Students feel disconnected from the presidential candidates

The Pew Research Center reported that 43 percent of Democrats and 40 percent of Republicans are dissatisfied with their party’s presidential candidates. Photo illustration by Chloe Arrouye

Cassidy Scanlon remains undecided as Election Day approaches. She is stuck between Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton.

“It’s absurd. I feel disheartened and jaded with the political system, which is terrible because this is the first election I’m able to vote in,” said Scanlon, a senior creative writing major.

In July 2016, the Pew Research Center reported 43 percent of Democrats and 40 percent of Republicans are dissatisfied with their nominees for president. This is the first year many current Chapman students are able to vote, and many are unimpressed with the candidates.

Kamron Sohrabian, a freshman biochemistry and molecular biology major, is disappointed in both the Republican and Democratic nominees.

“I think a lot of people are like me and don’t like either of them, but in the end they have to choose,” Sohrabian said.

Despite Sohrabian’s feelings about the major candidates, he has decided to vote for Clinton because he finds Republican Party candidate Donald Trump’s actions to be far worse. Sohrabian feels that Bernie Sanders was the better choice of the Democratic Party nominees because he seemed honest.

“Bernie seemed like a really genuine person, not someone filled with greed and self interest,” Sohrabian said.

Scanlon says it’s inevitable that Clinton receives the nomination in California. Part of the reason she wants to vote third party is to avoid contributing to either of the major parties who don’t represent her interest. She sees voting third party as a long-term step toward getting rid of the bipartisan system, and she wants to vote with her conscience.

“Everyone wants there to be more political parties and they want to break this bipartisan system, but nobody wants to do the work,” Scanlon said. “But it’s also something I know won’t be effective immediately because that’s something that needs changing over a long period of time.”

Scanlon says the scandals of both the Republican and Democratic nominees have had an effect on her ability to vote for them.

“(Clinton) is someone who has definitely been pushed to the left, but at the same time, I think people who vote for her have to hold her accountable for the things she says she’s going to do,” Scanlon said. “I just don’t believe she’s going to do what she says she is. There’s a lot of evidence of her corruption. For me, I see both of them (Trump and Clinton) on the same level.”

Juan Bustillo, a sophomore screenwriting and political science major and Dany Zavala, a sophomore political science major, are the co-founders of new club on campus, Alternatives in Democracy. They are also dissatisfied with all four of the major candidates, including third party candidates Stein and Libertarian Gary Johnson.

“Johnson is kind of an idiot and Jill Stein is an activist, not a politician,” Bustillo said. “While I respect that, I don’t think she’s fit to be president.”

Bustillo and Zavala agree that one way to fix the political system is rank voting, a system used by other countries in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, instead of selecting a single candidate. Public Broadcasting Service says the system could open the door to more than two candidates and could be implemented at local and state levels as soon as 2018.

Scanlon focuses her beliefs around social change. She finds that voting is one of the least important ways to implement change.

“On a positive note, I think this election has engaged us. I think millennials are understanding that this political system is flawed and voting isn’t the only way to create change,” Scanlon said.
Scanlon suggested other ways people can inspire the change they want to see. She suggested creating art, protesting, becoming involved in local government and writing petitions.

“Be involved in changing your communities, whether that be a university or somewhere else. Create an environment that is focused on discussion and dialogue rather than intimidation or power struggles,” Scanlon said.