Editor's note: Newspapers have a long history of recommending candidates for office. Here's why.



The challenges facing our voters in their early 20s are complex.

We know the effects of global climate change are real. We understand the threat of international terrorism and the potential for war with emboldened adversaries. At home, we have seen rampant inequality in the workplace, our criminal justice system and among people of different faiths, gender identities and racial backgrounds.

We must elect a person who understands the gravity of those challenges. America’s next Commander in Chief must understand nuance and the value of a steady hand.

That’s why we believe Hillary Rodham Clinton has earned your vote.

We are not telling you who to vote for, or how to vote – that’s your personal choice. But we do ask you to vote in this election.

What we have done is judge the candidates on issues affecting university students. Issues like the economy, the environment, social concerns and health care.

In our view, Clinton and the Democrats have proven they are willing to tackle these myriad issues. They are vowing to protect the environment, to reduce student debt, and to create new areas of employment offering higher wages and equal pay for both sexes.

Her commitment to education, healthcare and social justice for women in the U.S. and abroad shows her level of compassion for all people, including Americans living in poverty, or those barely scraping by.

The Democratic platform calls for a stronger middle class, a renewable energy sector for a stronger economy, and eliminating loopholes that keep this nation’s wealth at the Top 1 percent of income earners. It calls for the protection of women’s health care through an overhaul of the existing Affordable Care Act.

While Clinton did not conceive of this platform on her own, she is the only candidate running for president who understands the complex mechanics of turning such a platform into working policy.

Standing up for these values in an age of widespread ignorance will not be easy. There will be gridlock from bulwark members of the GOP and her own party. Her first job in the White House will be to convince the American people that she is smart enough and tough enough to navigate opposition in Congress.

She’s proven to be adept in the art of compromise over her 30-year career. She’s a deal maker. No other candidate for office in the history of the presidency is as prepared or as qualified as Clinton.

That’s not to say she doesn’t have her baggage. Clinton’s tenure as a U.S. senator and Secretary of State has its fair share of blemishes. At least half of the country believes Clinton cannot be trusted, including many students at Central Michigan University.

Her handling of classified information and kinship with Wall Street executives are major concerns for Millennial voters. Some CMU students may not vote for her based on those considerations.

We believe the choice is clear.

The Republican nominee is wholly unfit to be president. He lacks the necessary temperament and knowledge of world affairs – things required of a sitting senator, let alone the President of the United States of America.

Clinton is reasonable, intelligent and most of all attentive to the needs of every American. She has a history of learning on the fly and adapting in a way that is advantageous for her. Now it’s time for those skills to be advantageous for all of us.

As we move into the next chapter of our new American century, we must elect a president with a surgical approach to policy and diplomacy.

Someone like Hillary Rodham Clinton.