Welcome to the last week of our series on 2016 presidential candidates. With such a large number of candidates with a variety of beliefs and plans, several television programs have chosen to bring humor into the equation, further fueling the debates of American citizens. So, we decided to do the same in an attempt to both inform and entertain you, the students of Georgia Southern University. Stay updated and informed by reading this last week in the series so you are fully ready to vote when the election comes… or at least have an idea of what candidates to look into. This week, we will discuss Lincoln Chafee, Hillary Clinton, George Pataki, and John Kasich.
 

Lincoln Chafee

“The Transition-er”

Political party: Democratic
The Lowdown: Lincoln Chafee, a former mayor, senator, and governor of Rhode Island after his father and a long line of family politicians, has transitioned from Republican to Independent to Democratic throughout his political career. His stances of individual rights, economic, and domestic issues are his furthest to the left. He thinks woman should have access to abortion and he has long supported legalization of same-sex marriage. He thinks the government should be given limited surveillance powers. He is in favor of keeping Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Like most others, Chafee plans to reform the tax codes by lowering taxes and ending deductions. As for trade, he supports the Trans-Pacific partnership. As for immigration, Chafee is more tolerant than may other politicians, planning to offer a path to citizenship and give undocumented immigrants in-state tuition. His stances on defense and international issues are very close to the middle of the ideological spectrum. He thinks the U.S. needs to build better alliances in order to fight the Islamic State, including its alliance with Russia. Regarding Iran, Chafee would like to lower tensions by negotiating with Iran.
If he were in college: Chafee would be the quirky guy that comes in to college extremely excited and indecisive. He would be well-known because of his other family members who were very popular at the school before he arrived and people would probably give him nicknames like “Little Lincoln.” He would be the guy that is pressured from his dad and family to follow in their footsteps with his major and career, but he would still try to make a name for himself apart from his family.
If he was a drink:  Beer, wine, or liquor (he changes a lot)
 

Hillary Clinton

“The Fighter”

Political Party: Democratic
The Lowdown: Hillary Clinton is well-known by much of America. Not only as a former first lady, but also a former senator, secretary of state, and lawyer who worked on the Watergate investigation. Her campaign emphasizes boosting economic security for the middle class and expanding opportunities for working families. On taxes, she is considering closing corporate tax loopholes and cutting middle class taxes. Her stances on international and defense issues are dead center on the ideological scale. She does not support the Trans-Pacific partnership, supports the framework for the Iran Nuclear Deal, and wants to work towards a two-state solution in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. On other issues however, Clinton’s beliefs sit on the far left. She thinks abortion should be legal and so should same-sex marriage. She also thinks Obamacare should be strengthened. As for marijuana, Clinton wants to “wait and see” more research before choosing a position on federal legalization. Regarding immigration, Clinton supports a comprehensive reform plan that includes a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants and the ability for presidents to waive deportation for some illegal immigrants.
If she were in college: Clinton would be the girl that enters as a freshman and already has a full plan of what she wants to do with her life. If a guy offers to buy her a drink at a bar, Clinton would decline and say she can get her own drink. She would often get into political debates that begin from a simple class discussion. She would also post on social media about her opinions. Her friends would always go to her if they need help in an argument with anyone.
If she was a drink: Fireball (feisty and powerful)
 

George Pataki

“The Outlier”

Political party: Republican
The Lowdown: Many news sources have questioned Pataki’s desire to run for president, possibly because he is the only candidate who was once a United Nations delegate, or because the former governor of the very “blue” state of New York is running as a republican. After the third GOP debate, he made the news for calling out the Republican Party for denying science. Basically, he said that republicans are ridiculous to be skeptical of the science that has been accepted by “everyone else”, including ideas on vaccines and climate change. Clearly, the candidate who is also a former environmental lawyer and runner of a clean energy firm is focused on environmental issues. In addition, Pataki opposes Common Core and other national education standards, and is extremely against the Iran Deal. He wants to cut the top corporate income tax rate to 24 percent and cut the rate for manufacturers to 12 percent.
If he were in college: Pataki would be liked by most people, but misunderstood by some as well. He would be someone that people can never fully comprehend and some would just quit trying to figure him out altogether. If he went to a Southern University, he would stick with a big crowd of friends with similar interests, but he would be the one that tries to show everyone that not all people in that crowd are the same. And sometimes, his friends would probably get mad and offended when he would point out their differences.
If he was a drink: Everclear (always defying expectations boldly)
 

John Kasich

“The Prodigy”

Political party: Republican
The Lowdown: John Kasich has been recognized as a prodigy in politics because of his success at a very young age compared to other politicians. He spent almost two decades in Congress and was governor of Ohio. As a former governor, Kasich has received criticism by other conservatives for expanding Medicaid in Ohio through Obamacare and for supporting Common Core educational standards. The candidate wants states to regulate health insurance and supports ending Planned Parenthood funding, but not by any drastic means. His other reform ideas include: giving less prison time for non-violent offenders and instead focusing on their rehabilitation, cutting education spending and continuing Common Core, and allowing undocumented immigrants to stay in the country legally. As for Obamacare, Kasich plans to keep the federal Medicaid expansion, but repeal and replace the remainder of the Affordable Care Act.
If he were in college: He would be someone who seems to have more time than everyone else because of all the work he gets done while still having time for fun. Because school comes easier for him than his friends, people would tend to criticize him for random things that no one else gets criticized for. Also, he would be the “nice guy” in class that randomly snaps and “attacks” the douche-y guy out of nowhere, revealing to everyone his true feelings.
If he was a drink: Also Fireball (sweet, but not all the time)
 
Thank you for joining us in the last part of the 2016 Presidential Candidates series. It has been our honor being your guide in this experience. We hope you have a general idea of what each candidate has to offer and can make a decision come voting time!