Presidential Election Process Analysis
This election cycle has been a wild ride, surprising many observers. This was indeed the year of the anti-establishment candidates. Both Bernie Sanders and Donald J. Trump found success in their campaigns even though they were considered political outsiders. The 2016 election drew to a close on November 8. Republican candidate Donald J. Trump defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in a landslide victory by winning 290 electoral votes as well as the Republicans controlling the House and Senate. By taking a look back at the beginning all the way to the present, we shall see how the events during the presidential election contributed to this outcome.
The Independent senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, captured the interest of many …show more content…
Sanders supporters were angry that the Democratic National Committee had stacked the deck in favor of Hillary Clinton since she represented the ideal establishment candidate. Hundreds of superdelegates, mainly party officials, voted for Clinton before a single vote was cast in the Democratic primary. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the DNC at the time, resigned after accusations of rigging the primary against Sanders. After Clinton became the Democratic nominee, Schultz joined her campaign as honorary chair, thus proving that the DNC had favored Clinton. Widespread feelings of outrage persisted over this conflict of interest, an outrage that the media would soon attempt to …show more content…
Clinton was plagued by scandals throughout her entire political career and was the subject of an FBI investigation. Stunning revelations by the organization Wikileaks exposed the DNC’s collusion with the media and Clinton campaign. Therefore, many Americans label Clinton as “corrupt and untrustworthy.” On the other hand, the media painted Trump as a “fascist, racist, and sexist.” The media played sound bites of Trump’s controversial messages, with the goal of portraying Trump as a divider rather than a leader. The media focused on identity politics rather than the policies of each candidate. Voter apathy towards the establishment more than likely led to Trump’s
The Independent senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, captured the interest of many …show more content…
Sanders supporters were angry that the Democratic National Committee had stacked the deck in favor of Hillary Clinton since she represented the ideal establishment candidate. Hundreds of superdelegates, mainly party officials, voted for Clinton before a single vote was cast in the Democratic primary. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the DNC at the time, resigned after accusations of rigging the primary against Sanders. After Clinton became the Democratic nominee, Schultz joined her campaign as honorary chair, thus proving that the DNC had favored Clinton. Widespread feelings of outrage persisted over this conflict of interest, an outrage that the media would soon attempt to …show more content…
Clinton was plagued by scandals throughout her entire political career and was the subject of an FBI investigation. Stunning revelations by the organization Wikileaks exposed the DNC’s collusion with the media and Clinton campaign. Therefore, many Americans label Clinton as “corrupt and untrustworthy.” On the other hand, the media painted Trump as a “fascist, racist, and sexist.” The media played sound bites of Trump’s controversial messages, with the goal of portraying Trump as a divider rather than a leader. The media focused on identity politics rather than the policies of each candidate. Voter apathy towards the establishment more than likely led to Trump’s