A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

Presidential election 2016

The view from the fence
Presidential+election+2016
Leslie Carrier

What does it mean to be “sitting on the fence?” This phrase refers to typically indecisive or “wishy-washy” people. But in this case, the “fence sitters” are the undecided voters in the current presidential race.

Why are there so many “fence sitters” in this race compared to other races? We’ve lost sight of civility. The facts of both sides have been skewed into unimaginable proportions, and the line between lies and truth is more blurred than ever before. If that’s not enough, the passionate voters, aka the fan boys or fan girls of their respective parties, have come out with more ways to destroy the other sides by fabricating lies, taking offense to literally anything a candidate does, twisting the contexts of statements and even going as far as labeling opposing voters with derogatory names.

According to a Fox News poll, 25 percent of independents said they were undecided. In an ABC news poll, 12 percent of independents said they were undecided, and in a CBS news poll in late July, 73 percent of independents said they were undecided.

With President Barack Obama leaving office soon, our nation is voting on two major party candidates. However, this presidential race, like the previous one, isn’t a “typical” race between two white guys. Hillary Clinton has a list of scandals she’s associated with and money-hungry schemes. Donald Trump, who’s considered a sexist by many, is a big mouth with outrageous schemes that could put America into a catastrophic mess.

Currently there are two types of “fence sitters.” The ones that have their legs dangling on one side of the yard, but haven’t dropped down and those who are simply sleeping along the fence with their legs stretched down the fence’s center, giving the universal sign of disrespect to both sides of the yard.

Then there are the reluctant voters or “ex-fence sitters”—who chose one side simply because of their distaste for the other side, or because they’re being prodded by others to vote or because they’ve decided to vote for the third parties.

In current polls Clinton maintains the lead over Trump. But according to Politico, the tides of the race could easily shift if one of the candidates is capable of convincing the majority of these “fence sitters” to drop down to their side of the yard. Whatever the result of this election, most current or former “fence sitters” won’t be happy.

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