Hillary Clinton: A Perspective From College Students
If elected she would have been the first women to become President of the United States. The fact that she was a women was the one thing throughout the election that fed her campaign and with it she lost. On November 10, 2016 the nation was taken by surprise as Donald Trump was elected as our president-elect. The Presidential Election of 2016 will now and forever be one of the most memorable days in American history because of the candidates involved.
“The fact that she lost should not discourage women”, Christian Curatola, a sophomore at Montclair State University who enjoys history said. “She was a great example for women especially young girls. It is a shame some people did not support her in the election because of the fact that she was a women.”
A woman. A woman who’s love for politics and for her country led her to run for President.
“I’ve heard that women are underrepresented and it’s quite a shame. But I don’t think that she should be purely on the merits of being a women because that takes away from her and that takes away from all women when you base someone solely on the fact that they are a women or of that gender”, said Curatola.
Many people looked up to Clinton as she touched the hearts of girls and women around the U.S. Earlier in her campaign, Clinton took her stance for women after a 15-year-old girl asked a question regarding body image and online bullies. Clinton called for women to stand up against bullies and to those who believed women should look and act a certain way; a response that brought cheers to the town hall in Pennsylvania from which she stood.
“I think she was very prepared to become President”, said Heather Rivera, a senior at MSU. Rivera followed the campaign right from the start and felt Clinton had the most experience and knew what to do if she became president. However, that wasn’t enough for many Americans.
Even Rivera herself had some doubts. So the question is, is it because Clinton is a women that she lost the presidential race or was it because of something more?
“I didn’t like either candidate. But I knew Hillary was the better candidate. She would be a better president but I don’t think she presented herself well. Her brand wasn’t great. It didn’t seem believable. It didn’t seem authentic or genuine and her personality was just like flat. When I heard her speak it was kind of like scripted like I didn’t feel emotion,” Rivera said.
Emotion and identifying with the public can be a major concern when it comes to getting people to like and vote for you especially in a big election such as this, something Clinton failed to do according to Rivera. “I don’t relate to her. I don’t believe her,” she said.
Meanwhile, another MSU student brought up another flaw during Clinton’s campaign. Jared Bonanno, senior, believes the, “Democratic Party messed up. If they would have nominated anyone else for the Democratic Party they would have won. But they nominated Hillary Clinton who was involved with the email investigation and other scandals which is what hurt them”.
In the end, many people can point out the flaws within Hillary Clinton’s campaign. She did her best to reach out to Americans but it just proved to not be enough when compared to Donald Trump. But even with her loss, Clinton continued to support women in her concession speech by saying, “And to all the little girls who are watching this — never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.”
