Source: Composite by G_marius based on Gage Skidmore's and Michael Vadon's images
If you are asking yourself "who should I vote for president?" read this and join our debate. We discucuss Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's pros and cons and try to determine who will be the next president, and would be better for the POTUS job. Check out the interesting interviews with the two candidates, make up your mind and vote!
Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are likely going to be the Republican and Democrat nominees for the race for the White House. They will face each other in the 2016 presidential elections campaign. The stakes are very high and the most recent opinion polls show that both candidates have relatively similar levels of support. The Republican candidate has dominated the presidential primaries beating Ted Cruz, John Kasich, and Marco Rubio. Hillary Clinton, after a long and difficult battle with Bernie Sanders, is now close to obtaining the necessary delegates for the Democratic Party nomination. The campaign continues and the candidates will soon face each other in the polls. In the current context of political polarization the campaign will probably be highly interesting and aggressive.
Trump attacks Hillary - Hillary attacks Trump
Although the primaries of the Republican and Democratic parties are not over yet, Trump and Hillary have already started their battle and are trying to undermine their likely rival in the presidential election in November. The crossed accusations between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are heating up the presidential race. These are some of the most notorious clashes and accusations:
- Donald Trump has claimed that the Democratic frontrunner would be a weak and "horrible president" and that she is likely to be the nominee simply because she is a woman. He added "I called her crooked Hillary, she's crooked."
- Hillary Clinton claimed that the GOP likely nominee is unfit to lead the nation and serve as commander-in-chief and argues that his foreign policy approach is dangerous. For her, Trump is "grossly incompetent" when it comes to national security.
- Donald Trump has branded Hillary Clinton an "enabler" of her husband's sexual affairs which has had a very negative impact on the lives of his previous mistresses.
- Hillary has criticized Trump over the controversial for-profit Trump University and said that he was trying to scam America and that it was more evidence that he is a fraud.
- Trump has criticized Clinton for her foreign policy and for not having the stamina to defeat America's enemies.
- Hillary claims that Trump is all about pulling people apart and creating division. She has maintained that Trump is anti-inmigrant in a nation of immigrants, and reminded the people that he has called them "rapists, murderers and criminals".
- Trump claimed that he paid Hillary Clinton to attend his wedding and that she attended: "She had no choice because I gave."
- Clinton accuses Donald Trump of paying no taxes or very little tax and that he should be more transparent about his personal tax returns.
- The Republican frontrunner called Hillary a "heartless hypocrite" for wanting to get rid of all guns while "she is surrounded by bodyguards who are fully armed."
- Hillary has attacked Trump for wanting the housing bubble to burst so that prices fall and people like him could take advantage buying up property and obtaining personal benefit regardless of the impact for the country.
- In the last campaign debate Donald Trump called Hillary "nasty woman".
- Hillary suggested that Trump could become a puppet of Putin.
Watch the full final presidential debate 2016
Donald Trump pros and cons
This is a list of the main strengths and weaknesses of Donald Trump as candidate to become the next US president:
Pros
- Very wealthy businessman. He has maintained a large business and personal fortune.
- Inspiring political motto: "make America great again".
- Large victory in the primaries, receiving more delegates then anyone before in the Republican Party.
- Wealth. It might be argued that his existing wealth might make him less susceptible to the lures of corruption.
- Clear messages. His statements are direct and easy to understand for the general public. Whether you like what he says or not, there is little room for ambiguity in his message.
- Unorthodoxy and ideological flexibility. Trump defies political classification and he has managed to gain the nomination with little support from the party. He has paid for a large part of his own campaign and, in theory, Trump comes with fewer strings attached than most presidential candidates.
Cons
- Outspoken and divisive. Trump is not a very politically correct person and is often seen as openly offensive. Many women accuse him of gender discrimination and similarly the migrant community has expressed unrest about the possibility of Trump becoming the next president given his arguably racist comments, which may be seen as inciting anti-immigrant sentiments.
- Lack of qualifications. Trump does not have previous political experience. He has never been elected to office before.
- Likeability. His often offensive statements have made his popularity drop among some segments of the population. He has often apologized for incorrect comments. Trump may have also alienated many conservatives who could end up voting for Hillary.
- Extreme policy proposals. Some of his policies such as building a wall in the border with Mexico are extremely controversial, and appear to be grounded in no consistent or discernable philosophy or understanding of the world.
- Despite being a famous businessman, some of Trump projects, such as the Trump Airlines, Trump Vodka, selling steaks and a morgage company before the global financial crisis, have failed miserably. Many argue that his business success was only possible because he took over his father business.
- The unpredictability of his behavior can be also considered a weakness for someone who has to lead the most powerful country in the world.
Hillary Clinton pros and cons
These are some of the strengths and weaknesses of Hillary Clinton's candidacy:
Pros
- Great experience. Hillary was not only the First Lady for eight years but also a US Secretary of State and a United States Senator for New York.
- She would be the first woman to become the President of the United States of America. This would be a great milestone in the history of the equal rights, feminism and democracy.
- Hillary has long fought for good causes. After law school she took a job at the Children's Defense Fund and she worked with teenagers incarcerated as well as children with disabilities. She has also fought consistently to improve the health care system and get insurance coverage for less privileged people. Hillary Clinton has fought for women's rights and LGBT rights home and abroad.
- Good foreign policy record. For instance, Hillary Clinton was key in negotiating the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
- Clinton can capitalize on some of the achivements of the Obama administration and she will likely have a strong support by the core of the Democratic Party.
- Hillary is a moderate Democrat and her policy proposals may resonate well with the interest of the American median voter. Many Republicans claim that they would rather vote for Clinton than for Trump.
CONS
- The primary elections against Bernie Sanders have been very difficult. Many Democratic supporters backing Bernie Sanders have been turned against Clinton now and may not vote for her.
- Clinton was a Republican in her youth and she is considered by many too centrist.
- Being married to a former US President makes people think that she has an unfair advantage vis-a-vis other members of the Democratic Party who may have also liked to run for the White House.
- The controversy about the management of the attack on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi and the assassination of four Americans can harm her reputation in foreign policy.
- Hillary was part of the Obama administration and may struggle to distance herself from some of the less popular policies promoted by his government.
- Some critics note that she has used her popularity to make large sums of money giving speeches.
Who will be the next president?
Whomever is elected by the electoral college on 8 November 2016 and becomes the next US president will have to face a series of very important problems and challenges, including restoring middle-class purchasing power, addressing illegal immigration, fighting terrorist threats and gun crime, tackling climate change, as well as contributing to the stability in the Middle-East. We open the debate and would like you to share your views on several questions: Who do you think will be the next president? Will she or he be the better candidate or are you pessimistic about the outcome of the presidential elections? Do the best nominees tend to prevail in the end or do Americans often choose the wrong person for the job? Is it time for a radical change with Trump in the White House or better to elect another Democratic President to continue with the work of Obama?
If you change your mind, you can change your vote simply by clicking on another option.
Voting results
Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton: who will be the next president?
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