Stay informed and be strategic in the 2020 elections

Election season is officially underway. We’ve made it two years into the Trump Administration, and now we are in the earliest stages of preparation for the next whirlwind of slogans, soundbites and scandals.

This particular election run is going to be one that necessitates pragmatism and good information at all times.

This time of year, candidates begin to announce their intentions to run. The candidates then proceed to their respective party’s caucuses and primaries to be vetted by their fellow constituents.

Between July and early September, the parties announce their official candidate who will run for president.

So far, the only Republican candidate who has announced his candidacy is the current U.S. President Donald Trump. He actually announced his presidency all the way back in January 2017 and continues to be unopposed by anyone else within his party.

However when you look at the flip side of the political spectrum, there are a multitude of possible Democratic candidates ready to run for president, including Julián Castro, Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Bernie Sanders, South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Rep. John Delaney, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and many other candidates yet to come.

In just about every platform for definite runners, unity and inclusion is a common theme found among them.

Castro emphasizes “that if we work together, we can make—and keep—that promise to every American and work towards a future for all of us.”

Harris is urging America to “speak the truth” and highlights the notion that “people in power are trying to convince us that the villain in our American story is each other. But that is not our story. That is not who we are. That’s not our America.”

Booker pushes that “the history of our nation is defined by collective action; by interwoven destinies of slaves and abolitionists; of those born here and those who chose America as home; of those who took up arms to defend our country, and those who linked arms to challenge and change it.”

The list goes on.

Each campaign promise and goal set by the democratic front runners is the antithesis of Trump’s current rhetoric. Yes, his 2019 State of the Union Address was an attempt to preach unity, but it was clearly an empty promise and a blatant facade.

Actions speak louder than words, and for the past two years, we have seen far more destructive actions coming out of the White House rather than those with the aim of unifying a country with a political chasm running right down its back.

So for me, it’s a refreshing change of pace to see a highly diverse set of potential presidential candidates preaching something this country needs quite a bit more of: unity and compromise.

With this in mind, I feel as though the most important thing to do this election season is to keep those two goals in the back of your mind as you read through the news and watch each candidate debate.

I’m sure a lot of us would like to see a more progressive thinker like Sanders step up to the front lines of the political bilateral showdown in November against Trump, but if we truly want to see unity and compromise, that just can’t happen.

The key to getting change to happen is to work towards achieving pragmatic goals one at a time. For example, either you really love Sanders or you really hate him. Either you really love Trump or you really hate him.

Both of these men, regardless of what I  personally think of them, are glaring polarizing figures who clearly stick to getting what they want and obviously won’t be the ones to let up and compromise.

We need people who will stick to what they promise and who will fight tooth and nail for positive and progressive change, but that person shouldn’t be someone who will continue to cause such a divisive attitude among what seems like everyone in this country.

So as the news continues to roll out with speeches kicking off the next candidate’s official running and the opposite side beginning to nitpick everything that person does, you need to support the candidate who will promote the change you want to see, but also the one who will do the best job when you look at our political culture holistically.

It’s not just about your party alliance or your personal sentiment with one candidate over another.

Elections matter for everyone. Elections help to define a strong democracy. And we have an equal voice in our elections. Don’t take it for granted, and learn as much as you can throughout the next few months to cast the most informed vote you can.

Pay attention to the language each candidate uses. Pay attention to legislation or budgetary ideas they intend to propose. Pay attention to potential cabinet members, who they chose as their vice president, where they get their funding and how they have acted in the past.

Pay attention to it all because it all matters. If we want to see compromise and unity, be pragmatic.