Where to begin with Donald Trump? He is rich, was the subject of a Comedy Central roast, and has had too many spray tans that make him vaguely orange. None of these things traditionally scream “President of the United States of America,” yet here we are in 2015, with Trump running a surprisingly successful campaign for President.

In theory, Trump should not be doing as well as he has been in the polls. Currently, he holds 23% of the Republican vote nationally, while one of his main competitors Jeb Bush is only receiving 8%. Trump prides himself, and his campaign, on his radical opinions. Colin Vanelli (10), stated that “Trump’s entire campaign is based off of bigotry and xenophobia. That is not the American spirit.”

And he is right, Trump’s campaign does make some pretty extreme claims. His views on immigrants? Well, he wants to deport all 11.3 million undocumented workers and build a human-proof wall along the Mexico and United States border. His views on women are just as extreme. Trump seems to believe that women’s soul purpose is to satisfy men and to look pretty.

For example on twitter, Trump tweeted that “If Hillary Clinton cannot satisfy her husband, what makes her think that she can satisfy America?” Hillary Clinton has not only been first lady of the United States, but she was also the secretary of state for four years and is currently running for President. But none of her political accomplishments really matter because she has had personal problems with her husband, right? Trump has seemed to have alienated a vast majority of Americans who are able to vote, so who exactly is supposed to vote for him?

The thing is, the more eyebrow raising statements Trump makes, the more the media latches on. American politics can really be boiled down to who the media focuses on the most. Right now, you cannot watch a single American news show without hearing at least one story about Donald Trump. His face in inescapable, from Buzzfeed articles, South Park parodies, and People Magazine covers, Trump’s image is flooding our screens. With this constant reinforcement of Trump as a candidate, no other candidate in the running is gaining any sort attention.

Many Americans are also latching onto Trump’s campaign strategy, which is that he states exactly what he believes. The United States has had a long running history of slick, smooth talking politicians, who approached every subject diplomatically.

Trump also appeals to people who have very strong views. People who have strong views and are vocal about them are more likely to vote for people with a similar mindset, which can also explain why Trump seems to have a following. One student stated that, her “parents respect Trump not necessarily for his politics, but for his openness. Trump is not afraid to speak his mind or sugarcoat his opinions, which my parents find admirable.”

For all of us Americans at ISB who will be soon eligible to vote, it is crucial that we seek out information. We cannot just blindly vote for who the media tells us the most about, we have to vote for who we agree with. This does not just apply to the United States, it is important for any election to stay informed, and to want to know every perspective. So whether or not you agree with Donald Trump’s statements, the most important thing is to stay informed, or else we are all wasting our votes.

Hanna W