YouSpeak: Who I’ll Be Voting For

Students reflect on what’s at stake in this year’s presidential election

October 31, 2016
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On Tuesday, November 8, Americans will cast their ballots to choose the next president of the United States, bringing to a close (hopefully) one of the most bizarre and contentious political contests in modern history, a race that has both confounded expectations and divided the nation.

No doubt that when the campaign is finally over and the votes are counted, there will be a lot of soul-searching by both Republicans and Democrats over the future of their parties.

But before we get there, we wanted to hear from students about who they’ve decided to support, how they arrived at their decision, and what their impressions are as the 2016 race for the White House draws to a end.

So, for this special edition of “YouSpeak,” we ask: Who are you voting for for president and why?

Additional production by Angel Cardamone (COM’19), Cathleen Hua (COM’17), Nathan Motulsky (COM’18), Jason Kimball, and Alan Wong.

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Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There are 35 comments on YouSpeak: Who I’ll Be Voting For

  1. I am voting for Gary Johnson and Bill Weld. Frankly, I’m disgusted with both of the “two” party candidates. Hillary with her lying rhetoric and warmongering attitude with Russia, and Trump with his insane ideas about the economy and social issues. Johnson at least is honest with his opinions, and someone that houses beliefs from both sides of the spectrum could bring a lot of bipartisanship to Congress and end the gridlock. He already has endorsements from so many state congressmen, senators, and legislators, 6 major newspapers (and one from Hillary’s home town), and is winning amongst millennials, active military, and veterans. His policies of non-interventionalism, ending the drug war, legalizing cannabis, auditing the fed, ending crony capitalism, all align with my views. And despite our few differences, at least I can cast my vote for someone I actually believe in. The only wasted vote is one cast for someone one you don’t believe in.

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    1. Voting for someone who can’t name foreign leaders or know basic geopolitical history is beyond comprehension. By voting third party, you are voting for Trump.

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      1. As a military veteran, let me tell you that naming foreign leaders that you admire and knowledge of basic (not really basic at all replace Aleppo with Syria and you’ll get an answer from Johnson) current geopolitical topics (not history) is far from the only possible criteria of what makes a leader effective.

        Gary Johnson and Bill Weld have something the two-party system candidates do not possess without contest: integrity.

        To think America’s best interests are served by picking from the current two-party system candidates is not stupid, it’s naive, foolish, and polarized thinking.

        Each candidate has something good to offer, sure. However, I would challenge you to pick a candidate that is not corrupt, mislead, driven by fear, wishy-washy on their own political policies, and in general not just making promises and statements to get elected.

        That prescription will likely lead you to Johnson/Weld, and if not, you may want to evaluate your ethical compass and recalibrate yourself.

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      2. “Someone coming along and saying that you shouldn’t vote for the candidate you like, because it would mean it wouldn’t help their candidate win against an opponent they don’t like is the equivalent of saying that your hopes, thoughts, stances, and beliefs don’t matter. What matters is that their candidate – a candidate you don’t believe in – wins, not that you stay true to yourself. They completely dismiss the reasons you’re not voting for their candidate, and even attempt to guilt you into doing so by putting their opponent’s plans on your shoulders.” Just an interesting take on the if you vote third party you’re voting for x. From this article http://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2016/09/28/vote-3rd-party-candidate-vote-opponent/. Obviously an opinion piece but some food for thought.

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      3. You are too young to understand. We are voting for the Supreme Court judges this time. It is not about one candidate. It is about the Supreme Court, one died. Four more are expected to die soon. The president will name their people. We will go back to 1960’s. We are voting for Human Rights. Everything that U.S. represents will be gone with the wrong president. We only have one person qualified to manage this country. Hillary Clinton, 50 years working for the rights of the people who are not heard. Years of working for universities so you guys can enjoy Boston University. You enjoy what you enjoy thanks to Democrats. Don’t forget. You do not appreciate what you have, you will know what is is whenever everything is taken away from you.

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    2. I also am voting for Johnson/Weld. When he could not identify Aleppo he immediately took responsibility and acknowledged he should have known it. That is called integrity and honesty, and is what the two candidates from the major parties lack. We need a President that has character and will tell us the truth.

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      1. Frightening listening to the paradox in Nicholas’ commentary. “The multi-cultural movement in America is subverting any efforts that a conservative could ever make to change the country …” Then, “the cultural transformation that Trump is talking about” is what’s necessary to bring any form of change.

        How on Earth could a narrow-minded conservative culture or whatever culture it is that you think Donald Trump espouses be considered the solution to any positive change in the country when, in fact, we are multi-cultural and should embrace the diversity that comes with being a multi-cultural society?

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      2. Everyone else finally gaining the rights Nicholas Fuentes has always been entitled to = omg i’m losing my rights, where my country gone, make America great (read: white) again.

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        1. Could not agree with you more @Men for Hillary and @Punchable Faces. I hope during his time at BU Nicholas is able to gain understanding and tolerance of other cultures and races and is able to realize the “multi-cultural movement” and diversity are things we should embrace and love about our nation.

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    2. I am not a Trump supporter but I must defend Nick.

      Your smug attitude is counter productive to your goal. This is what divides us and pushes us farther apart – unwarranted attacks like these. Everyone is entitled to their political opinions and Nick shouldn’t be shamed because of his. It’s surprising to me how the party that is self-proclaimed the tolerant party is so intolerant of other people’s views. He clearly meant no harm and he should be respected.

      I advocate for a peaceful discussion of opinions, free of self-righteous attitudes and shaming attacks. We all have the same goal – a better America.

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      1. Happy to discuss and debate bipartisan policy ideas- just not intolerant, xenophobic, and racist views like Nick’s. His idea of a better America is one that serves white Americans- not all Americans.

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        1. I think tolerance for intolerance is the key virtue, otherwise you undermine your own position. I completely agree with you on his perspective being grounded in fear and hate, but to treat his points with anything but rationality, empathy and forgiveness is falling victim to the trap the media has sprung for you by only focusing on controversial, divisive narratives.

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  4. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend. I refuse to align myself with a lying, corrupt Hillary Clinton. I shouldn’t have to remind you all that the DNC besically conspired against the Bernie campaign, betraying millions of people. If you don’t believe me just take a short break from watching the Clinton News Network and head on over to Wikileaks. Needless to say I was shocked at what I read.

    This election will leave a bad taste in my mouth forever, but in November will be voting Stein.

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  6. I think it must have taken some courage for these students to stand up and express their opinions on this form -so I congratulate them for opening up and speaking their minds. I’m also saddened to think that for many this will be the first opportunity to cast a vote. I wished for their sake we had a politic worthy of the future they are here at BU working towards. On the one hand we’ve a candidate so sullied by baseless smears rumor and innuendo that her attention to public policy receives little to no attention or consideration and then on the other we have a candidate so unfit that he doesn’t even feel the need to consider let alone provide realistic policy proposals. I wished for the undergrads that their first election could have been more like my own… Before the swamp of the internet and 24 hour cable news channels we had policy proposals and debates and editorials and rallies and democracy and an informed electorate… These videos on balance have left me feeling fairly depressed. That a candidate like Donald Trump might even be considered worthy of a nomination by a major political party is alarming in and of itself -that a college educated student might actually express a desire to cast a ballot to elect him to the nations highest office is unconscionable. What does this say about our institutions, our democracy, our future? Have we the politics we deserve in this country? How frightening.

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    1. If this election was strictly about policy and had the ‘swamp of the internet and 24 hour cable news’ influence removed, then many of the attacks on Trump’s character would not be on the table either. You can’t have the cake and eat it too.

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      1. Well… Trump did actually say all of the things people have accused him of saying. I’m not sure I see your point? Would it be that because without Twitter or CNN then perhaps people would never actually have known or been able to recognize his true character? I would like to think that a person might still be able to see the man for who he truly is. Remove the opposing candidate and all the baggage she brings into your evaluation and simply look at Trump -his composure, his preparedness, his intellect, his biography. If you honestly think he is worthy of the office of president then I may as well be trying to reason with a pice of furniture.

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        1. You are right, people would see Trump’s real personality through his speeches and debates. Definitely not saying that Trump is a good person, he’s probably a pretty lousy one. What I also notice is the number of times Clinton seems to say one thing behind closed doors and then say the other towards the public. Where is the public’s outrage? Trump is crazy and what you see is what you get. Clinton is slimy and cannot be trusted. Bottom line for this election, the real loser is The American People.

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  7. Be a smart voter – always vote out someone who has stayed in Washington for too long because corruption is inevitable, no matter what party she or he belongs to and what political cause she or he supports. This is only way to make America great again and again.

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  8. Regarding the male Republican who said he cares about gay rights yet is still voting for Trump – you do realize that Mike Pence really hates gay people right?? He thinks conversion therapy is great and doesn’t think gay people should have the right to marry. Also at this point do you really think Trump is going to change the way he thinks/acts, given everything that’s come out about him in the past few months. He won’t even release his tax returns, and honestly there’s no reason for that other than the fact that there’s information there he doesn’t want to be seen by the public.
    Don’t even get me started on Nick Fuentes – it disgusts me that we have such openly racist people here on campus. I’m enraged by his “anti-multicultural” stance, and I hope that one day he learns to accept and appreciate other cultures, though I won’t hold out hope.

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  9. Why are only CAS, COM, and a single SMG student represented by this article? As a SHA alumni, I rarely ever see my school shown in this videos. I would appreciate more effort in the future to show a wider variety of students from across the university, including representation from the smaller schools.

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  10. I think the title should be “For Whom I’ll Be Voting.” This suggestion not only makes it grammatically correct, it also puts more emphasis on the word voting. While it is likely a stylistic choice given that the title is a colloquialism, incorrect grammar is plaguing our nation. At the very least it should be “Whom I’ll Be Voting For.” Can you imagine people saying “I’m with she?” In that same way you cannot vote for a subject relative pronoun; it is incorrect.

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  12. Nicholas you are wise beyond your years. BU is definitely in their own little liberal universe. The majority of the country feels the same way you do but are afraid to admit it. But come Tuesday this
    country will vote for Trump and it will be the biggest FU to your campus and the rest of the social justice
    warriors. Stand tall Nick, thank you for helping make America Great Again.

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  13. I find it unbelievable that just because Nicholas Fuentes happens to want to vote for Trump that the commenters on this page attack him as a person. He, along with each of you, have that right.

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