The Five Presidential Candidates’ Positions
Three Republican candidates and two Democratic candidates are still in the running for the U.S. presidency. The two Democrats are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. The three Republicans are Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich.
HILLARY CLINTON
Hillary Clinton is the Democratic frontrunner. Clinton has been an avid speaker against guns and has campaigned for gun control. In a campaign ad, Clinton said, “How many people have to die before we actually act?” She proposes an expansion of background checks and the ban of assault weapons to civilians.
Her view on health care is in support of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. The act supports lower costs for those who cannot afford it and provides coverage that is more expansive. Clinton said building on the act would be the most beneficial healthcare solution.
Clinton’s views on the death penalty are mixed. She believes some extreme cases deserve the death penalty, yet that it is applied too often and in cases where it is not required.
At a forum in Iowa on Sep. 22, 2015, Clinton stated that she believes our immigration system is broken, and that we need to help pave a path to citizenship for undocumented parents and their children.
On the topic of Syrian refugees, Clinton wants to only allow 65,000 to enter our country, but recommends that the government should do an in-depth screening of them to keep our country safe.
Clinton believes we need to increase air strikes against ISIS, saying on Nov. 19, 2015 “our goal is not to deter or contain ISIS, but to defeat and destroy ISIS.”
BERNIE SANDERS
Bernie Sanders is a senator from Vermont. Sanders is neutral on gun laws. In an interview with CNN’s Jake Harper, he said he could help America find a middle ground. Sanders also wants to ban assault rifles.
On health care, Sanders wants to rein in the cost of prescription medication. “Healthcare, to my mind, is a right of all people,” he said in an interview with Vox’s Ezra Klein on July 28, 2015.
Sanders is strongly against the death penalty, stating that since we live in a democratic and civilized society, the American government should not be responsible for the death of civilians. On Oct. 29, 2015, Sanders took to the Senate floor to express his opposition, and stated that our country “should not be involved in the murder of other Americans.”
When referring to immigration, Sanders is strongly in support of protecting against deportation, and wants to pave a simple path for those seeking citizenship and documentation. He said, “We must be aggressive in pursuing policies that are humane and sensible and that keep our families together.”
Sanders believes we should allow Syrian refugees into the United States, and that the country should take full responsibility in helping the Syrians.
Sanders believes the U.S. should form an international coalition with our allies in order to defeat ISIS, and that should happen without the use of U.S. boots on the ground in those countries.
DONALD TRUMP
Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman, is the Republican frontrunner. His policies differ significantly from Clinton and Sanders.
On gun control, Trump promises to veto any more regulations on guns. He said bans on guns or ammo magazines are a “total failure.”
On healthcare, Trump wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and replace it with private health care plans. For those who are unable to afford it, Trump has promised to make deals with hospitals so the poor can receive health care.
Trump is also a believer in the death penalty, stating he is a “big believer of death penalty for horrendous crime.”
In regards to immigration, Trump has called for removing all undocumented immigrants from the country, and then requiring them to apply for citizenship before re-entry. Trump also said Muslims should temporarily be barred from entering the United States. Regarding immigration from the south, Trump said, “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have Mexico pay for that wall.”
For the Islamic State, Trump wants to target their oil supplies, and said he would “bomb the hell out of ISIS.”
TED CRUZ
Ted Cruz is currently a senator for the state of Texas.
Cruz is a defender of gun rights. In an interview with Breitbart News on Dec. 3, 2015, he said, “you don’t get rid of the bad guys by getting rid of our guns. You get rid of the bad guys by using our guns.”
Cruz is also against Obamacare, stating he wants to repeal it. In its place, Cruz proposes health savings accounts and the “ability to buy health insurance across state lines.”
Cruz is also a defender of the death penalty in extreme cases. He showed his support of it in times such as the Boston Marathon Bombing and a shooting in South Carolina.
Cruz’s views on immigration are in strong opposition of the current immigration laws, stating that President Obama is “blatantly defying the Constitution by refusing to faithfully execute our nation’s immigration laws.” Cruz wants there to be no path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and wants to increase border security as well.
On the Syrian refugees, he believes they should be resettled somewhere in the Middle East in order to keep our country safe.
Cruz also believes in the importance of taking out ISIS. “If you wage Jihad on America, then you are signing your death warrant,” he said.
JOHN KASICH
John Kasich is the current governor of the state of Ohio.
Kasich is a defender of gun rights. On Oct. 2, 2015 in a speech in New Hampshire, he said, “I don’t think any president can stop mass shootings.” He believes there needs to be an emphasis on addressing mental illnesses as opposed to tightening existing gun laws.
Kasich also opposes Obamacare, stating that he wants to repeal it.
Kasich is a strong supporter of the death penalty. In a press conference on May 31, 2015, he said, “I support the death penalty and will continue to do that because a lot of times, families want closure when they see justice done.” Kasich also stated that the death penalty is not about revenge, but about justice.
On immigration, Kasich believes undocumented immigrants should have a clear path to citizenship. “If they’ve been law abiding over a period of time,” he said on Aug. 9th, 2015 on CNN’s State of the Union, “they ought to be legalized and they ought to be able to stay here.” He also disagrees with the mass deportation Trump has been proposing, saying it is not feasible.
Kasich believes that Syrian refugees should not be permitted into this country. “There is no way that we can put any of our people at risk by bringing people in at this point,” he said on Fox News on Nov. 16, 2015.
On the Islamic State, Kasich would use American ground troops to combat ISIS. Kasich believes that the bombings are not enough, and with our allied troops in Europe and the Middle East, we should be able to destroy ISIS.
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