Choosing Between Two Evils (Democrat or Republic)

Turning the ripe age of 18, I finally reached the ever anticipated right to vote, and what a better time? I admit, I wasn't always in to the boring names, and overhead talking of potential canidates, but as soon as I reached the age to understand, I have cared deeply on how our country runs, or lack of. I recall the 2000 elections of George W. Bush and Al Gore. The campaign was such a close tie they had to historically do a recount in Flordia! It almost seemed like the votes were so split because people were unsure who they wanted. Not because they were both great canidates, but on the contrary, that there were many negatives on each side. As I follow along these 2008 elections, I see the same split. Unfortunatley, my vote is split also. Both canidates have some good qualities and appeal to them, but they both have many unfortunatley, negative sides that cause a great deal of worry.


As anyone who is remotley clued in knows that our country is at war, and things are not looking good for us. Our economy is plummiting and keeps dropping. Two of our biggest morgates companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, nearly declared bankruptcy before the government had to bail them out. In my eyes, this was the mark of a new great deppression. Jobs our being lost, American dollar value is drastically falling, gas inflation is growing, and everyone is looking for a way out. So which canidate is going to help us? Could either of them help?


To start, John McCain, a republican, is bannering his campaign on lowering gas prices, to save a whopping $20 to $30 a week, and to continue our war against terrorism. The media has posted his potential as being too old, and not enough of a change. Progressing into his early 70's and dealing with health issues, how can we assure that he will make it through his first term? On the flip side, McCain has put in much more dedicated time to our country than Barack Obama. Serving as a sailor from 1958 to 1981 and leading his way through government postitions since 1982, it is safe to say that he has a pretty bulky resume. Also, McCain's campaign is tricky, because we have to take a very close look at someone else. Considering the likleness of him not finishing his term, there is a very high chance that his VP, Sarah Palin will make it into the oval office as President Sarah Palin.



Palin is a small town girl from Alaska, a state that sits a country away from the majority of America. Although the media is taking every stab they can fit into McCain's VP choice, I find that it almost makes me like her better. Reading the headlines on Sarah Palin, it makes me wonder how the media can showcase her daughter's young pregnancy so negativley. If we were to take our focus off of pointing out Palin's family matters, we would see a large population of our average american citizens dealing with the exact same issues. Just taking a peek into the lives of families I know, I find it nearly impossible to find some one who can't relate to drug or alcohol addictions, underage sex, young pregnancies, etc. If we are dealing with these problems, who better to lead us then some one who can directly relate to us?



Barack Obama's campaign is almost a sureal world-wind. His words are very motivating, and there is no doubt that he is a great speaker, but as the saying goes "You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?" This saying fits my views on Obama perfectly. His promises appeal to many of us, but his lack of plans on how he will follow through scares me. His campaign in marked with a single word "change." However through out his speeches and campaigns, the only change I've seen from him is his mind changing. I feel that he is too swung on what everyone wants. Now, I do agree 100% that a president should care about what the people want more so than what he might want to see, but we also need someone with a strong stand point. We need to know what we are voting in. If he does not have an official stand point nothing will ever get done. It is inevitable that a choice made by the president will not satisfy everyone. In other words, Obama needs to learn that it is impossible to please everyone. Instead we need to make advances in bettering our country. On a positive side, Barrack Obama, has brought hope back to many Americans. Although, it is hard to see that it is because of his potential historical landmark, or it is because Americans are so ready for change that we are looking for anyone that differs from previous officials.


As I talked about the need to look at Sarah Palin just as closley as John McCain, it is just as important to look at Obama's VP choice. Unfortunatly, the chances of Senator Barack Obama to make it through a full presidential term is just as unlikley as McCain. Although I would like to think that racism has been erased from the world, it has not. There are many people that are so aggresivley racist that they would rather die before they see a black man in office, or worse they would rather kill. If Obama gets in office, we risk the very high chance of assasination. So looking into Obama's VP choice, how well will he run? To be honest, I can not have an opinion on VP choice Joe Biden, because I know nearly nothing about him. Unlike the constant publicity of Sarah Palin, Biden's name is rarely read in a headline. Like most americans, I work full time and have many day to day obligations and worries. I am crutched by depending on the media to do its job by presenting me information. I do research into topics on my own, considering the supposedly unbiased media, I can't trust everything the paper prints. In a perfect world, we would all have to time to check out all of the canidates fully, but we don't. So I ask, why do we hear virtually nothing about Joe Biden?


This Election is cut too close, and I ask where the third party sits on this campaign. Why are our choices narrowed to just two people. Why do we have to make the decision between democrat and republican? Will this years election acctually make a change in our steady downpour? There are many questions left unanswered, and I plan to stay glued to the campaign and not only watch, but participate, in the upcoming election. As former president John F. Kennedy states "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. " Make a change and vote.