President-elect Donald Trump. Do those three words make you shudder? Or do they make your smile bigger and brighter? Did you jump for joy in the wee hours of the morning when the final votes were counted? Or did you sink further and further into your duvet cover while stifling back tears? Regardless of your reaction (because who cares), those three words will hold on tight to the tan, 70-year-old until January 20, 2017.
With the immense amount of drama and emotion that stirred up and completely spilled over society during this once-in-a-lifetime election—we can only hope—loads of comments, opinions and arguments arose regarding both candidates.
From the mature assertions found in the deep pit of the internet claiming that Donald Trump played a part as an Oompa-Loompa to the annoying memes and GIFs of Hillary Clinton and her coughing attacks, no one holds back. It seemed like everyone had a strong idea as to what they look for in a president. Most of it involved the constant banter revolving around Trump’s hair and Clinton’s emails.
But what do people truly want? Specifically, what do college students want in a candidate? How would they describe their perfect president?
Find out what these students consider their perfect president.
“I would want a president who I could envision myself having a beer with but also someone who has been in government for some time. I want someone who can be confident in their decisions but also humble enough to seek out expert advice. I want someone who enjoys their job and isn’t consumed with partisan politics.” – Mizzou junior Chris Joseph.
“My ideal president would push for tax cuts, tax code simplification, reduction in government waste, reduction of military spending, elimination of social security and Medicare and elimination of all unnecessary regulations.” – Florida State University senior Johnathan Shupe
“Well people are always saying they’re tired of politicians, but I’d prefer one, I mean that’s their job and they understand the detailed interworking’s of the political system better than the average American. I’d also like someone that’s a rights advocate, so many groups need people in powerful positions to look out for them.” – Mizzou senior Halley Felty
“I want a president I can be proud to say I voted for, not someone who’s the lesser of two evils. He or she should be able to relate to the youth and not just tell everyone what they want to hear. That was why I was such a big fan of Bernie Sanders. He was genuine before he was anything else. Also someone who’s down with alleviating college debt would be ideal, because I’m drowning in it.” –Michigan State University junior Kaitlin Farris
“When it comes to my perfect president, I don’t really care about physical features or gender, unless they’re as creepy looking as Ted Cruz…I care more about economic and foreign policies. So my ideal POTUS would have a strong immigration policy, as I believe illegal immigration is a huge problem in the U.S. today…also my ideal POTUS probably wouldn’t be a politician but rather someone involved with business or intelligence, or both.” –FSU senior Cathleen Romaguera
“The perfect president is a person who does not affiliate with a major party, and is fairly elected by his or her fellow citizens. They are so wholeheartedly altruistic that they put the needs of the majority before the needs of themselves or polarized groups. They need to have grace when it comes to foreign affairs, but they never endanger the safety or freedom of their citizens.” – Mizzou junior Trevor Mandy.
Whether you like the above opinions or not, we’re the next slew of folks to enter the real world. Soon, we’ll experience the harsh realities of credit scores, mortgages and health care. The policies and amendments we praise, or make fun of, will soon affect us. If you take away anything from this article, relish in the fact that not all students argue their ideas solely through memes.
No matter your ideals, beliefs, thoughts and opinions—at least you have them. The millennials will rise.
