1. Swayzeen Medina
2012 Presidential Election: The Lesser of two Evils
Emotions are running high as the nation focuses its attention to the 2012 presidential elections.
Voters have heavily scrutinized both President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney in the
past few weeks due to some of the comments both candidates have made. It seems that more than
ever, both presidential hopefuls are losing sight of what matters most in this great country.
Both candidates cast a shadow over the country’s concerns by slandering each other’s names.
Every day comments are made about what the candidate’s think of each other, rather than what
they can to do for this country, if elected. The only time we hear anything about the country’s
interests is when they are speaking in an electoral convention or politicking their way through a
crowd.
The candidates seem to be very conscious of one another, which causes me to wonder “are they
more conscious of themselves or the American people?” I ask such a bold question because of
recent comments made by both candidates. For example, there was Mitt Romney’s infamous 47
percent comment at his fundraiser the other night. Mother Jones political website says that
he was at the home of equity manager Marc Leder in Boca Raton on May 17, 2012; It had been
his second fundraiser in Boca. In a leaked YouTube video, Romney’s voice is heard saying,
“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what…who are
dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has
a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to
housing, to you-name-it. That's an entitlement...These are people who pay no income tax.”
President Obama later appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and stated his
rebuttal to Romney, “Well, I don’t know what he was referring to, but I can tell you this. When I
won in 2008, 47 percent of the American people voted for John McCain, they didn’t vote for me.
…When I meet Republicans as I’m traveling around the country, they are hardworking, family
people, who care deeply about this country and my expectation is that if you want to be president
you got to work for everybody not just for some.”
After such a busy week of heavy scrutiny between both parties, the question that begs to be
answered remains, “Who will you be voting for in November?”
Students on the Rutgers-Newark campus had opinions of their own with which candidate they
felt more inclined to vote for. One student said, “I would probably be voting for President
Obama because he is the lesser of two evils…Romney doesn’t understand the issues of the lower
class.”
Another student chimed in, “I will probably vote for Obama because he understands the
educational needs a lot more then Mitt Romney.”
I had also received feedback from a student that said her family was probably voting for Mitt
Romney “because they did not agree with Obama’s health care [plan].”

2. This election season has many people speaking out about their concerns. Everyone should go out
and vote this November, after all the country’s fate lies in your hands.