Donald J. Trump made history with a second straight victory, while President Biden is cruising to renomination.
With only two contests under his belt, Donald J. Trump has already knocked out all of his major primary challengers except one, Nikki Haley. And her chances for changing the trajectory of the race look slim given the former president’s dominance over the Republican Party.
On the Democratic side, President Biden wasn’t even on the ballot in New Hampshire, after the state refused to comply with a new Democratic nominating calendar that made South Carolina the party’s first primary contest. Yet a scrappy write-in campaign run by the president’s allies delivered a victory for him nonetheless.
How much have you been paying attention to the presidential campaign? Do you discuss it with your friends and family or in school? What’s your reaction to the race so far?
In “5 Takeaways From the New Hampshire Primary,” The New York Times writes:
The much-fabled power of New Hampshire’s fiercely independent voters wasn’t enough to break the spell Donald J. Trump has cast over the Republican Party.
Brushing aside Nikki Haley a little over a week after he steamrolled her and Ron DeSantis in Iowa, Mr. Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate who was not a White House incumbent to carry the nation’s first two contests. His winning margin of 11 percentage points in moderate New Hampshire demonstrated his ironclad control of the party’s hard-right base and set him on what could very well be a short march to the nomination.
For Ms. Haley, the former South Carolina governor, it was a disappointing finish in a state she had poured considerable resources into carrying. Her efforts to cobble together a coalition of independents and anti-Trump Republicans, with support from the state’s popular governor, were no match for Mr. Trump’s legions of loyalists.
Even though Ms. Haley is vowing to fight on, the difficult terrain ahead in South Carolina means that this first-in-the-nation primary could turn out to be the last.
The reporters cite five takeaways, which they explain in more detail in the article:
Mr. Trump demonstrated his command of the Republican Party in a purple state.
Ms. Haley has an incredibly rocky road ahead.
The old guard of the G.O.P. is a dwindling faction.
Mr. Biden, Democratic grumbling aside, is cruising to renomination.
Mr. Trump’s strength may not translate to the general election.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
Have you been paying attention to the contests in Iowa and New Hampshire? Did you watch any of the Republican debates? What is your reaction to the primaries so far?
Do you have a favorite candidate? Is there an issue or issues you feel particularly strongly about this election? Explain.
Do you have any predictions about what is likely to happen in the presidential race in the coming months?
How do you feel about a possible rematch between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump for the 2024 presidential election in November?
Do you think the 2024 presidential race is an important one? Do you think it will have a big impact on you, your family and your community? Why?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
Source: Elections - nytimes.com
