”
T
his
election
must
culminate in a vote for
Democratic presidential
nominee Hillary Clinton. Yes,
her opponent is racist, sexist,
misogynistic and xenophobic,
but Clinton is a candidate we
need to be excited about. She is
the most qualified presidential
candidate
in
history,
her
platform is the most progressive
and her career of fighting for
those without a voice speaks for
itself. Beyond just the vote for
the presidency, this election will
play a critical role in determining
how both the national and
state legislatures operate in the
coming years.
Clinton
has
noted
that
throughout
her
career,
her
favorability
plummets
while
on the campaign trail, then
skyrockets while actually on
the job. She’s a public servant,
not a campaigner. Clinton gives
long, boring, intricately detailed
explanations to basic questions
in debates. Her stump speeches
are a policy wonk’s dream, but
they fail to capture the heart and
soul of the average American.
She may not thrill crowds like
Bernie Sanders or President
Barack Obama, but she has a
wealth of policy knowledge and
political experience, receiving
praise
from
Democrats
and
Republicans alike for her time
serving in the U.S. Senate. She
is ready for the job, and nearly
all her professional experience
thus far has prepared her to
lead the nation. From college
affordability
to
investing
in
infrastructure,
from
environmental
protection
to
criminal justice reform, Clinton
has detailed plans to overcome
the incredible challenges our
next president will face.
But one race alone will not
determine the future of our
country, our state or even our
community. Democrats have a
strong chance to take back the
U.S. Senate, and the House of
Representatives could be in play
as well. Clinton alone cannot
pass
the
sweeping
reforms
this country desperately needs
— Congress must turn blue,
too. We’ve seen what a hostile
Republican majority has done
to President Obama’s agenda,
and it’s safe to assume the
obstruction and gridlock would
continue if Democrats don’t win
control of Congress.
We all know the stakes of this
election. I would never argue that
the presidential election isn’t the
most important race on the ballot
— especially for this vitriolic
election. But even if progressive
dreams come true and the White
House, Senate and House of
Representatives all go blue, much
of that may still be for nothing
in Michigan if Democrats do not
win back the Michigan House of
Representatives.
Michigan state government is
currently under full Republican
control, and we desperately need
an institutional check on that.
Despite winning more total votes
in 2014, Democrats lost four seats
in the state House and one in the
state Senate, giving Republicans
a large majority in the House and
the Senate. With gubernatorial
and Senate elections occurring
during
midterms,
the
best
opportunity to change the outlook
of state politics is for Democrats to
win a majority in the state House.
State governments have a
much larger impact on our daily
lives than most people give them
credit for. Gov. Rick Snyder ran
as a moderate Republican and is
still widely referred to as such,
yet has shown little strength
standing up to his further-right
Republican colleagues in the
legislature and simply signs off
on just about anything they put
on his desk. We desperately need
a check on Republican policies,
and
a
Democratic
majority
would give us a necessary voice
that could not be ignored.
Denying the Flint water crisis,
mismanaging
Detroit
Public
Schools, refusal to grant civil
rights protections to LGBTQ+
citizens, cutting budgets of higher
education,
slashing
revenue
sharing for local communities,
banning libraries from circulating
factual
information
about
elections — this list goes on and
on, including everything from
life-threatening
and
horribly
apathetic
to
ridiculous
and
almost-cartoonish attempts to
restrain
democratic
processes
and
retain
Republicans’
stranglehold on state politics.
Collectively, these policies have
devastated the state of Michigan.
We desperately need a check on
these dangerous policies, and a
Democratic majority would give
us a necessary voice.
Hillary
Clinton
and
Democrats across the ballot
have my vote and deserve yours.
The system is not rigged as some
people suggest, but institutional
racism, sexism, homophobia and
many other systemic problems
persist. Solutions to these issues
and progressive change in this
country are possible. We need
to come together and vote for
the candidates who represent
our values and our hopes for the
future — not to make America
great again, but to make it better
than it is now and has ever been.
This election is about us and
what vision we have for our
country. It’s about time that our
governments — at all levels —
begin to reflect our values.
So go out and vote. Encourage
your friends and family to vote.
Help out at polling locations.
Volunteer
for
get-out-the-vote
shifts. This is the most important
day of the next four years, and the
future of our country is truly in
our hands. We can continue the
progress of President Obama and
help create an even better future
for all Americans by electing
Hillary Clinton and Democrats
down the ballot.
LAURA SCHINAGLE
Managing Editor
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890.
SHOHAM GEVA
Editor in Chief
CLAIRE BRYAN
and REGAN DETWILER
Editorial Page Editors
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
Carolyn Ayaub
Claire Bryan
Regan Detwiler
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Ben Keller
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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
JOE IOVINO | CONTACT JOE IOVINO AT JIOVINO@UMICH.EDU
Vote blue down the ballot
COLLIN KELLY | OP-ED
— President Barack Obama during remarks at
Ray L. Fisher Stadium on Nov. 7.
“
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Trump is uniquely unqualified for the
job, but Michigan is uniquely qualified
to keep him from it.
DO YOU KNOW YOUR POLLING LOCATION?
Don’t show up to the wrong place today.
Not all students belong to the same ward
and thus do not have the same polling
location. Visit https://webapps.sos.state.
mi.us/MVIC/ to find yours.
Why I wrote in Paul Ryan
MAX RYZSTAK | COLUMN
A
s a young, conservative
Republican,
this
election
has
been
very
disappointing.
Ever
since Republican presidential
nominee
Donald
Trump entered the
race, he’s hijacked
the
conversation
and kept the nation’s
focus
away
from
actual policies and
proposals. As it is
highly unlikely that
Republicans
like
myself,
who
are
unsatisfied
with
Trump,
will
vote
for Hillary, a relatively large
percentage of the American
electorate is left without a
candidate
who
accurately
represents
a
significant
proportion of their political
opinions.
Personally, I cannot support
Trump due to his lack of firm
policy positions. His absence of
positive vision and knowledge
of actual solutions don’t make
him qualified to be president.
Whether
regarding
trade,
immigration,
social
issues,
international policy or taxes,
Trump
understands
neither
the
fundamental
problems
nor the potential solutions.
He doesn’t recognize how to
bring people together, how
to lead a nation or how to
conduct himself. Democratic
presidential nominee Clinton,
on
the
contrary,
has
the
temperament,
but
not
the
policy, to be president.
Thankfully,
however,
citizens have the opportunity
to choose beyond the two major
party candidates by writing
in their candidate of choice.
While chances for write-in
candidates actually winning
are next to nothing, fully
exercising my right to vote
as a person who represents
my values and ideas gives
me the opportunity to take a
stand against both Trump and
Clinton. A lot of people think
exercising this right is a joke,
but when the issues we are
dealing with are this complex
and serious, your ballot truly
representing you is important.
Writing in candidates can send
a message to the country, to the
parties and to the
candidates.
That’s why, this
year,
I
chose
to
write
in
Speaker
of the House Paul
Ryan (R). Seemingly
opposite of Trump,
Ryan has the policy
experience
needed
to proudly represent
the
Republican
Party. His agenda of
helping everybody — people of
all races, religions and cultures
— can move the Republican
Party into the future. He
doesn’t just understand the
actual specifics of his policies;
he also has the ability to
explain these complex and
specific policies to the masses.
From his speeches to his social
media campaigns and videos,
Paul Ryan can communicate
with a wide variety of people.
He knows how to help those
suffering and he knows how to
bring people of all backgrounds
together.
Ryan’s
way
of
communicating with the public
is in stark contrast with the
embarrassing
methods
of
Trump. Ryan can diversify
the party and make it proud,
whereas Trump will do the
exact opposite.
What’s unique about Ryan
is that his “A Better Way”
package of ideas represents a
comprehensive set of solutions
for
many
of
our
nation’s
problems. He lays out actual
proposals on issues varying
from
poverty
to
national
security to health care to the
Constitution and sends a clear
message through his solutions.
Whether or not you agree
with this vision or not, many
candidates fail to provide their
goals for America in the policies
they propose. Paul Ryan is
different; he is educated on the
policy and can inspire people
with his proposals.
Take, for example, his plans
on poverty. He traveled around
the country as a part of a
documentary to get different
perspectives on poverty in our
nation today, so he knows what
we need to do to get people to
improve their socioeconomic
situation.
His
prioritization
of advancing the situation of
the
disadvantaged
through
conservative policy is what
the Republican Party (and the
country) needs.
He
also
knows
how
to
communicate with those from
all different backgrounds. In
talking with those who typically
hold different political views,
Ryan’s outreach demonstrates
a prioritization of country over
politics. He truly cares about
the lives of all people. In fact,
that’s what separates Ryan.
His compassion, humility and
simple upbringing may sound
stereotypical of any politician,
but Paul Ryan is truly the
opposite of a Washington elite.
His willingness to unite people
is what separates him.
This election year is the
first time I am able to vote in
a presidential election, and
I — along with many — do not
support either major candidate.
I’ve chosen to write in the
speaker of the House. While I
know he won’t win, I know that
he represents the Republican
Party many people like myself
aspire for. My vote for Ryan is
a vote for Republicans of the
likes of Marco Rubio, Nikki
Haley and Ronald Reagan.
Having the opportunity to
write in my own candidate
allows me to truly vote with
my conscience. It’s a vote
against Hillary’s corruption and
Trump’s lack of intelligence. It
allows me to vote for the party I
hope to be a part of rather than
the party that exists this year.
It’s a vote for true Conservatives
who propose meaningful and
hopeful policies.
Max Ryzstak can be reached at
mryzstak@umich.edu.
MAX
RYZSTAK
FROM THE DAILY
Be sure to vote smart
A
month ago, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton held an 11-point lead over
Donald Trump. As of Monday night, that had dwindled to a 3-point lead.
Michigan hasn’t gone red since 1988, but in the last three days, President
Barack Obama and presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton
have all targeted Michigan voters. Monday, Obama campaigned for Clinton at Ray
L. Fisher Stadium taking a personal approach: He made it clear that not voting
or voting in support of Trump would be a personal insult to him and reverse the
eight years of work his administration has done. Michigan’s status as one of the
only states that doesn’t have early voting and that historically has low turnout at
the polls are two of many reasons why candidates are targeting our state, and are
the exact reasons why it is so important to vote today. In particular, millennials
have been criticized in the past for not showing up to the polls, so this is our call to
students: Vote today and make the headlines “Millennials defeat Trump.”
Given these historical statistics,
and given that Trump has been
polling higher in Michigan leading
up to Election Day, it’s vitally
important for students to have a
strong presence at the polls. There
are a lot of resources for students
on campus that make it easier to
vote: ridesharing services such
as Zipcar, Lyft and Uber are all
working to get the vote out. For
example, Zipcar is making 7,000
cars free nationwide between
6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Election
Day. Lyft and Uber also have
certain Election Day discounts to
varying degrees, which students
should keep in mind if physically
getting to the polls is a problem
financially
or
logistically.
On
campus,
students
themselves
are mobilizing by hosting watch
parties, holding rallies, making
posts on social media and offering
rides to polling locations. Some
professors have given passes to
students who have demonstrated
they will use class time to go vote,
which is commendable.
Each student’s vote has a
wide-ranging impact, from the
international political arena to
our campus community here in
Ann Arbor. In the past weeks, the
University community has faced
racist incidents that have injured
our already-poor campus climate.
Because of Trump’s dangerous
rhetoric, a vote against Trump is a
vote to stop this type of hatred on
campus. Though there has been
a shift among student voting for
Clinton instead of third parties or
alternative write-in candidates,
according to a Michigan Daily
polling data, it is important to keep
in mind that unless a candidate
has officially registered to be a
write-in candidate, a vote for that
candidate will not count.
It’s also important to know
your rights as a voter. You have a
right to vote in private, free from
intimidation or interference. If
you think your rights are being
violated, notify a poll monitor
at your location of voting. These
people should be easily identifiable
and will know what to do in case of
suspected illegal activity. You can
also file a civil rights complaint
to the Department of Justice by
calling the Civil Rights Division
at (800) 253-3931 to reach the
Discrimination Complaint number
or (202) 307-2767 to reach the
Voting Section of the Department
of Jusice.
Be sure to vote, and vote smart.
Collin Kelly is an LSA junior and the
chair of the University of Michigan’s
chapter of College Democrats.
The Michigan Daily endorses the following candidates/proposals:
Hillary Clinton, President of the United States
Chuck Warpehoski, City Councilmember for the 5th Ward
Laurence Deitch and Denis Ilitch, University Regents
Ballot proposal to extend term lengths for Ann Arbor Mayor and City Council members
Opinion
4 — Tuesday, November 8, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com