Benz de Martial Pierre | Benz de Martial Pierre Staff Writer
With MAGA extremism and partisanship at its highest in decades, the upcoming election cycle is likely to be one of the most consequential in recent memory. But most of us students are suffering from voter apathy and can't do anything about it.
When I first started learning about American politics, I immediately fell in love with the political system. I was not in awe of how many political geniuses there were on Capitol Hill. Because there were only a few people. But I was even more in awe of this rigid and enduring system of principles sitting at the bottom of the system.
The U.S. government is doing everything right, yet many parties approach elected officials to vote a certain way with the promise of large campaign contributions as compensation. It's being invaded. This paralyzed Congress and caused dissatisfaction throughout the government.
In recent memory, we've seen that paralysis at work, the never-ending race to avoid a government shutdown, and the unfortunate scrapping of a bill after President Trump whipped his congressional aides into filing it, to name just a few. I have seen the border bill that became.
No matter what we think about government, apathy will not solve anything. In other words, voter apathy is not the solution.
Another important factor that may be contributing to voter apathy is the apparent aging of both candidates, particularly affecting Biden. Therefore, it is understandable that the population as a whole is not very enthusiastic about voting.
Interestingly, it turns out that last year young people showed no enthusiasm for either of these candidates, but now they seem to prefer to focus on the issue. This is a big change in thinking.
We've all seen and heard about the president's complicated relationship with the staircase. We've all heard about his gaffe-prone speeches, and I think a candidate's mental fortitude is an important quality when running for office, but Mr. Biden's gaffes and stumbles are administrative. It has not led to failure.
But of course, the issue is never about age. This is a tactic that worked beautifully, as it successfully exaggerated one candidate's age while ignoring the fact that the challenger was only four years her junior.
Biden may not be a gifted speaker who can dazzle us with his oratory, but the country did not go up in flames during his term. This is the bare minimum, but wouldn't an 81-year-old man with mental faculties do something much worse?
Biden's critics also conveniently exclude Sen. Joe Manchin, a thorn in Biden's side. The West Virginia senator's push to roll back economic stimulus measures retroactive to 2022 was highly notable, but even his opposition was a bridge crossed for Biden.
In addition, Biden can count on accomplishments such as well-managed inflation to date, the CHIPS Act, increased benefits for veterans, reductions in student debt, and several other accomplishments. I believe these are evidence of a person's abilities and are a fair medium of evaluation.
Economic prosperity should not be the only basis for evaluating American presidents. I have also come to believe that some kind of respect for the system is also an important factor.
I never expected that an American politician, like Mr. Trump, would show such contempt for the electoral system by refusing to accept the results of an election he lost even four years later. I have never seen an American president say so many controversial things and let his ego control his actions.
Biden is far from perfect. The president's reluctance to punish Mr. Netanyahu for his actions in Gaza is particularly troubling, but I think another president would have acted differently.
It must be recalled that President Trump moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, sparking a bout of violence that resulted in multiple casualties. Meanwhile, Biden led an effort to build a temporary pier to deliver food to Palestinians. Furthermore, the United States abstained from vetoing a cease-fire resolution in the Gaza War and just allowed the resolution to pass.
These are undoubtedly long-overdue attempts to right the wrongs that left too many civilians dead in the bloodshed in Gaza, but they deserve to be counted.
Over the next few months, we'll be bombarded with ads begging us to vote for particular candidates. Your decision will depend in part on your background and various other factors. But know that each time the American political system is tested, if these principles are not updated, the political system will be weakened.
In the future, other candidates may be tempted to test the system, and if the system takes a big hit, it may not be able to recover. Voter apathy is a problem that needs to be resolved sooner or later to protect democratic institutions.
Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW editorial board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect the personal perspectives of contributors and/or members of the University community.
