As the 2020 presidential election approaches this November, the country is increasingly divided between reelecting Republican incumbent President Donald Trump or electing former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden.
Barons share their ideas on what citizens should expect of their leader for the coming year, and if they think any of the presidential candidates on the ballot display those traits right now.
“I suppose I expect the same thing from our candidates this year that I would expect every year. In fact, I expect more from our candidates because of the tensions. Our leader should be someone who can meet these tensions and conflicts head on. There’s always going to be issues a president has to face no matter what. America is always changing and growing, and the president is expected to handle the public’s needs. If the candidates can’t deal with tensions before they even step into office, that’s a bad sign. Honestly, especially after the presidential debate, I don’t really see anything worthwhile in our candidates. If they can’t put aside petty remarks to inform the American citizens about their goals and policies, then how are they going to deal with real issues when they come up. I expect more from the future leader of one of the largest countries in the world, and I’m currently a little disappointed in the candidates we’ve been given,” senior Taylor Le said.
“I expect the leader of our country to being open to new ideas and to communicate his ideals in a respectful way. When I watched the presidential debate, it was hard to see those types of qualities in the 2 candidates. All I can hope for is that the elected president does what is right for the country,” junior Faith Vu said.
“Regardless of their political party, I hope that our leader will unite the country and bring people together instead of creating division. We need a president who won’t be afraid to address the hard-hitting questions and hide in a bunker while a human rights movement is going on. As we’ve seen from this past year, the country has been more divided than ever. I want a president who will do what’s best for EVERYONE and not just for their political party. I don’t see why anyone would want a president who is so hateful towards people of the opposite party because their morals don’t align with his. I believe Biden has America’s best interests in his heart, even though there might be things some people don’t completely agree with him on. From his own words, “I’m running as a Democrat, but I will be an American president. Whether you voted for me or against me, I will represent you,” junior Kaylee Nguyen said.
“I’d expect them to govern each state well and actually fix the common problems. For example, the ones in California with the wildfires, taxes, and the stupidly expensive cost for rent. As for the candidates I can’t really say much because I haven’t been keeping up with politics,” sophomore Thang Dang said.
“Personally I think a good leader should be someone who can look past the flaws of the other party but also see the flaws in their own and work with both sides of the political spectrum to try and patch whatever damage has been caused in the past rather than just sucking up to their own party and getting nothing done. As a more moderate person I don’t really see that in any of the candidates, from the first term of President Trump things have only seemed to have gotten worse. As for Biden he does seem to have plans to at least start fixing things but unfortunately I don’t think the judicial and legislative branches will let him to a lot, much like how it was in the Obama Administration. Due to this major lack of progress from both parties I’ve been burnt out from the scene of politics, however that doesn’t mean I don’t keep up with what’s going on and watching the fireworks.,” senior Nathan Navarro said.
“Despite all of the tensions and conflict this year, I still have certain expectations for a leader of our country. A leader should be considerate of the people around them and more importantly, the people they serve. As such, they should form their policies to do what is best for the people, and they should be always be ready to be held accountable for their actions. Additionally, while I acknowledge how difficult compromise may be, I still expect our leaders to try to put aside their differences in these trying times. However, when the moment is clear to act and the solution is obvious (e.g. wearing masks, social distancing, etc.), our leaders need to be willing to put their foot down and do what is right by the country, not their reelection campaign. While I do not necessarily like either candidate, I do see some of these qualities appear on a basic level. As I mentioned, something non-negotiable and obvious such as wearing masks is advocated by one side but often mocked by the other. One candidate at least pretends to show empathy while other actively derides those who do as a sign of weakness. Most importantly, one does not blatantly undermine our civil institutions, boast about it on social media for all to see, and then claims to love America,” said senior Ryan Nguyen.
