No two elections are alike. However, the 2016 election is unlike any other that we as a country have previously experienced. As Americans, we are forced to choose between an unproven candidate who lacks the temperament for the job and another who lacks the trust to be Commander-in-Chief. Because of these two equally bad choices, political conversations on campus have devolved to an almost intolerable level.

Given the liberal nature of the Brandeis campus, conservatives feel marginalized and forced by liberals to defend every position taken by Trump. However, for many conservatives, Trump’s version of conservatism is entirely different from theirs.

In contrast, the conversation about Hillary Clinton on campus often revolves around her being the “reasonable” and “tempered” candidate. But it is Clinton who has put America’s security at risk, whether it be by her actions in Libya or her use of a vulnerable private email server.

Given the high displeasure elicited for rival candidates, conservatives and liberals on campus are forced only to talk among each other about political issues. Conservatives who voice support for Trump are targeted as bigoted while liberal students in a conservative’s presence may feel they are supporting an untrustworthy candidate.

The only solution is for conservative and liberal students to come together and have a serious conversation about both candidates. The more we know about each other, the better informed our student body as a whole can be about the issues during the election.