As we approach the 2024 presidential election, people have very strong feelings about the candidates that are being considered. While some people may strongly support Vice President Harris or former President Trump, I would argue that both of the vice-presidential candidates are more qualified to take on the role of president than either person at the top of the ticket. Tim Walz and JD Vance are both more appealing candidates, and I personally would be more excited and confident in an election with the two of them going head-to-head.
Starting with former President Trump, there are a number of issues with him as a candidate. His legal issues are among those to consider; he is the “first former president in US history to be criminally convicted.” Having a president with as many criminal cases against him as Trump has certainly poses some issues. Even if you like him as a candidate and agree with his political views, it is hard to argue that the country would not be better served by someone facing less turbulence in their life. Trump’s history with challenging the election results of 2020 and his part in the events of Jan. 6 also serve as a threat to democracy. The country would be better off with a Republican candidate who has fewer legal issues and is less prone to threatening democracy, and that person could very well be JD Vance.
On the Democratic side, Kamala Harris is certainly a step up from Joe Biden. Public confidence in him had dropped, as he was already the oldest president in history; and he wasn’t going to get any younger if he served another term. However, as it stands, Tim Walz is more popular than Vice President Harris. His favorables are about 5% higher than his unfavorables. On the other hand, Kamala Harris has a negative approval rating, with her disapproval rating being about 5% more than her approval rating. Walz is also a former teacher and was in the armed services, two qualities that many people likely find appealing. Based purely on experience, it’s a toss-up. Harris was the Vice President, a senator and the Attorney General of California. On the other hand, Walz was a governor, a teacher, in the military and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Admittedly, Walz does not have as much public exposure as Harris since he hasn’t been a major candidate for national office, so his electability may be lower. However, this is not indicative of his ability to govern or be a good president.
Looking back 10 to 20 years, it seems to me that the quality of our presidential candidates has gone down significantly. There used to be mutual respect between candidates, and a prioritization of the country as a whole, rather than an individual’s political aspirations. But in this day and age, the future looks bleak. President Biden and former President Trump didn’t even shake hands at the beginning of the last debate. Changing up the major political players in this country seems like a good step to help restore confidence in the American political system and unity across the country.