The race to elect the next president will soon be in full force.    In both the top political parties, candidates are already getting out their messages to the public in the hopes of becoming their party’s final candidate in November. Recently, students from Lindale were asked what they thought about the various candidates and how the campaign was shaping up this year.   NOTE:  Opinions expressed in this article are from the students interviewed and do not necessarily represent nor reflect the views of the Eagle Eye or Lindale High School.

“My personal opinion on this year’s 2016 presidential candidates is that they are an interesting set of people,” a student who wishes to remain anonymous said.  “There are people from all over this country and from very different backgrounds in this race, and I think that is a good thing.”

The United States presidential election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8, 2016.  Opinions vary on what the outcome should be, and candidate Hillary Clinton often comes into this conversation.

“On the topic of Hillary, I don’t too much approve of her actions concerning Benghazi,” sophomore Evan Bewersdorf said.  “But I do support her other motives concerning social change and the economy and foreign policy.”

In recent years,  Ben Carson, famed neurosurgeon, has put his focus more towards politics than his practice in medicine.  Over the past few months, Carson has risen through the ranks to become a leading nominee.

“Ben Carson is a very smart man,” freshman Faith Rogers said.  “He also agrees with a lot of my family’s beliefs.”

Senator Bernie Sanders is a main Democratic challenger for Hillary Clinton.  His plan to be elected is to raise enough money to devote significant resources to building a full operation and maintaining a media presence in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire, as well as Nevada and South Carolina.

“What Senator Sanders advocates for appeals to me the most and he seems to be the most impactful,” freshman Samantha Rodden said.  “He honestly seems to be truly dedicated to what he wants. He also supports the same things I do, considering I am a liberal and a democrat.”

There are also mixed feelings in this year’s race regarding real estate developer Donald Trump. Although some students we surveyed showed a strong disdain for his politics, others were in favor of him, especially regarding his political style.

“He is never afraid to share his opinion,” freshman Will Bowden said.  “He also always stands up for what he thinks, which shows how strong his beliefs are.”

This year’s election is expected to be very interesting.  Both the Democratic and Republican parties have aspects to their platforms that appeal to voters.   

“I think all the candidates each have something unique and interesting to utilize through policy changes for the United States,”an anonymous student said.  “However, I also think a lot of the focus has been taken away from the most important issues that will impact the average citizens. The focus should be shifted to the most relevant issues to the largest number of citizens in America.”