OUR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Throughout the course of the current presidential election, the American voters have continuously heard terms such as “change”, “hope”, and “new direction”. True, if Obama were elected (and, as of now he is leading in the polls), the government will veer off the conservative Republican track of the last eight years. However, can this election be labeled as one of the most important in U.S. history as some have decided to call it? Could this election be as revolutionary as others have claimed? Or is this election part of the American cycle of recession and reform?
Democratic candidate Barack Obama currently leads Republican candidate John McCain 52% to 41% nationwide according to the most recent Gallup polls. Is this lead a testament to Obama’s campaigning ability? Is Obama simply riding dissatisfaction with the current administration? Is McCain self-destructing? The most obvious answer is a combination of the three. Obama’s lead, however, only started to widening to the point where it is now after mid-September. Of the several factors which created this lead, the most obvious is the financial crisis precipitated by the collapse of several Wall Street lending firms. Electors widely associated this crisis (probably correctly so) with the current administration who, true to its conservative values, deregulated much of Wall Street. The general downturn in the economy combined with the unpopular Iraq war have given president Bush an approval rating of 31% according to CNN. McCain’s task is made that much tougher simply because of the fact he is a Republican too. This cycle of a party gaining power, failing, and losing power is common throughout American history. Roosevelt, a Democrat, became president after the Republican Hoover administration failed to effectively combat the onset of the Great Depression. Eisenhower, a Republican won the Whitehouse after the Democratic president Truman was unable to prevent China turning communist. Republican Ronald Reagan won his presidential race against Democrat Jimmy Carter who had failed to resolve the Iran Hostage situation. Bill Clinton, a Democrat, captured the Whitehouse from George Bush Sr. during an economic recession. A Barack Obama victory would not be a revolutionary change of direction for the United States, but rather part of the continuous cycle in American Politics. Republicans tend to take charge from Democratic after ineffective foreign policy and Democrats tend to beat out Republicans who fail in domestic policy. Bush is perceived by a wide segment of the American population to have failed in both. Obama is swimming with the political current and McCain against it.
McCain, aside from having to deal with party association to Bush is also having to struggle through serious flaws in his own campaign. Sarah Palin, though well-received initially, has seen her favorability ratings steadily decline. When she was first introduced at the Republican National Convention, McCain was confident he had chosen someone who could fire-up conservatives, attract women voters disillusioned with Hillary Clinton’s primary defeat, and perhaps match Obama’s celebrity appeal. Initially, the pick worked, providing McCain with enough of a boost to give him a temporary lead over Obama following the Republican Convention. This lead faltered as more and more inquiry into Palin exposed her lack of experience and an inability to answer tough policy questions on the fly. Palin appealed to those in the electorate who could “identify” with her as an average “hockey mom” with conservative family values. While that image resonates with some voters who enjoy seeing someone like themselves as vice-president, it turns off others who question whether an average hockey mom would be qualified to run the most powerful nation on earth. Famous personalities have taken to mocking Palin. Tina Fey’s Saturday Night Live impression of Palin is probably the most famous example of this, but the actor Matt Damon is featured on a popular video ridiculing Palin’s supposed belief in creationism. Last week, Palin’s common woman image took a serious hit when it was revealed that the McCain campaign had charged the Republican Party $150,000 for a new wardrobe for Palin and a very highly-paid makeup artist. McCain, earlier in the campaign, had failed to remember during an interview how many houses he owned. Obama used this incident to attack McCain as “out of touch” with the economic struggles of ordinary Americans. The Palin wardrobe revelation simply added to the accusation.
Throughout the campaign, McCain’s disadvantageous position has forced McCain, in both advertising and debating, to take a more aggressive role in order to try and forcefully reverse the public’s trend towards Obama. Overall, the strategy has not been successful. Obama performed solidly in the three debates (he did not make any mistakes), and he has been drastically out-advertising McCain making it difficult for McCain to get out his message. It does not help McCain that most of the “dirt” available on Obama has already been used during the prolonged Democratic primary campaign.
Enthusiasm on the part of Obama’s supporters has been key in terms of fundraising. Small donations, many over the internet, have combined to give Obama a nearly two to one advantage in money raised. Obama has been able to allocate these resources into states which, until recently, were solidly in the Republican camp such as North Carolina and Missouri. Even in Arizona, McCain’s home state, the race is within five percentage points.
Obama is the first ever minority presidential candidate of a major political party. That distinction has given him a substantial popularity boost among African Americans and young people, excited by the novelty of a black president. If Obama were to be elected, what would be the racial implications? Most likely, they would not be profound. It would indeed be remarkable for an African American to reach the highest governmental position in the land, but there have been African Americans in high-ranking governmental positions for years, for example Condoleezza Rice, Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell, and Thurgood Marshall. Instead, race is seen as an important factor in the election in that it is seen as a possible hindrance to Obama among white voters. Racists have proven that they are still a visible force in American politics. Certain McCain supporters have cried out “Kill [Obama]!” at rallies, and recently a plot was discovered in Tennessee to kill Obama. On a less dramatic note, it is possible to purchase sock monkeys representing Obama. Most likely, a black president would do little to curb racist sentiment. As one you tube user put it, “I can’t wait ‘till all the old racists in this country are dead”. Unfortunately, racism will probably only die with the people who practice it.
After nearly two years of campaigning, the 2008 U.S. presidential election is finally drawing to a close. Obama has taken an ever-increasing lead, but this is due in large part to dissatisfaction with the current Republican administration and flaws within the McCain campaign. The 2008 presidential election has been called monumental for several reasons. The most often talked about are the perceived change of course that the nation will take, and the glass ceiling that would be broken with an African American president. Both of these assertions are somewhat overblown. The 2008 presidential election is simply just another election in the ongoing cycle of failure and reform.
BRYAN STILSON