2008 Woodie Awards
Flames of the Torch
Obama's edge
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: Editorials and Opinion
Over the weekend, Senator Barack Obama surpassed Senator Hillary Clinton for the first time in delegate votes. As of Feb. 19, Obama is leading by a margin of 56 delegates, even with Clinton's command of the superdelegate vote. As a result, the press has all but counted Clinton out of the race.
Hillary Clinton was leading the race from the outset. Yet the moment Barack took even a marginal lead, it seemed as if the press abandoned Senator Clinton as a lost cause.
The main reason attributed to Obama's recent surge is undeniably the support he has gained from young voters. One has to wonder what exactly has made the Illinois senator so appealing in the eyes of the significant college age group.
For starters, college students see Obama as a genuine, honest candidate, perhaps the only one. He also brings a youth and energy to his campaign that is unparalleled by his opponent.
Students see the need for change in our government, and for many, Obama is the only one who promises it and seems as if he will actually deliver it. He calls for the need to change the status quo, which is exactly what college voters want from their new president.
Some of the major issues that students think the senator from Illinois can actually resolve are the problems of the recession in the economy, the Iraq war, and the need for healthcare reform. Every candidate has spoken of plans to deal with these problems, but Obama's proposals seem to inspire the most confidence in the student population.
Despite all this, he is a relatively inexperienced candidate, with only a little over three years of U.S. Senate experience under his belt. His time in office pales in comparison to the wide experience of Senator Clinton, whose time in Washington spans over a decade when counting her experience as a first lady.
Experience, or lack thereof, is exactly what brought about the end of John Edward's campaign in the 2004 Democratic primary elections. Edwards received a great deal of criticism for his lack of experience in public office. At the start of the primary race, he was seen as a dynamic candidate that had the potential to bring a breath of fresh air to the rigid status quo of Washington.
Hillary Clinton was leading the race from the outset. Yet the moment Barack took even a marginal lead, it seemed as if the press abandoned Senator Clinton as a lost cause.
The main reason attributed to Obama's recent surge is undeniably the support he has gained from young voters. One has to wonder what exactly has made the Illinois senator so appealing in the eyes of the significant college age group.
For starters, college students see Obama as a genuine, honest candidate, perhaps the only one. He also brings a youth and energy to his campaign that is unparalleled by his opponent.
Students see the need for change in our government, and for many, Obama is the only one who promises it and seems as if he will actually deliver it. He calls for the need to change the status quo, which is exactly what college voters want from their new president.
Some of the major issues that students think the senator from Illinois can actually resolve are the problems of the recession in the economy, the Iraq war, and the need for healthcare reform. Every candidate has spoken of plans to deal with these problems, but Obama's proposals seem to inspire the most confidence in the student population.
Despite all this, he is a relatively inexperienced candidate, with only a little over three years of U.S. Senate experience under his belt. His time in office pales in comparison to the wide experience of Senator Clinton, whose time in Washington spans over a decade when counting her experience as a first lady.
Experience, or lack thereof, is exactly what brought about the end of John Edward's campaign in the 2004 Democratic primary elections. Edwards received a great deal of criticism for his lack of experience in public office. At the start of the primary race, he was seen as a dynamic candidate that had the potential to bring a breath of fresh air to the rigid status quo of Washington.
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Fasting
posted 3/02/08 @ 10:49 AM NA
This is still going to be a close race so every vote will count. We will probably end up with the first female president or the the first African-American president. (Continued…)
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