Feisty Candidates Spar for November 8th Votes
As November 8th draws closer, tensions are high amongst the candidates vying for votes in this year's United States presidential election. With two candidates as polarizing as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the race, it's no surprise that the campaigning has been intense, fiery, and at times downright nasty.
Both Clinton and Trump have had their fair share of controversies leading up to the election, which has only fueled the fire of their opponents and made them more determined than ever to win.
One of the most notable instances of this was during the first presidential debate, which took place on September 26th. Clinton and Trump took the stage, both of them determined to prove their worthiness to lead the nation and determined to take the other down.
The debate quickly turned into a back-and-forth of insults, with Clinton painting Trump as a sexist and a racist, and Trump hitting back with allegations of Clinton's involvement in Benghazi and her use of a private email server.
The tension between the two candidates was palpable throughout the debate, with each of them striving to make their message heard and to prove their dominance.
But more than just the presidential candidates, the fighting and feistiness has extended to all corners of the political spectrum. From local races to state-level contests, candidates are pulling out all the stops to win over voters and emerge victorious in November.
One such instance of this was during the recent gubernatorial race in Louisiana, where Republican candidate David Vitter found himself on the receiving end of a brutal attack ad from his Democratic opponent, John Bel Edwards.
The ad, which aired just days before the election, accused Vitter of numerous scandals and improprieties, including prostitute scandals and voting against disaster relief efforts for his own constituents.
Vitter, however, refused to back down, fighting back with his own ads and accusations against Edwards, including allegations of Edwards' ties to organized crime.
The race ultimately went to Edwards, but the intensity and harshness of the campaign is emblematic of the way that politics is being fought and won across the country.
Further afield, in California's 52nd congressional district, a contentious house race saw two Democrats, incumbent Scott Peters, and challenger Denise Gitsham take to the debate stage in late October.
Throughout the debate, the two candidates sparred on issues ranging from foreign policy to healthcare. But perhaps most notably, the two candidates went back and forth on Peters' endorsement of Clinton.
Gitsham, a former adviser to Mitt Romney, criticized Peters for throwing his support behind Clinton, calling her "the most divisive candidate in the country."
Peters, however, defended his decision, arguing that Clinton's policies were in line with his own and that he felt confident that she was the right choice for the country's future.
The debate was a stark reminder of just how polarizing this year's election has been, with even Democrats squaring off against each other on the campaign trail.
But despite the intense fighting and feistiness, some candidates are managing to rise above the fray and bring a message of hope and unity to the election season.
One such candidate is 30-year-old Democrat Josh Harder, who is running to represent California's 10th congressional district. A first-time candidate, Harder has made a name for himself by focusing on the issues that matter to his constituents, rather than trading barbs with his opponents.
Harder has campaigned heavily on issues like job creation and healthcare reform, as well as investing in education and infrastructure.
In one of his most notable ads, Harder ditches traditional campaign rhetoric and instead talks about his grandfather, who worked as a migrant farm worker before eventually starting his own small business.
The ad is a departure from the usual political ads, which often focus on negative attacks against opponents or grandiose promises that seem unlikely to be fulfilled once the candidate takes office.
But it's this kind of authenticity that voters are craving in this year's election. After so much ugliness and divisiveness between the candidates, voters are looking for someone who is willing to put aside partisan politics and work for the greater good.
Whether Harder's message of hope will be enough to sway voters in his district remains to be seen. But for many, his campaign is a refreshing change from the usual political mudslinging and a reminder that, no matter how ugly the election gets, there are still candidates who are fighting for all the right reasons.