Kate Knab – For Jay Gatsby, literature’s favorite poor little rich boy, successful conquering of the American Dream means having what everyone else does not. He has a big house in a crammed city; he has access to liquor during prohibition; he has secrets that not even housewives and party-goers can guess. What he doesn’t have is Daisy, and consequently he chases her throughout the novel to have her as the woman whom everyone else wants. It is in this tenacious effort to revive the American Dream that makes Gatsby and Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio similar, but where Gatsby’s dream is purely selfish, Rubio has a plan to modernize the route to success, allowing the American Dream to once again become something unique and achievable for all citizens.

Rubio himself experienced what hard work and determination can accomplish after his parents immigrated to the United States from Cuba in 1956 and slowly worked their way up into middle class ranks. Though they worked multiple jobs, Rubio’s parents wanted their son to have the opportunities he wouldn’t have necessarily had in Cuba, and of which he certainly took advantage; beginning as a Florida state legislator then eventual Speaker of the House for the Florida House of Representatives, Rubio stands currently as a US Senator. A firsthand experience with the effects of hard work coupled with a remarkable political resume prepares Rubio to reveal the gold still glittering under these dirty streets; all people need is a will and a way to wipe away the grime, which Rubio plans to do through conservative government reform.

The Senator, above all, understands the value of a strong American family, having four children of his own whom he raises with his wife Jeanette. This is why many of his policies are geared toward strengthening the roles of families within the economy. Taxes would be cut so working parents (and children) could keep more of their hard-earned money, a blessing for many middle class families. A new partially refundable Child Tax Credit would reach an upwards of $2,500 per child, and being one of seven children myself, it’s easy to see the appeal here. Rubio is even proposing a form of paid family leave, which satiates one of the most popular demands among voters.

Though Rubio wants to return to small government with little involvement in the lives of its people, he knows that those families and citizens still rely on their government to protect them. Just as the steps to success have changed with our times, so have the threats against our great nation. He recognizes that terrorism is not just an “idea,” as so many are content to believe; the atrocities and deaths in the Middle East will take priority over problems like climate change. The military will also be properly funded to ensure the safety Rubio promises, protecting not only American citizens but also their right to live and thrive in a safe environment.

But students find it hard to flourish in a society where a degree in higher education is becoming increasingly mandatory. Rubio, with the knowledge that free college is impossible, brings ideas for reasonable reform of the higher education system. No one knows better than high school seniors that applying for financial aid can be downright confusing, so Rubio aims to reduce the complexity that families face when applying for it. Students already in college can gratefully get behind Rubio’s proposition to make the inevitable repayment of student loans proportional to what they earn. It is important for a president to understand the value of education, and Rubio’s policies highlight its necessity, intending to make it a more accessible part in the dreams of younger generations.

Though it seems Gatsby makes for a much more interesting a man – as Marco Rubio does not live in a crowded city, does not worry about the twenty-first amendment, and does not shroud himself in mystery – Rubio will still certainly go down in the books. History books, that is, as the president whose own dream brought forth a New American Century that revitalized the desire to live out the true American Dream.

Ryan Bryson – Donald Trump, a successful American businessperson and media personality, is now a candidate for President of the United States in the 2016 election. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump’s career, branding efforts, personal life, wealth, and outspoken manner have made him very successful in business and that is why I think he would make a great president.

As I’m sure we all know, Trump receives a significant amount of hate from everyone. Trump is usually the center of attention at the speeches and gets the brunt of the criticism on social media. People usually use him as a scapegoat for anything negative, but what society needs to understand is that despite losing the Iowa caucus, Trump is still getting significantly more followers and seems to be one of the most popular candidates. He is treating this negative attention the way some clothing companies do… free advertising. The more people talk about him, the more other people want to look more deeply into him and then that’s when he can get his real points across.

People are also forgetting that Donald Trump received a one million dollar loan from his father and then turned that into around the 4.5 billion dollars he has today… a dynasty if you will. Donald Trump has the tools and mindset of a successful businessman and can help America get out of our almost 20 trillion dollars in debt. While that is something unheard of, he can make striving steps to help lessen it due to his business career.

Donald Trump is a loose cannon and it’s about time we have someone like that as president of the United States, someone who can make a significant impact and won’t swerve around questions and try to “please” the people. Donald Trump says what he believes and that is a very valuable asset when you are president. There will always be haters or someone who goes against you, and I think Donald Trump understands and believes in that, which would make him a fantastic president.

Tyra Gwalthney – So far, the 2016 Presidential Campaign has been interesting, to say the least. With many diverse men and women running for president with extremely different ideas, all clashing together in raging debates and feuds, choosing who to support for president is difficult, to say the least. However, through deliberations and comparisons, I have chosen my choice of who our next president should be: Bernie Sanders.

I will be the first to tell you that I know very little about politics or government, and my desire to broaden that knowledge is slowly, slowly, expanding. Next year, I will be able to vote- a year too late for this election. However, I decided to take a risk and actually look up and read about each politician running this year for president, and what each of their solutions to the problems in America are. That resulted in a website that let you choose what you believe should be the answer to highly debated topics such as gay marriage, abortion, international relations, and whether or not to let refugees into this country, and compare them to the ideas and beliefs of the candidates currently running. My results were a tie between Clinton and Sanders, so I looked deeper into their campaigns. Clinton had some very good and solid ideas for what she would like to accomplish in office if she were elected, as did Sanders. However, the main difference I could see in their ideas was this: Clinton’s ideas seemed a little far-fetched, as in it would be practically impossible for one person to accomplish all of those feats in just four years. Sanders has more reasonable goals, and seems to have every intention of having all of them completed.

So far, the results democratically have been close- in Iowa, Clinton got 49.9%, with Sanders at 49.6%. There are still many states to go, and the results will surely go back and forth until a final delegate has been chosen. Hopefully, Democrat or Republican, man or woman, old or young, the next President of the United States will take their duty seriously and continue to keep our nation powerful and united.

Madison Wiernusz – Of all the candidates running in the Presidential election, Hillary Clinton stands out. Clinton has experience working within the government from her eight years as Senator of New York and four years as the Secretary of State. On top of that, Clinton has already been in the White House serving as the First Lady for eight years.

From her experience, Clinton has been able to form well-educated stances on the issues pressing the nation. She’s seen most of it firsthand, so she offers a deeper understanding than some of the other candidates. Her plans for her Presidency prove to be fair and address the main concerns of Americans.

During her previous run for President back in 2008, it became prominent to Clinton that it was harder for certain people to obtain the “American Dream” because income was different depending on location. Clinton is planning on giving back to schools and creating new jobs with better wages in order to restore the middle class.

She is an advocate for equal rights for the LGBT community, proven by the fact that she supported the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell back in 2010. Now, Clinton is for marriage equality all of the way.

Along with advocating for the LGBT community, Clinton is also an advocate for women. She’s devoted her life to bringing women closer to equality with women’s health, equal pay, and domestic violence at the forefront. Clinton has never stopped – and never will stop– her fight for women.

Clinton is not just consumed with the fight for equality. She wants to conduct thorough background checks for gun owners in order to keep a gun out of the wrong hands. She recognizes that the criminal justice system is flawed, so she wants to work to reform that. Additionally, she’s fully aware that there are other problems affecting the nation that need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

All in all, Clinton has proved to be a strong candidate for President. She has overall has public appeal, for her plans adhere to a majority of the county’s needs. Clinton is well equipped with the knowledge and skills she needs to be the next President of the United States.