Biographies
This paper outlines the analysis of the political campaigns between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential elections in 2016. Before analyzing their political campaigns, it is essential to give a brief history of the two. Donald Trump is a businessman, politician, and media personality who went to Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He had never served in the government or military before the election date. He registered as a republican in 1987 (Gillin, 2015), joined Independence Party in 1999 (CNN, 1999), became a Republican in 2009, was unaffiliated in 2011 and became a Republican in 2012 (Gillin, 2015). Hillary Clinton is a politician, diplomat, and former lawyer. She served as the United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013 and represented New York as a senator from 2001 to 2009. Additionally, Hilary was the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001 as the wife of President Bill Clinton. She joined the Democratic Party in 1968 and has since been a member. She went to Wellesley College for her bachelor of Arts and Yale University.
Informal qualifications for president
Experts suggest that voters look for an individual who is well experienced in running the government or of high military rank (charman212002, 2015). He or she should have held a position in government before so that he or she can effectively understand the day-to-day operations of the government. Furthermore, the presidential candidate should advance certain political beliefs by being part of a major political party. Some voters choose whom to vote for depending on whether the candidate is a Republican or Democrat.
Another set of voters looks at candidates’ debating skills before deciding who will have their vote. They feel it is vital to have a president who can articulate their issues clearly. Also, debating helps the voters assess a potential candidate’s mental strength. Whether or not the candidate can withstand criticism while respecting others with contrasting opinions.
Some of the qualities we should look for in a president include honesty. A candidate who is honest in their political campaign will likely implement their manifesto when they come into power. Another critical factor voters should consider there is patriotism. A patriotic president will place the country’s interests above his or her interests. The country will always be the most crucial factor in making critical decisions. Lastly, a president who portrays strength and confidence to the outside world while also being a good negotiator will command respect from other countries and ensure benefit for the citizens.
Campaign tactics
The use of social media significantly shaped the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Donald Trump made perfect use of social media platforms to run his campaign. He linked his Twitter and Facebook posts to news media to emphasize media appearance over volunteers and donations. Trump effectively used Twitter to create critical attention by responding quickly to his opponents and giving his opinions on various issues (Hess, 2016). On the other hand, Hillary Clinton used social media to highlight fake news spread by her opponent Trump. Her political audience was active on most social media platforms (Boxell et al., 2018). However, Trump gained the votes of the people that do not use social media because of his witty strategy of linking news media to his posts. Another strategy employed by Trump to win the elections was to run ads on Facebook which favored Trump’s candidacy. Cambridge Analytica used Facebook’s network and data to bolster Trump’s Campaign. As depicted by Donald Trump’s act of frequently attacking and accusing Hillary Clinton, negative campaigning can sway votes because being involved in such controversies increases popularity and gives a broader audience to advance ideas.
Prediction
I would have predicted Hillary Clinton to be the 2016 U.S. Presidential election winner. Even though Donald Trump was much more popular due to his controversial opinions, Hilary Clinton was a much more sober leader who seemed determined to unite all Americans. Her experience conducting campaigns also gave her an edge as she knew what to do and how to do it. I believe Hilary Clinton should have won the campaign. The reason is that Trump based his campaign on many false statements as he promised to take America back where it was instead of taking it forward. In contrast, Hilary Clinton ran honest and futuristic campaigns, qualities a good president should have.
Works Cited:
Hess, A. (2016). How Trump wins Twitter. Slate, Feb, 18.
Boxell, L., Gentzkow, M., & Shapiro, J. M. (2018). A note on internet use and the 2016 U.S. presidential election outcome. Plos one, 13(7), e0199571. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199571
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