Tonight is Halloween, a holiday that celebrates all things scary and spooky. But this year, many students at The University of Alabama are not afraid of Oct. 31, but rather Nov. 8: the day of the presidential election.
Americans are scared, not because of supernatural forces and invisible monsters, but because the 2016 presidential race has been a brawl between two very real players, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and their opposing platforms. Americans are worried across the nation about who will enter office on Jan. 20, and the tension can be felt everywhere, even on the University campus.
“Honestly, I’m worried,” said Colin Dunne, a junior majoring in chemistry. “I don’t think either candidate is qualified to be president.”
Speaking with his experience growing up during the presidential races of 2004, 2008 and 2012, Dunne said he thinks the current electoral situation is unprecedented.
“For the first time in a long time, we’re given a choice that’s very hard to make,” Dunne said.
He said he was worried about the repercussions of an election cycle where the candidates did as they pleased seemingly without any consequences, saying, “…we’re seeing candidates with really no moral fiber.”
Dunne said he was worried about the effect that the outcome of the election would have on economic strength of the United States, and national security. He is not the only American to express his concern. In a study done by the American Psychological Association, it was found that 52 percent of Americans find the election to be a source of stress, according to Vox.
Ryan Reid, a junior majoring in communications studies and human development and family studies, said he expects his quality of life to change after the election, and likely not for the better.
“I work for the non-profit CDD organization and regardless of who gets in, I don’t think they’re going to last very long,” said Reid, who works in the summers to help pay for his tuition costs.
Reid said he is worried that neither candidate would adequately represent him and his concerns in office.
Reid said he foresaw major change coming out of the election, and said he would not be surprised to see riots erupt once the ballots were in. Donald Trump himself, the Republican candidate for president, predicted riots would occur if he lost the GOP nomination back in March.
Another student predicted a different kind of upheaval resulting from the election. Ilham Ali, a sophomore majoring in architectural engineering, said she would not be surprised to see a third party split off from the two dominating Democratic and Republican parties.
“I think American politics has definitely become very polarized in the last four years,” she said, stating that divisive rhetoric was emerging from both sides of the campaign.
She said she expects the losing party would actually splinter and form a third powerhouse party in American politics.
“I think coming out of the election, we’ll have maybe a more diverse system,” Ali said.
Third party candidates Gary Johnson and Jill Stein have both seen an increase in poll numbers as the election has dragged on.
“The fact that we have two major party candidates who are enormously disliked by the electorate, enormously and equally disliked, creates the opportunity for the minor party candidates to do better than they would in other presidential elections,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, according to The Hill.
While the current state of affairs has sent students and citizens nationally into a fright, it is worth noting that even in these times of stress people have kept their faith that America will carry on and continue to be a world leader.
Dunne said he trusts the other branches of government will adequately compensate for shortcomings of either candidate.
“A bad president wouldn’t ruin the country,” Dunne said, expressing confidence that the system of checks and balances in place through the Constitution would maintain quality of life for Americans, regardless of the attempted actions of either possible executive head.
