The Marcolian Online

Mar. 1 , 2007

2008 Presidential Race:
Do the democrats have what it takes?
Erin Siebel
siebele@marietta.edu

The political season is sort of like Christmas: people get excited about it way too early, the build-up to the actual event seems to take forever, and when it’s over, everyone is a little disappointed and probably suffers from a stomachache. While it seems as if we just finished one election, the new political season is already underway, and if you haven’t thrown your hat into the presidential run yet, it’s probably too late now.

Presidential elections are the most exciting, most vicious, most elongated campaigns in the U.S. They start almost two years before the actual day in November when the votes are cast, and this time isn’t any different.

It may actually be even crazier this year because the seat is entirely up for grabs. Bush is (finally) on his way out of office and someone brand new is set to take over next year. But who will that person be?

And more importantly, should we start thinking of the political correct way to address the new “Mrs. President” and the “First Gentleman”? Maybe. No one really knows at this point, but it’s definitely an interesting time in American history.

The two Democratic presidential frontrunners are quite unique in their own ways. First, we have former First Lady and New York Senator Hilary Clinton. She has a great potential to motivate voters unlike before, as many people may want to claim they had a part in electing the first woman president. But she also elicits strong opinions from her detractors and would probably face an unprecedented amount of negative advertisements.

On the other hand, we have Senator Barack Obama, a relatively new face to politics that seems to excite people from all over the country. He recently held rallies in Texas, the heart of all red states, where thousands of people showed up in support. But does he really have a chance?

It’s way too early to tell who will step up their campaign in the year ahead and win their party’s nomination. We should all remember good old Howard Dean’s presidential race a few years ago. Everyone loved him. And then there was the infamous “Dean scream”, and it all went downhill from there. Politics is fickle. We may love you today, but don’t count on it tomorrow. And that’s why this race will be so interesting and exciting to watch.
Here’s how it breaks down:

Hilary Clinton:
For her- She has a lot of experience and the background it takes to be a legitimate candidate. She was on the road to a successful political career of her own years ago before she married Bill and became his supporting wife. She already lived in the White House for eight years and has lived through two successful presidential runs.

Basically, she knows what it takes. And it doesn’t hurt to have such a recognizable name. That’s half the battle. (See Tom Vilsack.) Against her- She’s a woman. Are people ready for that? It’s hard to tell right now. And Bill definitely isn’t universally loved. She’ll have to win over those who don’t really love her name.

Barack Obama:
For him- He’s kind of a rock star right now. He’s riding the political celebrity wave , writing successful books and appearing on Monday Night Football. Democrats like their leaders charismatic, and Obama definitely has that. He also hasn’t been a politician all that long, so there’s no extensive pesky vote record for him to defend. While Hilary’s constantly forced to defend her vote for the war in Iraq, Obama doesn’t have that kind of baggage. Against him- People are still unsure if he has the experience and leadership abilities to run the country. He doesn’t have the longevity or experience that some of his competitors have.

There’s still a long way to the White House. These candidates must face each other before they even get to face whoever the Republican candidate might be. That means there’s still plenty of time for either Clinton or Obama to pull their own “Dean scream” and lose the race before it even starts.

It means we haven’t even covered a fraction of the road before November 2008. Presidential hopeful democrat John Edwards may eventually break away from Clinton and Obama and become the star of the show. Either way, all democrats are hoping to ride 2006’s election wave and take that coveted seat in the White House.

But will that happen? Time will tell. We’ve only just started the season, and political races, like the Christmas season, tend to take a lot of money, time, and energy out of a person long before the important date arrives. Who will have the stamina for the long haul?


• Campus News • Viewpoints • Sports • Arts & Living • Greek wrap-up • Ask Marc • Spotlight • New faces at MC • Meet our staff • Staff profiles • Letters to the editor policy • History of the newspaper • Benefits of advertising • Ad rates		Mar. 1 , 2007 2008 Presidential Race: Do the democrats have what it takes? Erin Siebel siebele@marietta.edu The political season is sort of like Christmas: people get excited about it way too early, the build-up to the actual event seems to take forever, and when it’s over, everyone is a little disappointed and probably suffers from a stomachache. While it seems as if we just finished one election, the new political season is already underway, and if you haven’t thrown your hat into the presidential run yet, it’s probably too late now. Presidential elections are the most exciting, most vicious, most elongated campaigns in the U.S. They start almost two years before the actual day in November when the votes are cast, and this time isn’t any different. It may actually be even crazier this year because the seat is entirely up for grabs. Bush is (finally) on his way out of office and someone brand new is set to take over next year. But who will that person be? And more importantly, should we start thinking of the political correct way to address the new “Mrs. President” and the “First Gentleman”? Maybe. No one really knows at this point, but it’s definitely an interesting time in American history. The two Democratic presidential frontrunners are quite unique in their own ways. First, we have former First Lady and New York Senator Hilary Clinton. She has a great potential to motivate voters unlike before, as many people may want to claim they had a part in electing the first woman president. But she also elicits strong opinions from her detractors and would probably face an unprecedented amount of negative advertisements. On the other hand, we have Senator Barack Obama, a relatively new face to politics that seems to excite people from all over the country. He recently held rallies in Texas, the heart of all red states, where thousands of people showed up in support. But does he really have a chance? It’s way too early to tell who will step up their campaign in the year ahead and win their party’s nomination. We should all remember good old Howard Dean’s presidential race a few years ago. Everyone loved him. And then there was the infamous “Dean scream”, and it all went downhill from there. Politics is fickle. We may love you today, but don’t count on it tomorrow. And that’s why this race will be so interesting and exciting to watch. Here’s how it breaks down: Hilary Clinton: For her- She has a lot of experience and the background it takes to be a legitimate candidate. She was on the road to a successful political career of her own years ago before she married Bill and became his supporting wife. She already lived in the White House for eight years and has lived through two successful presidential runs. Basically, she knows what it takes. And it doesn’t hurt to have such a recognizable name. That’s half the battle. (See Tom Vilsack.) Against her- She’s a woman. Are people ready for that? It’s hard to tell right now. And Bill definitely isn’t universally loved. She’ll have to win over those who don’t really love her name. Barack Obama: For him- He’s kind of a rock star right now. He’s riding the political celebrity wave , writing successful books and appearing on Monday Night Football. Democrats like their leaders charismatic, and Obama definitely has that. He also hasn’t been a politician all that long, so there’s no extensive pesky vote record for him to defend. While Hilary’s constantly forced to defend her vote for the war in Iraq, Obama doesn’t have that kind of baggage. Against him- People are still unsure if he has the experience and leadership abilities to run the country. He doesn’t have the longevity or experience that some of his competitors have. There’s still a long way to the White House. These candidates must face each other before they even get to face whoever the Republican candidate might be. That means there’s still plenty of time for either Clinton or Obama to pull their own “Dean scream” and lose the race before it even starts. It means we haven’t even covered a fraction of the road before November 2008. Presidential hopeful democrat John Edwards may eventually break away from Clinton and Obama and become the star of the show. Either way, all democrats are hoping to ride 2006’s election wave and take that coveted seat in the White House. But will that happen? Time will tell. We’ve only just started the season, and political races, like the Christmas season, tend to take a lot of money, time, and energy out of a person long before the important date arrives. Who will have the stamina for the long haul?
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