After the third and final presidential debate, Hillary Clinton’s intellectual domination over Donald Trump has been made profoundly evident. Her knowledge and nuance in policy — both domestic and abroad — and the capacity to make pragmatic solutions to resolve conflicts prove that in any circumstance she would be a strong, capable and wise choice for the presidency. This year, given her crassly daft opponent, she is our only option.
From our perspective as current undergraduate students, her specific and achievable plan for education reform isn’t just admirable. It’s a necessary part of any platform we would be comfortable supporting. Her advocacy for empowering teacher unions, student loan reform, and expanding financial support for schools shows her clear interest in closing the education gap across the country. The increase in funds would have an impact on education, as research shows that increasing funding allows for the expansion of student resources. It’s not surprising, then, that she was endorsed by the National Education Association, the largest teacher union in the country. When it comes to health care policy, Hillary is committed to standing by the Affordable Care Act, which was passed under President Barack Obama’s stewardship. Her plan, which has since been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, stands to ensure that nearly 20 million more Americans have access to affordable health care. She also advocates for the creation of a public option. This is in stark contrast with Trump’s platform, which aims for a complete repeal of the Affordable Care Act. He also hasn’t specified an alternative, meaning millions of people will no longer have access to healthcare.
Hillary’s economic strategy and proposed tax code is substantially more progressive than Trump’s and allows funding for the many policy suggestions she offers. This has led many independent analyses of her economic plan to conclude that in the long-term, it will yield strong economic growth and an increase of 3.2 million jobs during her first term alone.
While Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have both avoided speaking about the urgency of environmental reform, Hillary has a comprehensive plan to harness the power of renewable energy and monitor and cap carbon emissions.
We’ve discussed the most important policy issues, and now we’d like to address any remaining Trump supporters, directly:
At this point in the election season, you’ve probably made up your mind. But it isn’t as if it’s against the law to throw away your “Make America Great Again” hat or take the Trump/Pence bumper sticker off of your car.
You may have been able to rationalize your support for Trump as something that did not also constitute your consent to his bigotry, sexism, xenophobia and shameful authoritarian gestures, but that cannot be the case any longer.
It is time for you to take one of the last lifeboats available off of this Trump-brand Titanic. It’s time you join the chorus of fellow Americans who recognize that this man is an existential threat — not only to our current way of life — but also to a future, enriched by diversity and empathy.
Wake up from your wicked slumber and cast your vote for Hillary Clinton on Nov. 8. Otherwise, you will have unquestionably marked yourself as a bigot just like your man himself. And we promise we will not forget.
