Did you know that American astronauts on the International Space Station can vote in the U.S. Presidential election by secure email? This is how celebrated the event is. Not only does its result have an impact on the country’s citizens, but also on the rest of the world. With just one day to go for the election, students express their views on which candidate they would vote for given the chance, and what they liked from their chosen candidate’s campaign.
Abhinav Chowdary Bollepalli, MBA HR, SBM, NMIMS, Mumbai
I believe that Hillary Clinton emerges as a shining light compared to the other candidate, Donald Trump. She drove her campaign well, notwithstanding the controversies. She is experienced, part of the establishment, and already knows the people she will be working and negotiating with in the future. She realised the importance of the middle-income class right from the start of her campaign and built trust among women, African-Americans and LGBTQ community. When it comes to India, Trump is an unknown entity while Hillary is well known as the former Frst Lady and Secretary of State of the U.S.
Asvatha Babu, Master’s in International Communication, American University, Washington D.C.
I would definitely vote for Hillary Clinton. Unlike a lot of people, I wouldn’t do this merely to vote against Trump, although that’s a big reason. Clinton’s determination to make 2016 the year she breaks the highest glass ceiling in the U.S. is inspiring. I support her stances on a lot of issues including education, women’s rights, disability rights and social justice. This does not mean that she is the perfect candidate. I acknowledge her flaws and I know that she could and should have done a lot of things differently; but I don’t believe there has ever been a perfect Presidential candidate (maybe Michelle Obama if she runs).
Aymen Shamoon, MSc Physics, University of Illinois, U.S.
I supported Bernie Sanders over Hillary in the primary election, and I support Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in the general election. I have been a Bernie supporter because he has a better record on every issue compared to Hillary. Bernie ran a campaign free of corporate influence, rejecting money from big corporations. A few of his other positions that I liked were opposition to the Iraq war and speaking out against the 1994 Crime Bill which targeted African-Americans disproportionately.
Sruthi Ganapathy Raman, MA (MC) Journalism, Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication (SIMC), Pune
My vote would go to Hillary Clinton (a vote that consciously keeps away from Trump). From the Presidential debates it is clear that Clinton has a clear picture of what she wants to do with the U.S., be it with regard to the nation’s economic growth prospects or immigration policies. Though she has been embroiled in a string of controversies, she looks like the best bet as opposed to the business tycoon Donald Trump.
