This year’s election cycle has drawn controversy from both Republican and Democratic sides of the aisle.
While there are many voters who remain true to their party commitment, many are having a hard time fully backing their party’s nominee.
“I can’t speak for my membership as of yet. But, as far as I am concerned, I feel as if we are firmly in support of [Hillary Clinton] over Donald Trump for president,” said Arin Kemp, president of the university’s College Democrats.
The Ole Miss College Republicans take a similar stance as the College Democrats, rallying behind their nominee despite controversies that surround him.
“We are under the Mississippi Federation of College Republicans, and as an organization we have endorsed Donald Trump,” Luke Philips, president of the College Republicans student organization on campus, said. “Ole Miss College Republicans has endorsed Trump as well, so we are supporting him.”
Illustrations: Jake Thrasher
And although both parties stand behind their respective nominees for the upcoming election, they also understand some of the hesitations students from both parties may have when it comes to voting in November.
“I think there are concerns for any presidential candidate, especially one who has been in the public sphere for so long,” Kemp said. “The camera has always been on [her] for the past 20 years or so. So, definitely more is going to come out about her. But I still feel like she is the most qualified candidate when you really look into it.”
Phillips adopts a similar stance toward his nominee but emphasizes that, all students are welcome to come and voice their opinion at the club’s events.
“Yeah, sure, I definitely think there are concerns about Donald Trump,” Phillips said. “But I do want to stress to my members that if you have misgivings about Donald Trump, or if you are an avid supporter, I want anyone and everyone to come and enjoy [our] meetings.”
Members of both clubs are expected to assist the campaign of their respective nominees throughout the state.
“We are going to try and coordinate with the state Democratic Party through phone banking, canvassing… You know, stuff like that, where we can just get [Clinton’s] name out there and clear up the misconceptions about our candidate,” Kemp said.
The College Republicans have not made any official plans or coordinated with the Trump campaign as of yet, but said they hope to provide unique political opportunities for its members in the coming months.
