College students still weighing presidential choice options

Nov. 18--The 2020 presidential election is already on the minds of a majority of Americans, but many college students are still undecided about who and what they support.

Out of 25 college students approached by the Transcript, 14 said they weren't informed enough on the 2020 election or candidates to offer any comment or perspective.

Of the students who agreed to discuss their opinions, many said they want to elect a president who could unify the country and push past partisanship and accomplish much-needed goals.

For students planning to vote for a Democrat, the desire for a unifying president meant many were looking toward more moderate candidates like Joe Biden or Cory Booker, and looking past more traditionally left-leaning candidates like Bernie Sanders.

"I'd like to see somebody who's a little more moderate who might help decrease the (partisanship) in politics right now, and might help get some bipartisan support for different bills and help America as a whole instead of just separating it by party," said Mandy Kaiser, a biochemistry freshman.

Public relations sophomore Sydney Brown also wants unity among America's leaders.

"I feel like there's just so much divisiveness, and I feel like we really need to unite people, and I feel like by focusing on issues like women's rights issues and civil rights issues, it'll hopefully bring us together again," she said.

Alyson O'Shae, a public relations sophomore, said while she's conservative on many issues, she's not sure if she'll vote in November 2020. O'Shae is not considering any of the Democratic candidates, and said she "feel(s) like Trump doesn't represent a lot of conservative opinions that I value."

"I don't know if I would vote if it came down to it -- I know that you do have a civic duty to vote, but I don't know if I could morally vote for Trump or a Democratic candidate," O'Shae said. "... I don't like who (Trump) is as a person. ... I don't like how he talks about women or minorities, so morally I don't know if I could vote for him. I think that some of his economic policies are beneficial for the country, but I also don't like some of his stuff about immigration."

Out of the 11 students who discussed their 2020 opinions, one said she's considering voting for Trump next November.

"I know that there's been good changes since Obama," said freshman Julia Camp, who said she's concerned with issues like taxes and health care, and likes some of Trump's decisions.

For students voting Democrat, a strong, unifying candidate also is essential as impeachment proceedings loom, they said.

"If the impeachment goes through but then the Senate knocks it down, it's going to be an extremely divided country at that point, and we need someone who can bring the country back together," said Anshule Takyar, a public health and microbiology junior.

While most students weren't decided on a single candidate yet, some already knew who they didn't want in office. Eighteen Democratic candidates remain in the race.

Two students said they dislike Kamala Harris and her political record while other students said that Sanders was too far to the left, or noted his and other candidates' ages as potential negatives. Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Biden are all at least 70 years old.

"I really don't want it to be Joe Biden -- I kind of feel like he's proven that he's out of the loop, and with some of the things he's said, I just think the times are changing and he's not with the times," said Sydney Brown, a public relations sophomore.

No matter their party affiliation or candidate preferences, students' larger concerns echoed national conversations about accessible health care and education, preserving LGBTQ rights, climate change, immigration and for Democratic voters, preserving abortion and reproductive rights.

Students want accessible higher education, they said, and need plans to help tackle the issue of student debt. Taykar, who's registered to vote in Oklahoma, said he's troubled by the inequity he sees within the state when it comes to accessing college.

"It breaks my heart when I go volunteer at a school and they live 10, 15 minutes away from OU, but they're like, 'I know I can't afford OU, it's just a fact of life,'" said Taykar, who also emphasized his desire for affordable, universal health care. "If you live in Norman, the least you should be able to do is (attend) the university in your hometown. ... We need to get back on track with that kind of thing."

Students also are concerned with issues that involve their future professions, from education to the medical field.

"My major is elementary education, and school shootings and gun control is something that's really, really big for me, because I feel like it's not talked about enough," said Mariah Brown, an elementary education freshman. "I feel like it's only talked about when there is an incident, and I think it's something that needs to be talked about year-round."

One international student who requested not to be named said while she can't vote in the U.S. next year, the actions of the next U.S. president will affect her no matter where she lives. The student said while she's not sure where she'll end up in her post-graduate career, she does hope for a president and a country that are more open to migrants and asylum seekers.

"If the country becomes more inclusive of international persons, and just migrants and immigrants, and those seeking even asylum, just seeking refuge in the country, it would make things much better," the student said. "Even this wall that they're building to keep Mexicans out, I feel like it's so unnecessary. ... I understand that there needs to be restrictions, but I don't think it needed to be that extreme."

The student said she'd also like to see a leader who is straightforward about their plans and beliefs, and a country that is less concerned about intervening in other countries' affairs.

Emma Keith

366-3537

Follow me @emma_ckeith

[email protected]

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