Governance: Jessica Poitevien reflects on the 2008 Presidential Election

Jessica Poitevien reflects on what really matters when deciding who will be president of the United States in 2008.

Election 2008: Finding the Focus

An editorial posted March 20, 2007.

By Jessica Poitevien

Jessica is a senior at Burbank Sr. High School. She is editor of the news and arts section for her school newspaper, The Burbank Bulldog.

Although the United States has a long way to go before its citizens can vote for the next president in 2008, people from both the Democrat and Republican parties are throwing their hats into the race. This country is at a very crucial point in its history and the choice we make in the next presidential election will have an enormous impact, not only on the United States, but also the world. 

As responsible citizens of this republic, it is our job to start thinking now about what we would like to see in our next president. He or she needs to be a person who can appeal to the wide demographics of the U.S. and command respect from leaders and citizens around the world. He or she needs to be open and diplomatic in dealing with the many sensitive foreign issues we are facing. Above all else, the next president needs to introduce new ideas to effectively deal with issues such as health care, social security, immigration, and of course, the war in Iraq. 

Unfortunately, it seems as though too many people are not focusing on these important issues, but instead are looking at the candidates’ race, gender, or religion. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Mitt Romney are without a doubt different from the typical white, Protestant men who run and win, but their uniqueness should not be daunting to the American public. In these cases, change should not be intimidating; it should be welcomed. 

Although he is not the first African American to run for president, Barack Obama is considered by many to be the first to appeal to a wide group of people, therefore demonstrating a legitimate shot at winning. Nevertheless, people seem to be too busy judging his level of “blackness” instead of focusing on his views. 

Hillary Clinton, if elected, would be the first female president of the United States. Unfortunately, her chances to win are being undermined because people are concentrating too much on the irrelevant fact that she is a woman. People are questioning whether or not she would be able to handle the pressure of the presidency. However, they are not asking this because they doubt the strength of her character, but simply because she is a woman. 

The Republican Party is known for being traditional, conservative and Christian. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is a Republican and also Mormon. It’s an unusual combination, and as a result, Romney is not getting a fair chance. To many in the public, especially Republicans, his religion has become more important than his ideas. 

I believe there is nothing wrong with the trend in this nation to elect white, Protestant men as president. However, there is nothing wrong with change either. As the 2008 election draws closer, the American public must put aside the fact that Obama, Clinton, and Romney are different from the norm. Race, gender, and religion should not matter when deciding whom to vote for in a presidential election. The public needs to overcome their prejudices and fears in order to make a truly fair and educated choice in the crucial 2008 presidential election.