The third and final presidential debate left little room for a hopeful future for America, according to several Rowan students.
On Wednesday night, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump gave their positions on abortion, gun laws and Russia. Although this debate was focused more on discussion of policy than in previous debates, Trump again refuted sexual assault accusers and also said he might not accept election results. Clinton thwarted questions about her emails by condemning Trump’s Russian policy.
Kenneth Wyche, a senior psychology major, believes the two’s behavior was better than the previous two debates. However, he does not believe either Clinton or Trump have what he described as “presidential behavior.”
“For example, if you’re sitting down with Putin discussing Cold War politics and you cut him off while talking, he is going to bomb America,” Wyche said.
Sophomore marketing major Lauren Bitzer believes firmly that candidates shouldn’t put one another down, period. This debate was just another reflection, in her view, that the two are not as passionate about running the country as they should be, since they both spend so much time insulting one another.
Both Bitzer and Wyche are deeply unsatisfied with the two main candidate choices this election and said it is sad that their first election is a choice between the lesser of two evils, especially when this election result will affect both of them for the rest of their lives.
“Our future is ruined because of this election, not going to lie,” sophomore Falisha Lormejuste said.
For the biological sciences and Africana studies dual major, the debates have only furthered this view. She also described both Clinton and Trump’s behavior as equally unacceptable, between deflecting questions and insulting one another.
As the elections come to a close, Bitzer, Wyche and Lormejuste each said they will not consider a third-party candidate, despite their dissatisfaction.
Wyche believes a vote for a third-party candidate is a wasted vote. He explained that he believes Gary Johnson, the Libertarian nominee, doesn’t have a breadth of knowledge for the job.
“If a third-party candidate was really going to gain traction, they would have had to start gaining traction and getting their name out there way earlier in the game,” Bitzer said.
The election and debates have discouraged both Bitzer and Lormejuste from voting entirely. Wyche will cast his vote on Nov. 8, although he did not say for whom.
For comments/questions about this story, email news@thewhitonline.com or tweet @TheWhitOnline.
