to happen. Sen. Sanders was down in the polls for weeks, with Clinton beating him by double digits at some points. After the New York loss, this is all Sanders supporters could ask for, It's a long tough road to Philly, and if Sanders continues gaining momentum, he may hold Clinton off yet. The states that come next will determine just how much belief should be put in Sen.Sanders and his promises.
3. John Kasich suspended his campaign.
This has been coming. Despite him calling his campaign the "little engine that could", it was only a matter of time before the Ohio Gov. went back to Ohio. So soon after Cruz is shocking however. Given the drama in the GOP recently, especially with him and Trump, it's a little hard to believe that he would give up so easily. Though he was mathematically unable to cinch the nomination, he had pledged to stay in the race until Cleveland. He will be in Ohio during the convention, just not fighting for delegates like he said. Kasich, you too fought the good fight. At least you got Ohio.

Implications of Indiana:
On the Republican side: Donald Trump is now the nominee. That means a few things could happen. Here are three of the most popular opinions about what the business turned politician will cause in the GOP.
1. The Republican party will unite behind their chosen nominee, Mr. Trump.
Despite the hatred of many members, the party polarization runs so deep the Republicans may unite to keep a Democrat out.
2. The party members will not vote
Not all of them, but those who are alienated by Trump and swing too far right to ever go left. When caught between a rock and a hard place in November, they may choose to stay home and refuse to cast a vote in the hopes that the next four years will not harm them.
3. The more moderate Republicans will swing left.
Though it may seem unlikely, some Republicans are so fed up with Trump, they may vote blue in November just to stop him. Though it won't be in great numbers, it may be enough to put a Democrat in the White House for four more years.

On the Democratic side:
The fight between Sanders and Clinton continues, and though Sanders may seem all but defeated, he is not calling it quits anytime soon. California will decide his fate, and it is only a matter of time beofre the Democratic party calls for unity to beat the other side, behind whoever eventually secures the nomination.

Now I'm not saying that any of these is more likely than the other, but these are the trends that have emerged in the last few months, and the splintering of the Republican party may simply be too much for some voters. No matter what action they take, both parties will have a hard time uniting come November and even in the months after it.

With that being said, Congratulations to the winners.
To the Candidates who dropped out, it was a good run.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Introduction

Allow me to introduce myself. I am a current undergraduate Political Science student who is extremely frustrated with the media coverage of the 2016 election. The bias is rampant and I feel people are not getting the information they need. I will be presenting all the candidates and their stances ~objectively~ (especially those involving women's rights) as well as following all media articles. the twist is I will remove the negative tone and bias from them so people can decide for themselves who is best come November 2016.
Essentially aiming to combine what I love most: writing and politics. Perhaps even open some minds along the way.
-SH