“Voters want some change.”
Chuck Todd emphasized this statement during his speech for the 17th annual Waitt Lecture at Morningside College on Tuesday night. Todd, who is the political director for NBC News and the host of “Meet the Press,” analyzed the upcoming 2016 Presidential election for Morningside students and members of the community.
Todd brought an intelligent, yet lighthearted presence to the auditorium. His speech began with his family history in Iowa as to relate to the audience. After engaging with the audience about his background, he gave an enthusiastic “Go Mustangs!” He then began discussing the presidential race.
He stressed that the 2016 election will be all about electing change. The majority of people believe that the country is currently headed in the wrong direction. Because of this, voters, specifically Republicans, are turning to candidates who are not politicians, hence the increasing success of Trump and Carson in the polls. He commented that supporting unconventional candidates like Trump is many voters’ way of giving a “collective middle finger to Washington.”
As for a prediction of the Republican party, Todd says, “I have no idea who the Republican nominee is going to be. If anyone claims to know, they’re full of it.”
Todd also made some predictions for the Democratic party. As for Biden entering the election, Todd predicts that he will decide not to run and then regret his decision.
He noted that based on the recent debate, the strongest candidates are Clinton and Sanders. Todd joked that the Democrats had “more zombies on the debate stages than in the walking dead.” He was undoubtedly referring to Sanders’ old age and appearance by making this statement.
If the Democrat nominee does end up being Sanders, this could give the Republicans an edge. Todd noted that “we normally elect the younger candidate.”
Todd ended his speech by encouraging young, bright people to run for office. “I’ve watched the collective IQ of congress go down ten points every year.” This statement received a roaring applause. Although running is often humiliating, “we’re never going to change Washington if good people don’t run.”