Preliminary Opinions of Republican Debate Spark Emotions

The recent Republican presidential debate brought out lots of emotion, both nationally and in the Fleetwood community. Students of all political backgrounds have strong reactions to the candidates’ remarks about some of the key issues.

“I like that [Trump] won’t apologize,” senior Shea Oswald said

Other students hold similar views. Senior Jason Lindsley agrees with Oswald’s comments, adding that he thinks Trump’s ability to speak his mind will benefit him.

On top of enjoying his infamous hair, freshman Evan Santos says that he too agrees with Trump’s opinions. In regards to other candidates, Santos does not agree with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, but he does agree with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

However, not everyone had such high praise for Trump. Junior Kyle Kierstead was more impressed with former HP CEO Carly Fiorina’s and neurosurgeon Ben Carson’s performances at the debate. He added that Trump’s controversial comments may complicate foreign relations, should he be elected.

As someone who identifies as liberal and does not agree most Republican views, senior Seth Zimmerman expressed disapproval with all the candidates at the debate. Zimmerman says that he would prefer democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. In particular, he was critical of Trump.

“Trump’s not for anything; he just wants to build a wall,” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman added that he does not see the desire for progressive change in any of the Republican candidates, which is something he would like to see in the next president.

With the first primary caucus still months away, there is still plenty of time to formulate opinions. Junior Jeremy Heist has not yet decided who he will support. The last debate did not help to steer him in the direction of any candidate, and he is still undecided.

With several debates remaining for both major parties yet to come, many interesting developments are sure to arise, and Fleetwood, along with the rest of the nation, will have to decide who to support.