“This presidential election is basically a low class circus.”- Chapman professor Nubar Hovsepian
Senior political science major Kyle Koeller was slapped across the face by a young woman for wearing a Donald Trump mask he was given for Christmas.
“Guess I know how she feels about Trump,” Koeller said.
Trump now has the Republican nomination locked up, and Hillary Clinton is almost guaranteed to be the Democratic candidate. But few students at Chapman get excited about either one of them. Even within their own parties.
But it’s The Donald who draws the most ire.
Freshman political science major Tyler Ferrari is a registered Republican. However, he’s can’t fine but about a lone percentage point of a reason to support Trump. Ideologically a libertarian. He disagrees with 99 percent of Trump’s views, he said.
But it’s junior TV writing and producing major Hannah Einbinder, a strong liberal, whose views may come closest to representing Chapman outrage at Trump:
“Trump is a big orangutan idiot monster and I won’t entertain the thought of his legitimacy,” Einbinder said. “He’s a fear mongering liar who prays on the poor and stupid. His mass appeal is only comparable to Satan, manipulating the sinful desires and urges of man.”
It looks like Koeller should be hiding that mask from Einbinder as well.
Some Clinton opponents say there’s one thing she’s got going for her — she’s not Trump.
Political science professor Nubar Hovsepian is not pleased with the candidate options but he would vote for whoever is not Trump.
Hovsepian said Trump is a blunt, unstable fascist who instigates violence and crass racism. The professor said politics is either about transparency or manipulation. He believes that Trump is heavily supported because there is both manipulation and anger in the midst.
“The anger is misplaced; it’s misplaced against people who are not white,” Hovsepian said. “Anger can be manipulated.”
Even if the data shows more Latinos leaving the country in the past five years, Hovsepian said Trump supporters will not view that as important, but rather as the anger they all share.
Despite such outrage, Trump does have his fans.
Junior strategic and corporate communications major Rex Hime thinks the media is portraying Trump as worse than he is.
“Yes, Trump has made some questionable and racist comments during his run at becoming president,” Hime said. “Do I think Trump genuinely believes these things? I don’t know. Do I think Trump would actually be able to make any of these things happen? I don’t know. Do I think Trump knows what a large portion of the population wants to hear? Yes.”
Koeller, despite his fun with the Trump mask, isn’t completely committed to voting for Trump. But he knows that he will not be voting for Hillary Clinton.
Koeller said Trump has good qualities that some of his dissenters won’t acknowledge, and bad qualities that some of his supporters won’t acknowledge.
“Love him or hate him, you have to admit that he and his campaign team have done a great job of catapulting him from ‘he’s got no chance at the nomination’ to ‘he’s probably getting the nomination,’” Koeller said.
Senior business administration and economics major Bradley Whiting, is part of Chapman Republicans and said he initially supported Trump for being forthright.
“I think political correctness is polluting politics and it really was a breath of fresh air hearing someone not give into that,” said Whiting.
Through media, many individuals have criticized that Trump misguidedly would run the country as a business. However, Whiting disagrees.
“There is nothing wrong with that,” said Whiting. “People complain about our deficit increasing yet they also complain about someone wanting to run the government like a business.”
Whiting, however, is no longer in the Trump camp. He believes Trump is unintentionally advocating for a larger government, and government also shouldn’t have the right to discriminate on any religion.
While Whiting said he rather pursue another Republican candidate, he said he will still vote for whoever the Republican nominee is.
“I care most about economics issues. I’m afraid of any socialist or unpublished socialist (Hillary Clinton) winning the election because they will destroy our economy,” Whiting said.
Some members of the Chapman community are engaged in politics, but there are many who are not. Which is a shame, most professors say.
Hovsepian said that students need to educate themselves on how this election and these issues will affect us now and in the future.
“Good policies are made and crimes are committed, in your name,” Hovsepian said. “I don’t care who you vote for. Just vote, participate, learn.”
Even though not many students are excited about Clinton, she might well get most Chapman students’ votes.
Said Einbinder: “Trump versus Clinton, of course I’m voting for Clinton. “That’s like asking a vegan to pick foie gras or a carrot.”
