Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton — The Sprint To The White House Begins

In February 2016, 22 presidential hopefuls (5 Democrats and 17 Republicans) began their quest to convince the American public to vote for them in the November 8 elections. Based on the outcomes of the caucuses and preliminary elections, it became apparent that the Republican Party had a clear winner – Donald Trump. It was therefore not surprising that at the GOP National Convention held in Cleveland, Ohio from July 19 -21, Mr. Trump easily earned the 1,237 delegates he needed to win the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.

While the Democratic Party had two possible contenders — Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton — It was the latter that garnered the most electoral votes. On Tuesday, July 26, Ms. Clinton made history when she became the first woman to clinch the presidential nomination of a major American political party. Now the former First Lady is charting the path to etch her name in the record books again as the first female president of the United States of America.

Meanwhile, her opponent, 70-year-old Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, is also scrambling to make history of his own. If elected, he will not just be the oldest American president, but also the first one in more than 60 years without having spent time either as a governor or in Congress. The last US president with no political experience was Dwight Eisenhower. He was elected to office in 1953, after serving as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in World War Two. Herbert Hoover, an engineer and humanitarian, also had no prior experience when he began his four-year term as president in 1929.

Ms. Clinton, a lawyer by profession, of course, has extensive experience in government. The Democratic nominee, who is married to former President Bill Clinton, spent her eight years as First Lady campaigning for expanded health insurance and women's rights. Following that, she served as the US Senator from New York from January 2001 to 2009. After an unsuccessful presidential bid against Barack Obama in the 2008 elections, Clinton joined his administration as the United States Secretary of State. As head of the US Department of Affairs, her job included, among other things, advising the president on matters relating to US foreign policy. She remained in this all-important Cabinet post until 2013, when she resigned to prepare for the 2016 presidential race.

Whether the American public decides to give a novice the opportunity to lead the country or go the traditional route and elect a veteran politician will be revealed on November 8. However, one thing is for sure – No matter what the outcome, it will be one for the history books!

Resources: bbc.com,wikipedia.org, cnn.com