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A Complete Look Into This Election Year

2020 has been a crazy year, and the election cycle has been interesting, to say the least. As the election cycle continues here is a look into the 2020 election cycle thus far, and the hot topics surrounding the election. With candidates challenging each other and the sudden outbreak of the Coronavirus, this election cycle has been one for the ages, and educational apps such as UDecide can help keep you in the loop.

Elections, Elections, Elections!

It seems like every week there has been an election and that’s been true for the Democratic National Convention. Super Tuesday was a surprise, especially for Biden who was seen by most as not having a chance at winning the nomination but after South Carolina, it seems that Biden might have a chance at winning the nomination over Bernie Sanders. The next big runoff is the Democratic National Convention from July 13-16 where the democratic nominee for President of the United States of America will be announced.

As for the republicans, this is clearly a race against the incumbent Donald J. Trump. There are three candidates running against him for the nomination, but it is clear how the party feels about who their nominee should be. If all goes according to plan, President Trump and the DNC nominee will face off on November 3rd and we will have four more years of Trump, or usher in a new administration. We haven’t seen a one-term president since George Bush Snr 1989-1993 so it will be interesting to see what the republican party does. All signs point to loyalty to the President, but politics isn’t always smooth sailing. 

The hot button topics this election cycle

As with most election cycles, the same hot button topics prevail. Justice, immigration, the economy, and health care. But health care has played a particularly big role this season and has divided the country. 

Living in the time of the Affordable Care Act has been a joy for some, and a nightmare for others. Politicians like Bernie Sanders -a DNC nominee hopeful- has been harping on about “Medicare for All” which is his plan to bring Universal Health Care to the United States. Several other DNC hopefuls like Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren had similar policies, but right now we are down to Biden, Sanders, and Gabbard who has yet to concede to her male counterparts. 

The country is divided between the subject and the idea of Universal Health Care while a welcome dream, has been challenged as a reality, especially by those who want to know with over a trillion dollars in deficit, how we plan on paying for this elaborate medical system.  Many such as Sanders indicated the funding will come from taxing the rich which is great in theory but leaves little to be desired in practice. As for Biden, he plans to keep the ACA and build on it to make it more cost-effective and to protect it from the relentless attacks it has faced since its inception more than 10 years ago. Download educational apps such as UDecide to learn more about the issues on hand.

How have the candidates held up?

When the race started 29 people threw their hats in the ring for the Democratic nomination, but only 11 were left when the primaries began. Now we are down to three, with what seems to be a clear result. Hopefuls like Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar came out with a fire in their bellies, but that ultimately fell when they did not get the numbers they expected before Super Tuesday. Many were hopeful, but only three candidates survived. 

Each of the candidates has had passion and fire, but with the return of Bernie Sanders, this cycle has been dominated by him and former vice President Joe Biden. The pair have equal amounts of strong voter bases and the support of large demographics. Bernie has the younger vote, and Biden has the black vote which was apparent in South Carolina. Both voter demographics tend to vote en masse and are both forces to be reckoned with. As such, the biggest challenge for whoever wins the nomination will be to win over the other’s supporters lest they sway towards the republicans.

As for Tulsi Gabbard, it is unclear as to why she has not yet bowed out gracefully to leave the stage to Sanders and Biden, but it is her right to stay in until the end if she chooses. She has not featured prominently since at least last November after failing to gain the numbers needed for a podium on the stage of the December debates. In fact, she has been pushed out of the next debate due to a new rule that would make it impossible for her to take the stage based on the math she doesn’t have enough support to take the stage and let the world hear from the last female contender for President of the United States of America. 

Trump is going as expected in the primaries with most of the delegates going to him, well at this stage, all but one. In fact, this is one for the history books because no other republican has challenged a sitting president since George Bush Snr. Educational apps such as UDecide can give you more information on the candidates.

What is the outlook for this election? Will it be red or blue?

The numbers thus far are fractured, but when looking at the safe states this is how the numbers break down. For the democrats, we are looking at prediction and consensus polls that put the democrats with 183 safe votes and the Republicans look to have 125 safe votes. Leaving a lot of room for a close and exciting race. As always, Florida must be won by the republicans to secure the nomination but right now Florida is looking like a tossup, as is Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and parts of Nebraska. Educational apps such as UDecide can show you how the nation is leaning leading up to election day.

The Takeaway

The rest of this cycle is going to be an exciting and bumpy ride. With the country so divided over so many paramount issues, this is sure to be the election of the decade. It is going to be the tightest race we have seen for years and it is predicted that neither side will concede until all votes are counted. If you want to continue to stay updated and in the loop, or even find out your polling station or voters status, download educational apps such as UDecide App and stay updated on everything presidential and political.