Why a Democrat will win in 2008

By Katlin Stinespring
Hurricane High School

In 2004, America had very little to choose from with its two presidential candidates. With Bush, America has had four more years of declining economic and foreign relations, rising inflation, Middle Eastern crises and outrageous gas prices.

But at least he had morals. Kerry would have corrupted America’s moral standards even more than what they are today. And if he had won, he would have had all of Bush’s mistakes and blunders thrown into his lap, and as history has shown, trying to correct a predecessor’s errors rarely proves successful (look at Ford and Carter’s lack of success after Nixon’s scandalous eight-year administration).

With that behind us, I say a Democrat will most likely win in 2008 because America is ready for change. American people want political action and improvement that is visible and tangible.

Our next president has to show us that he can actually lead America, not tiptoe around the issues and conflicts for four years. He must be able to think on the spot and be educated enough not to repeat mistakes that previous presidents have made (the Vietnam War being a painstakingly obvious parallel to the war in Iraq).

I say “he” because Hilary Clinton will not win the 2008 election. While it is a huge accomplishment for the female sex to have a woman in such a powerful role, she is not capable of leading the United States and creating a prolific, successful and progressive era.

She seems to thrive on living in the spotlight, which was shown during her husband’s scandalous administration. Clinton is almost like a celebrity who will do anything for public attention. Also, her showing at the Democratic debate at South Carolina State University in April was very weak. Her posture was poor, and her arguments accomplished little.

John Edwards is a candidate that could swing many conservative votes because of his moderate image. He is against gay marriage and abortion but supports gun rights, and this will be very appealing to Republicans in the general election. He is a prime choice for those GOP voters who want economic reform while not compromising moral ideals. Because he is Southern, this could also give him an advantage in what would normally be a GOP-dominated geographical area.

Barack Obama is another moderate Democratic candidate who will appeal to the more conservative voters wanting economic reform and the preservation of morals. He places a strong emphasis of the role of faith in politics, and he’s worked with unions and businesses to have higher fuel standards and find alternative uses because of the economic crises with oil.

In the Democratic debate, he had a strong showing and received the highest percentage of post-debate votes on MSN. One of Obama’s most effective quotes was his response to the abortion issue: he said a woman must have serious discussions and deliberations with her spouse, doctor and clergy before she makes such a decision. This was a response that appeals to voters on both sides of that particular issue.

However, because of the prejudices and biases that still run deep in America, he has one hindrance: he’s an African American. Despite an increasingly large public support base, come Election Day, this will hurt him in the polls.

If a moderate Democrat wins the primary, he’ll very likely win the general election because of the strong desire for change in America today. He also has a strong possibility of swaying votes that in any other situation would be strictly Republican but are up for grabs because so many GOP voters have become anti-war and are sick of Bush’s timid persona and lack of substantial progression, especially in Iraq.

These voters will be looking at moderate Democrats that have plans to remove the soldiers from Iraq and actually have potential to get America back on track.