Election Season in Full Swing
January 25, 2016
With President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address and the Democratic presidential primary debate right behind us, NYU students have begun voicing their thoughts on the upcoming primary election.
Candidates expected to lead the Democratic primaries include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley. Given a much larger handful of Republican candidates, students have expressed diverse views on leading candidates like Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and businessman Donald J. Trump.
With a slew of crucial primaries throughout February, various political organizations on campus are taking their respective stances.
The media and communications director of NYU College Republicans and CAS senior Matthew Glaser said that NYU College Republicans officially believe the Republican party has far too many candidates, with a large variety of fresh opinions that may or may not work.
“On behalf of NYU College Republicans, we think this cycle’s GOP primary has turned into a circus with the amount of candidates that have been running against each other,” Glaser said. “But as an individual Republican not linked to NYU College Republicans, I think Donald Trump, this clown running for elections, has totally hurt the GOP image.”
School of Professional Studies junior Eli Nachmany, a representative of NYU for the New York City College Republicans, disagreed with Glaser’s assessment of the current GOP race. Nachmany said the relatively large number of Republican candidates is great news as it increases options and encourages debates on mixed approaches.
“We are fortunate to have a slew of exceptional candidates running this cycle on the Republican side,” Nachmany said. “I am confident the voters will make the right choice and the Republicans will put up a strong nominee.”
Campaign Director of NYU College Democrats and Tandon sophomore Fadumo Osman said she was satisfied with Obama’s address and his presidency as a whole. Osman also said she thought the three Democratic candidates are just as capable of achieving progress.
“President Obama took the time to highlight his accomplishments such as the Affordable Care Act and reducing unemployment,” Osman said. “Former Secretary Clinton, Senator Sanders and former Governor O’Malley have been able to articulate how they would continue Obama’s legacy while differentiating their own policies.”
Vice president of NYU Politics Society and CAS senior Mark Secada said although the club does not have a stance on the presidential election, they remain unconvinced by both of the major party candidates.
“The board members do not believe the candidates are compelling,” Secada said. “Both Republican and Democratic board members are not excited by Clinton, Sanders or many of the Republican candidates.”
Several NYU political clubs and societies do not publicly endorse or criticize any specific candidates. However, politically involved students and young registered voters such as Glaser have taken the initiative to share their final hopes.
However, 2016 could hold many surprises for politically active NYU students and the nation as a whole. According to the New York Times, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is considering a third-party run, which could divide Democratic and Republican parties alike. As the Iowa Caucus fast approaches on Feb. 1, CNN will host a final Democratic town-hall with Clinton, Sanders and O’Malley in Des Moines on Monday, Jan. 25.
A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Jan. 25 print edition. Email Momachi Pabrai at [email protected].