An Argus Primer: The 2024 Presidential Candidates
The race for the White House is truly coming down to the wire this year. Image: Midwood Argus / Grok
By ELLIOTT ZHANG
With November 6’s election day right around the corner, we’re here to give you the rundown on who the two presidential candidates are.
KAMALA HARRIS
In August 2024, after Joe Biden chose to not run for reelection, Kamala Harris was nominated to become the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate for this year’s election.
Harris’s nomination sparked a wave of enthusiasm within the party and among young voters as many viewed her as a young and energetic candidate who could bring massive change as she opens a new chapter in U.S. politics.
Supporters of her campaign reference Harris’s extensive background in law as a prosecutor, applauding her efforts in criminal justice reforms, such as propelling California to be the first state to enforce a bodycam mandate for all of its law enforcement officers. Many also call her career a “history of firsts,” often mentioning her being the first Black woman and South Asian American to become attorney general of California, the first South Asian American to be a senator, and the first Black woman and South Asian American to become vice president. She is also very popular with female voters because of her strong support for abortion rights.
Her supporters also view her as the only option to secure and protect democracy in the United States, supporting her agenda of free healthcare expansion, increased social welfare programs, and increased gun control restrictions. According to the New York Times, “Ms. Harris is more than a necessary alternative. There is also an optimistic case for elevating her, one that is rooted in her policies and borne out by her experience as vice president, a senator, and a state attorney general.”
However, Harris’s ascendance to the candidacy has also come with criticisms, the most common ones being her struggle to clearly explain how her agenda differs from President Biden’s policies and her flip-flopping on several major issues, such as the need for a border wall. Fox News said that “Harris has frequently dodged questions about how she would run the country differently from Biden.” She has also struggled to shake off memories of more radical positions she held while running for president in 2019, such as supporting calls to defund the police, supporting free medical care for migrants, and preferring not to treat illegal border crossings as a crime.
In general, criticisms surrounding Harris stem from rhetoric often used by Republicans to attack Democrats, such as saying that she would let migrants continue to flow into the country freely, be soft on crime, and eventually drag the United States into a global conflict as it continues to support Ukraine and Israel.
DONALD TRUMP
You may already be aware of Donald Trump and his background, considering the media’s widespread and near-constant coverage of him. However, it’s still important to set the record straight.
Trump’s leadership has reinvigorated the Republican Party, building up a loyal following of supporters. His fans admire his policies for a self-sufficient America with stronger security at the border, bringing jobs back into the country, settling the conflict in Ukraine and Israel, and further strengthening the United States as an economic powerhouse.
His supporters also say that the U.S.’s economy was stronger under Trump’s administration and its cities were safer. He also draws strong support from evangelical Christians across the country as they fear that America is straying further away from traditional morals and values.
Of course, Trump is mired in many controversies as well. He has been accused of sexually harassing multiple women and colluding with the Russian government during the 2016 election. Critics also bring up his conviction for paying hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels without reporting it as a campaign expense, as well as his indictment for mishandling classified information.
Many have also criticized Trump for wanting to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), proposing further tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, and for being impeached twice while in office.
However, the biggest criticism regarding Trump is that he is a threat to American democracy due to his attempt to undermine the results of the 2020 election and his alleged involvement in the January 6 Capitol Hill riots, as well as his stated preference for political loyalists. According to the New York Times, “[Trump’s] disdain for the rule of law goes beyond his efforts to obtain power; it is also central to how he plans to use it. Mr. Trump and his supporters have described a 2025 agenda that would give him the power to carry out the most extreme of his promises and threats.” In addition to Democrats, many Republicans have also criticized Trump for his refusal to accept the 2020 election results, calling him a threat to American institutions, and even endorsing Kamala Harris in some cases.
Whether you support Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, or remain dissatisfied with either option, it is still vital to at least be aware of who the candidates are and what they stand for. On January 20, 2025, a new president will be inaugurated, hopefully smoothly and peacefully this time — fingers crossed, America!