Counterpoint: Trumping Hillary
Eitan Szteinbaum ‘19
The question of fitness to lead is an underlying theme in the 2016 presidential campaign. One cannot turn on the news or open their computer without learning of a recently uncovered scandal plaguing either of the candidates, Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton.
When one candidate takes jab at the other, it is most likely calling the other unqualified or unfit for the presidency. There is a lack of substantial debate between the two because neither is willing to recognize the other’s experience, even though it would be much more pleasing to witness a substantive debate.
However, between the two, I can confidently say that one is unqualified to be the single most powerful person in the United States and that candidate is Hillary Clinton.
Clinton mishandled the attack and aftermath on the embassy in Benghazi, Libya and mistreated the families of the fallen soldiers. She also mishandled classified information through her use of a private email server. The director of the FBI, James Comey, said, “there is evidence that [she was] extremely careless in [her] handling of very sensitive, highly-classified information.”
Clinton accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars for private speeches given to Wall Street executives and has refused to release the transcripts of those speeches. However, over the past few weeks, Wikileaks has begun to make them public and they have revealed devastating things that she has said.
In one speech, she implied that the American public does not need to see exactly what is going on in the legislative process, saying that politicians need to have, “both a public and private position” on controversial issues. To say it succinctly, she is incompetent.
Do the American people want a president taking bribes while serving? Do you want a president who is ignorant in the workings of diplomatic matters and the handling of confidential material?
While Clinton is clearly unqualified, proving her inability to lead does not prove Trump’s ability to do so. At the very least, one must recognise that Clinton’s extreme incompetence makes even Donald Trump look like Thomas Jefferson, but, contrary to popular belief, Trump is completely capable of leading our nation in the right direction.
In business, which can be seen as a microcosm of governing, Trump has a history of amazing success. This is especially important, because one of the biggest issues on citizens’ minds is our country’s economy. His ability to use the tax system in his favor is indicative of his economic knowledge, rather than some malicious intentions.
Further, Trump may make some controversial comments that seem prejudiced to some people. However, this perception is a product of the system of political correctness that has been built up over recent years by the liberal media and government officials. If these comments had been made even 10 years ago, they would not have been seen as so obscene.
That does not excuse everything he says, but no one is perfect and compared to Clinton, he is a much better choice. To be clear, Trump is not perfect, and I was not always in support of him.
I originally supported other candidates such as Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, but since neither can win, I have made the choice to support Trump because he is the only major candidate that represents my values, as well as the values that this country was built upon. Ultimately, he is the only qualified candidate for the presidency of the United States.
