With the eccentric behavior of the current U.S. president and the increase in people throwing their hats in the ring for the 2020 election, there is a lot of discussion about what type of candidate each party should be putting forward.

Some claim that by choosing a more moderate candidate with a stable background, people from both parties are more likely to vote for them. Essentially, if they can appeal to both parties, they have a higher chance of winning. Others argue that if the candidate is more moderate, they are therefore more passive. If they are not strong in their values, they will be more likely to be pushed into making certain decisions.

Historically, there were a few moderate presidents, such as President Dwight Eisenhower. With this last election, many of the issues the American public had with Hillary Clinton, besides the “email scandal,” was the level of uncertainty she seemed to have with her own beliefs. This, of course, did not stop a lot of far left-leaning Democrats from voting for her, but many were not as passionate about her cause as they would have been for someone more left-leaning, such as Bernie Sanders.

In the case of moderate democratic or independent voters, they may have had a level of bias against Clinton personally. Whether it be a level of sexism, dislike for the Clinton administration, or a dislike for her personality this was obviously enough for many moderates to be brought to the side of Trump.

Using this past year as a basis, a few conclusions can be drawn about modern political systems. The candidates that are certain in their values and speak up for what they believe are more likely to gain the left-leaning democratic vote. As a general rule, people will vote for the party they identify with without doing any actual research on their backgrounds. 

This is part of the reason George Washington did not want the American people to be partisan. If the nation can reject the resources they have for self-education and only vote based on what the candidate identifies as, then we, as a nation, are going to be making uninformed decisions. There are so many resources available, be it a history book, reliable sources on the internet or simply word of mouth.

The candidates that are going to win the favor of the American people and, potentially, take on the title of leader of one of the most influential nations in the world are not going to be the ones who are trying to please everyone. This nation needs a professional, honest, caring and responsible leader who will do their best to lead the nation down a successful path. They will not do this by being a moderate candidate who feels that trying to please everyone is the way to win the title. Being president should not be about the title; it should be about wanting to lead the country in the right direction.

Photo from Phil Roeder via Flickr