There Is No Such Thing as a Perfect Candidate: SLU Dems Officially Endorse Harris as Their Pick for U.S. President
Let’s get one thing straight: one of two people will be winning the Presidential Election on November 5. Regardless of how you feel about either candidate, that is the truth, pure and simple. Until we dissolve the electoral college, we exist in the context of a two-party system and to vote third-party sabotages the chances of a more progressive candidate (i.e. what happened in 2016).
As much as we would like to vote for a candidate that perfectly aligns with our viewpoints on every issue, it is unfeasible under the current system. Therefore, we must select a candidate that best matches our beliefs. Some of the main issues on our minds are Palestine-Israel, reproductive rights, the economy, and climate-change.
We cannot defend the actions nor inactions the Biden-Harris administration has taken in the Palestinian genocide. That being said, Trump does not believe in a two-state solution and has vowed to end the war in Israel’s favor. He has also spoken against the pro-Palestinian protests which swept across college campuses. On the other hand, Harris has called for a ceasefire in the region, as well as supporting a two-state solution where “the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.” Although Harris’s policies leave a lot to be desired in protecting and freeing the Palestinian people, Trump would undoubtably make their situation worse. We hope that Harris, as President, would take a stronger stance on this issue than Biden has.
On reproductive rights, Trump pledges to remove the bodily autonomy of Americans and leave personal decisions on healthcare to state government. While New Yorkers are lucky to be in a state where their autonomy is likely to be protected for the foreseeable future (if you vote YES on Prop. 1!), citizens of other states are not as fortunate. Texas and Oklahoma support outright bans on abortions, while others like Florida and Alabama support strong restrictions. Harris, conversely, denounces a national ban on abortion and strongly supports a law protecting reproductive freedom for all Americans, regardless of which state they reside in.
Many supporters of Trump believe him to be better on the economy. This is false. Trump’s proposed blanket tariffs are a sure-fire way to increase inflation. Tariffs are only useful when strategically applied to industries that America competes in. Otherwise, prices are just increasing without any benefit. Harris has proposed tax cuts for working and middle-class Americans, including the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Both measures work to keep more money in the pockets of Americans, with the Child Tax Credit giving a $6,000 tax cut to families with newborn babies, helping keep them afloat and focused on the early moments with their child.
Trump considers climate change to be a hoax, and thus does not support climate initiatives. While serving as Vice President, Harris cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, one of the largest pieces of environmental legislation in U.S. history. Harris and Walz also pledge to take on polluters, promote environmental justice, and work to build resiliency to natural disasters. Our climate cannot wait another four years, and if Trump is elected, he promises to repeal most of the current protections and goals for environmental protection, including the Paris Agreement. Harris acknowledges the threat that climate change brings to the United States and promises to tackle the issue if she is elected.
For these reasons and many more, we, as representatives of SLU Democrats, endorse Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice President of the United States of America. A second term for Trump would be harmful for every vulnerable identity. Whether or not you identify with one of these groups, someone you care for does. A win for Trump would decimate years of fighting for equal rights for all. We are not going back.