DNC & RNC '08

The 2008 presidential elections are rapidly approaching, and both major parties have just officially nominated their candidates. As for the other parties, no one cares because third parties haven't mattered since the Bull Moose party back in the Teddy Roosevelt days.

McCain has had the nomination in the bag for quite some time now, after easily dispatching Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. Barack Obama had a little more trouble, because he was going up against Hilary Clinton, who much like the Terminator, refused to give up until she had been shot, stabbed, burned, crushed, and dipped in molten lava, politically speaking.

Now we are down to two candidates in what shapes up to be one of the most important elections in recent memory. After eight years of President George W. Bush, the country is split over where to go next. With a 19% approval rating, the country is united in disagreeing with the current direction that Bush is taking it (http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/12967). In a world where hundreds of specialized television channels and websites have made the monolithic broadcasting networks a thing of the past, 81% not approving is quite an impressive number. When Bush said in 2000 that he was a uniter, not a divider, he was right.

Now, eight years later, the Democrats and Republicans are trying to position themselves as the heir to the White House. The Republicans, trying to disassociate themselves from Bush, chose "maverick" Arizona Senator John McCain, whom Bush bested in 2000. Many conservatives are not exactly fans of Senator McCain's policies, but the G.O.P. needed a candidate with strong credentials who could also attract the moderate voters. Sorry Huckabee, Romney, and Thompson.

The Democrats have a (seemingly) easier task ahead of them, with many moderate voters unhappy with the economy's turn over the last two terms, not to mention the start of a couple overseas wars. One would think that this election would be a cinch, a no-brainer. But then again, this is the party that failed to beat Bush in 2004 with lame duck flip-flopper John Kerry. Any decent candidate would have put up a good fight. Kerry showed no identity, other than he was not George W. Bush, and that still almost got him into the White House.

I believe that this election is a crossroads of our society and who we as a country select as president may have a wide impact. Should we go with Obama, the passionate, inspiring leader riding on a wave of high hopes and lofty promises of change, or should we go with McCain, the experienced candidate who promises to deliver some change but also hold true to conservative values?

I look forward to the upcoming debates and finding out which candidate can best capture the interest and faith of our country, and what direction our nation as a whole will go in from there.




Sources: Ranelli, F.J. (2008). George Bush’s Approval Rating Plummets to Just 19%. http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/12967. Accessed 9/4/2008.