“The lesser of two evils, or the least of the worst, is not good enough for the American people anymore.”- Ralph Nader, political activist, author, and lecturer.
Donald Trump and Joe Biden are both seeking reelection in the 2024 presidential race. The two candidates remain far ahead in the polls for their respective parties; however, significant concerns are escalating among voters. For Biden, who turned 81 on November 20, voters cite his age and mental fitness. According to an August AP poll, 77% of Americans, including 69% of Democrats, voiced that Biden is too old for another term. Form IV student Cristina Ellis expresses the same concerns because “[being] president is a stressful job that you need to be at the top of your game for, and I’m not sure he is.” Although President Biden has often publicly tripped and mumbled incoherently on nationally televised events, some voters also worry about Trump’s age. Biden is the oldest president in US history, but Trump is just three years younger. Nonetheless, Trump faces even larger obstacles in his run for president: his numerous indictments.
Although age is merely one of many factors to consider, Americans, particularly Millenials and younger, hunger for an accomplished intellectual to run one of the most powerful nations in history. To do this, he or she should be, as Ellis put it, at “the top of [their] game.” Going into the next election, voters expect the next president to adequately address the most critical and pressing issues, such as the economy and foreign wars.
According to the Wall Street Journal November 15 edition, since January 2021, gasoline prices have shot up 43%, groceries 20%, and the consumer-price index excluding food and energy 15%. Rents soared 17%, while home buyers face a 29% jump in housing prices with a tripled mortgage rate, meaning the cost of home ownership has doubled in the past nearly three years. Affordability is the critical issue as the middle class gets further squeezed, and the American dream of home ownership is beyond the reach of many, particularly those under the age of 35. In other economic parameters, the US national debt is a staggering $33.7 trillion, of which former President Trump added $7.8 trillion, and Biden’s projected contribution is a roughly similar threshold. This substantial debt puts the US at risk of defaulting on our interest payments.
Some argue the most alarming issue is US involvement in foreign wars, specifically the recent Israel-Palestine conflict and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The Biden administration, which already spent over $75 billion to support Ukraine, is requesting another $61 billion for Ukraine and $14 Billion for Israel. Many Americans worry that additional escalation will involve US military troops on the ground, which may bring us irretrievably closer to World War III. The Republican candidates disagree on the level of involvement. Trump has vocalized helping Ukraine swiftly reach a peace deal with Russia. He further supports Israel by building upon his Abraham Accords, which initiated groundbreaking diplomatic and economic alliances between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Vivek Ramaswamy, another Republican candidate, a 38-year old entrepreneur billionaire, articulates that America’s interests must come first before committing additional funds to these conflicts. His views on national security focus more on securing our southern borders. On the other hand, Nikki Haley, another Republican frontrunner who was former UN ambassador under Trump, aligns closer with Biden in her support of escalating foreign wars.
A hot topic among Fieldston students is freedom of speech. Haley advocates for the federal government to collude with big tech companies such as Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. She wants legislation to enforce people to use their real names online to take accountability for their statements. Form IV student Helena Stark argues, “Haley’s ideas are extremely dangerous. Large corporations are already too powerful, and it seems to force people to give their names to them. Haley is disregarding the people who go online to find people in similar communities or who share similar interests; it isn’t safe to give your information to strangers, and there could be consequences if accounts can be linked to people in unsafe environments. Instead, Haley should focus on stricter anti-harassment policies on social media that would block bullied or extremists IP’s or emails.”
Another noteworthy presidential candidate is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The environmental lawyer, who initially ran as a Democrat, runs independently. According to a survey from The New York Times, RFK Jr. leads Biden and Trump with voters under the age of 45. However, the only president in US history to win the election as an independent was George Washington. Ellis added, “I don’t know much about RFK Jr., but running as an independent will definitely hurt him.”
Although Biden and Trump are the overwhelming favorites of their parties, 69.3% and 59.4% respectively, younger Americans are looking elsewhere for leadership. Dean Phillips, Minnesota Representative, recently jumped into the Democratic presidential race with 4.8% of the Democratic polls. DeSantis has 13.8%, Haley 9.3%, and Ramaswamy 5.2% of the Republican votes. As Ralph Nader originally framed the 2000 presidential election, we can no longer rely on defaulting to the lesser of two evils. The country, now more than ever, needs an accomplished intellectual to lead. Perhaps the majority of American voters need to take a closer look at who else is running.
