With the election soon approaching many of us are still left in the dark or hastily trying to draw a conclusion for our candidate. This election is possibly the biggest historical election thus far. Whoever would have imagined there would be both a minority man and a woman, now that Sarah Palin is involved, in the race. This shows how far we have truly come from when our four fathers began and that anything is possible. It really wasn too long ago when women suffrage started around the late 1800s and now we have had a woman run for president and one that could be vice president. This is history in the making and we are fortunate enough to witness it.
"From concerns about the economy and the war in Iraq to the perennial topics of Social Security and the health care system, a range of issues is guiding this year presidential race," according to CNN 2008 Election Center. With this being such an important election, more people are registering to vote and becoming more aware of the issues and topics that affect our country.
"More than 10 million viewers tuned into Wednesday’s Democratic debate on ABC, making it the most-watched debate of the primary election season," according to The New York Times. The media coverage and amount of viewers of the presidential debates topped the scales and that truly shows how involved people are becoming in this election.
"I want to vote and feel like I need to, but I’m not sure of which candidate to choose or why. I feel like I don’t know very much about the election and the candidates. I only know about them from what I see on TV and read in the paper," said college student Leona Witenberg. Leona along with many other Americans is unsure of her presidential candidate selection and is very swayed by the media. With so many new voters and more people than ever registering, not everyone is informed about their decisions. They base them strictly off of how they are portrayed by media and influences from their family and friends. When they need to just take the time to find out about the issues that concern them and how the different candidates view their stances. People want to take action in voting and be part of the change, but unfortunately some are very naive and inexperienced with politics and government. Although, there are many Americans who hold strong opinions and are very well educated on their decision.
"Obama’s campaign spent over $377 million and McCain $194 million," according to open secrets.org, a center for responsive politics. Millions of dollars are spent for candidate’s campaigns and most of it is raised through private donors and corporations. Candidates rely heavily on donations and without them their would be no campaign. It sometimes turns into a popularity contest, with how many signs your committee can get out or how many commercials are on television. The more the public can see your name or face the more it sticks with them and the better chance they will end up voting for that candidate. It shouldn’t be about who has the most money to spend or who has the best campaign committee, it should be about the issues and how they will affect our country.
There are many ways and resources out there that can educate voters about the two presidential candidates, Barrack Obama and John McCain. The information is widely available, but it is up to you to choose whether or not to use it. A good website that discusses a wide array of issues and topics is PresidentialElection.com. It is a non-partisan directory and information center to educate voters. It doesn’t endorse any of the candidates and is only intended for informational purposes, according to the site.
"It is exciting to vote in such a big election that can make a big difference for our country," said student Kyle Herd. For Kyle and many other new voters their first election is an important one that can have a tremendous impact on our nation.
Even if you’re tired of hearing about the election, put that aside for the next few months and become involved, because although this year's election is historic, its consequences have a bigger outcome. The next president of this country will make a difference for you and me. If you think your vote doesn’t matter, that one person can’t make a difference, you’re wrong. You can’t win the lottery unless you buy a ticket. Yes, the outcome of this election matters. So be sure to do your research about both candidates and find out exactly where they stand on the issues that affect you most.
No comments:
Post a Comment