Editor’s Note: Due to the tension and divisiveness surrounding the presidential election and to encourage students to respond most authentically, The Commentator has departed from its usual policy by making all responses anonymous. Students who were interviewed were informed of this in advance and their identities are only known to the author.
Given the prevalence of domestic political issues and international turmoil, who our presidential leader will be is a serious question on everyone’s mind. For many, this election will determine the fate of a wide range of current events and is certainly a decision not taken lightly. The Commentator reached out to members of the student body to find out about their general thoughts on the election, selection of candidates, who they are voting for and what issues they care about most in this upcoming election. Provided below are the responses of five students. See our survey results for a more extensive analysis on the YU student body’s feelings towards the candidates and political issues.
Anonymous (YC ‘26)
Party Affiliation: Republican
Method of Voting: Early Voting
Kamala Harris is not fit to be the President of the United States. The problem is, neither is Donald Trump.
As someone who believes that the Constitution is foundational and essential to the success of the American experiment — both the rights protected by the Bill of Rights and the structure of the limited and decentralized government that truly protects those rights — Kamala Harris is manifestly unfit to head the Article II branch, even before discussing the merits of her policies. She does not believe in a federal government limited to its enumerated powers, and she has yet to discover a policy priority that cannot be accomplished through the power of the Executive alone, Article I be damned. She seeks to emasculate the independent judiciary because it no longer rules her way after decades of an activist progressive Court. Her actions as Attorney General of California — including trying to force non-profits to disclose their donors and hounding journalists — demonstrate that she holds no esteem for the First Amendment.
On the other side, beyond his other glaring faults, Donald Trump — and I use these words precisely — riled up a mob of his supporters to attack the seat of American government in an effort to (in some way) disrupt the legislature’s Constitutional duty to confirm his successor. He lied to his supporters before January 6, and he has lied to his supporters since; he has not shown any contrition for being derelict in his executive duty to maintain order. I find it nearly impossible to place my trust in the 45th President to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.”
Even if I were inclined to strike a Faustian bargain, I have little confidence in the thrice-married New York City adulterer’s commitment or competence to pursue conservative policy. He has pushed the least socially-conservative GOP platform in at least a generation while disclaiming any efforts towards shrinking the size of government. As the Democratic Party has become increasingly anti-Israel over the course of more than a decade, I shudder to consider what might happen if Trump demands something to which the Israelis cannot agree: Would Trump turn his MAGA army against the Jewish State like he has other American allies?
There are many Republicans, and even some Democrats, who I could have stomached voting for in this election, but the parties’ primary voters and political classes chose two candidates fundamentally unfit to be Chief Magistrate. A protest vote, then, is the only way I can make my voice heard.
Anonymous (SCW ‘25)
Party Affiliation: Republican
Method of Voting: Early Voting
Kamala Harris is a liar and a snake through and through. She backed Biden when he was clearly mentally unfit and even today refuses to say he is mentally incapable of the job. If that is the case then why is she running? She has accomplished nothing and would be disastrous when it comes to global politics, especially in terms of Israel.
I am voting for Trump because I truly believe he is the best choice for Israel. He is a loud and strong supporter of Israel and takes a strong stance against antisemitism and against terrorism. While I don’t always approve of how he behaves, his actions lately (helping with hurricane relief, going to the Ohel) have been pretty admirable.
Anonymous (SCW ‘26)
Party Affiliation: Unaffiliated
Method of Voting: Early Voting
While I am someone whose policy opinions fall mostly in line with the Democratic Party, the topics of Israel and foreign policy are definitely on everyone’s mind, and have forced my mind to rock between left and right.
I have not yet decided who I am voting for and I’m hoping that once I get to the voting booth, I will have clarity. But, as a Zionist Jew, who disagrees greatly with how the current administration regards, discusses and acts in terms of the Israel/Palestine War, I may have to vote red this election, even while considering my deep distaste towards Donald Trump and many of his policies.
Aside from this, I feel as though many people have been let down by the Biden administration in terms of domestic policy and it was disappointing to see that there were no new faces on the ticket. It is a hard decision and I have often considered not even voting because I do not want to associate with one candidate. However, having a voice and making a mistake is better than having no voice at all. At least my state isn’t a swing state, so it won’t really make a difference anyways.
Anonymous (YC ‘25)
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Method of Voting: Mail-in
I believe the coming election will likely be one of the most important of my lifetime. The stakes are high and the choice could not be simpler.
You have a narcissistic and erratic convicted felon who has tried to undermine American democracy at every turn on the one hand, and a perfectly normal average politician on the other.
That is why I — like Adam Kinzinger, Joe Walsh and Dick Cheney — am voting for Kamala Harris.
Clearly the most important issue is democracy. Donald Trump is the poster child of “unfit for office,” and that’s enough to lose my vote. But I am also voting for Kamala Harris because her policy agenda better addresses the issues I care most about. Harris is a great supporter of Israel and she also will not back down from supporting Ukraine against Russia. She will be a defender of liberal democracy and American interests abroad. The Harris campaign supports the bipartisan immigration bill that Trump shot down in Congress because he cares more about himself than even the issues he himself claims are most pressing. Kamala Harris will protect the reproductive freedoms of families who need assisted reproductive treatments to have kids or need an abortions, both procedures that poskim might often recommend even if evangelicals think they’re evil.
Lastly, in the aftermath of COVID-19, the Biden administration led the U.S. to a faster inflation recovery than any other G7 country. If you know the numbers you know that “Bidenomics” worked. Harris additionally supports reexpanding the child tax credit. This reduced child poverty by ~50% when it was in effect in 2021-2022. Meanwhile, Trump’s “genius” plan to stop inflation is to heavily tax imported goods, raising prices as Americans struggle to put food on the table.
Kamala Harris is the candidate for American democracy and for American families. (It would also just be pretty cool to see a mezuzah on the front door of White House. Shout out Doug Emhoff.)
Anonymous (YC ‘25)
Party Affiliation: Republican
Method of Voting: Early Voting
I think this year’s election is quite an important one with many big issues on the table. It is especially important as Jews because one of those issues happens to be about Israel.
This year again, like last election, our options are not great, and I would have rathered different candidates to be chosen by both parties. However, in my view, there are two ways to look at the candidates. If you decide to be a one-issue voter and Israel is that issue then the decision, although many think is difficult, is quite simple. We can see the current state of the war and how much the administration is holding back Israel. In just this week that I’m writing this, there has been a leak of Israel’s plans to attack Iran from somewhere in the administration and it was discovered that Sinwar told the negotiators not to make a hostage deal because the Biden-Harris administration will turn on Israel.
If you want to look at this election as an American who cares about other issues as well, we can see the current state of the country under the current president. As much as Kamala Harris says that she will “turn the page” she has yet to mention one way she will be different.
Also she is currently the vice president and many of our current problems are things she could have addressed from that position. Yes, it’s true that Trump says crazy things that are wild, and yes it’s true that every time Kamala speaks I have no idea what she is saying and she can’t seem to answer a question, but at the end of the day I’m looking at policy and job performance. In performance, this country and the world were in a much better place four years ago which is why I’m voting for President Trump.
Photo Caption: 2024 Election Candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Library of Congress, Unsplash
This post was originally published on here
