2016 Presidential Election
Skyler Powers
The race for the title of the 45th President of the United States was a long, grueling journey full of controversies and heated insults. This race has been very memorable, but not necessarily in a good way. Four candidates were on the ballot: Democrat Hillary Clinton, Republican Donald Trump, Libertarian Gary Johnson, and the Green Party’s Jill Stein. The election process was a nailbiter, but Donald Trump emerged with 279 electoral votes. Clinton finished with 228 electoral votes. Trump was the undeniable victor.
Trump’s win shocked many people. For a long period of time, Trump had not been taken to be a serious candidate. He made remarks that many Americans saw as illogical, controversial, and outlandish. Many of his ideas raised some eyebrows, such as the wall he wants to build between the United States and Mexico or his intended tax cuts for large corporations.
Taking a step back, it is possible to see how Trump won the presidency. First of all, Hillary Clinton, Trump’s strongest opponent, was surrounded with controversies with her emails, her actions as Secretary of State, and her contributions as First Lady during Bill Clinton’s presidency. Also, Hillary Clinton was seen as a supporter of large corporations, contrary to her claims. Thus, many voters were afraid that they would receive little change if she was elected.
Trump also won because of key battleground states. These states were “on the fence” with their support. Luckily for Trump, he was able to win over most of these states. He won Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida. Clinton had depended on winning these states. The only major battleground states in her column were New Hampshire and Virginia. As a whole, Clinton won in the northeast, the west coast, Hawaii, Colorado, and New Mexico. Trump won everything else. It must be pointed out, however, that Hillary technically won the popular vote. The margin was not large, but she did receive more votes than Trump. Trump, however, won the more electoral votes. Therefore, he won the presidency.
It is interesting to see how demographics influenced the election results. The New York Times compiled a series of graphs showing various demographics. Unsurprisingly, the majority of Trump voters were male and the majority of Clinton voters were female. This was a predictable outcome. Clinton received far more votes from minorities (African-Americans, Latinos, Hispanics) while Trump received more votes from whites. Trump received more votes from voters aged forty-five and older; Clinton received more votes from voters between the ages of 18 and 29. Interestingly, Trump generally received more votes from less-educated people and Clinton won over more-educated voters. Income did not play a huge role in results. There was a slight increase in Trump votes as the amount of income of a person increased. Likewise, Clinton was favored slightly more by voters with a lower income. More Democrats obviously voted for Clinton and more Republicans voted for Trump. The majority of independents also voted for Trump. Trump received more votes from evangelical voters.
Finally, the geographical residence of voters played a large role in the results. According to the New York Times compilation, Clinton won more votes in cities with populations greater than 50,000 (approximately 59%). In suburban areas, Clinton and Trump were very close, but Trump gained the upper hand with 50%, compared to Clinton’s 45%. On the other hand, Trump received more votes in small cities and rural areas (approximately 62%). This regionalist phenomenon can be observed on a smaller scale. One good example is New York State. The vast majority of counties in New York State voted for Trump, including Cortland County. While the majority of counties in New York favored Trump, the more populated ones favored Clinton. Clinton received more votes in New York and thus received its electoral votes. New York exemplifies the urban-rural political conflict, but urban areas often have an advantage due to the population.
This presidential race was a wild spectacle and it fittingly ended with the election of a wild card. Trump has no political experience and no one knows how he will handle the presidency. Everyone cannot help but hold their breaths in anticipation of Trump’s administration. Trump’s election showed that, technicalities aside, the American people were unhappy with their government. Trump’s election signifies an enormous shift in politics. The entire world is watching the United States.
