Presidential Campaigns vs. Poverty
by Mick L.
Many times, people in important and largely recognized positions, will crack and unfortunately succumb to outside pressure. This statement almost perfectly describes the 2016 presidential campaign. In this particular campaign, as well as many others, presidential candidates continue to pursue fixing the nationwide problem of poverty. But, these same candidates spend, as well as take in, millions and millions of dollars for helping fund their campaign. Especially considering that only two of 10+ candidates actually make it past the Primary’s, millions of dollars are subsequently wasted annually. According to www.opensecrets.org/pres16/, out of the candidates that remained in early April of 2016, an eye popping total of $505 million has been funded to campaigns from those outside of candidates committees.
Although poverty has been and will continue to be a problem in our country, as well as around the world, and that it should be addressed, this situation is outrageous. In the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, both debate welfare reform and how it has affected our nation’s poverty. Americans are in favor of the idea that Sanders and Clinton have also both agreed that increasing minimum wage and receiving equal pay for equal work is necessary. Even though a poll conducted every year since 2007 shows that a little over half of Americans feel that poverty is an issue worth addressing, candidates, as well as other politicians, decide to spend their large sums of money differently. But, rather than showing to our country that they do in fact care for the poor by donating to foundations and charities, they go out and singlehandedly raise a combined $360 million on funds. Acknowledging these topics is necessary but the fact that these candidates consistently contradict themselves is what is really stunning.