Eugene Robinson and Stephen Hayes, both award-winning authors and contributors to major TV networks as political experts, spoke on the issues that will decide the outcome of this election at the J.C. Adams Playhouse on Thursday, Sept. 22.
“We’re going to talk about the issues, but let’s be honest, that’s not what this campaign is about,” Robinson said. “The issues in this campaign are Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.” Hayes shook his head in agreement and said, “Eugene and I might end up agreeing today more than people would assume.”
Hayes and Robinson are technically opposites on the political spectrum; Hayes is a conservative senior writer for The Weekly Standard and Robinson is a liberal Washington Post columnist.
Clarifying what they called “obvious,” both writers explained that neither candidate is a “typical” choice. They noted that Donald Trump is not “more of the same” Republican candidates that America has seen and because Hillary Clinton is a woman she too is a deviation from the norm. They explained that each candidates’ differences was the biggest deciding factor as to why they’re the last ones standing.
Elliot Rubin, a senior public relations major said that he found the event to be interesting. “And it’s intriguing how the liberal Robinson, and the conservative Hayes, had very similar views on the election as a whole.”
Robinson explained that when he covered the election eight years ago, as then Senator Obama was elected the first black president, he believed that would be the “craziest political story” he would ever cover. However, Robinson alluded to the unconventional and unexpected outcome of the primaries of the current election.
Robinson predicts the candidates’ platforms on climate change and healthcare – the very same issues that plagued Obama’s presidency – will be what will decide this election.
“Trump thinks climate change is a Chinese hoax,” Robinson said. “Clinton wants to change Obamacare but use it as a foundation for additional reforms.”
Hayes also expressed the possibility that climate change will factor into the election due to its importance to millennials, noting the Clinton campain’s lackluster approach to the issue.
However, Hayes was doubtful policy issues will play the entire role in who will become the next president, but rather it will be based upon personality.
“This isn’t a departure from the old way we did things in politics, but it’s just the new way we deal with politics and it’s personality driven,” Hayes said.
Dr. Kara Alaimo, assistant professor and associate chair of the Department of Journalism, Media Studies and Public Relations, moderated the event.
“Opportunities like this to be part of the election process are one of the reasons why I love being a member of the Hofstra community,” Alaimo said. “It was valuable and I think it’s very important to leave politics aside and have a productive, respectful discussion of the issues that matter and what is at stake for the country in this election.”
Robinson concluded by offering the public an explaination for the unique nature of this election and the candidates.
“The public shouldn’t get off the hook for this election,” he said. “We might not like [the candidates], but we were essentially the ones who let both candidates get this far in the first place.”