United States Presidential Election - Essay Example

Barak Obama Should be President The 2008 United s Presidential election has the potential to be the most groundbreaking event in US history. The Democrats are certainly going to run a candidate of a race or gender that has never before been seen on either ticket. The Republicans have already named their presumptive candidate in John McCain. However, the Democrats are still undecided with the candidates Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama battling it out for the nomination as we head into the summer of 2008 and into the fall election campaign. Still, there is only one of these candidates that has the credibility, honesty, and vision necessary to lead our country through these difficult times. Barak Obama can help heal this nation's legacy of discrimination, speak credibly about a peaceful future for out great grandchildren, and lead our country with the vision needed to assure a peaceful and prosperous future for all Americans. The election of Barak Obama to the office of the presidency could help to begin to erase the centuries of oppression and discrimination felt by African Americans left behind by the legacy of slavery. African Americans have been denied education, employment, and opportunities in America for over 300 years. Electing Barak Obama would show that America is finally ready to put aside race and begin to heal our nation's deepest wounds. There is significant evidence that the country still has racist attitudes. The Democratic primary has had race as a central issue as we see overwhelming numbers of blacks supporting Obama, while Clinton's supporters are a majority white. White voters fear the possibility of a black candidate taking the White House. Yet, these fears are unfounded. The election of Obama will not ignite a race war or cause centuries of resentment to boil over into recriminations against the white power structure based on race. Instead, it will give African Americans the show of respect and dignity that we value as a people and profess as a nation. Barak Obama should be elected president because he is the only candidate that has the credibility to guide our country into a peaceful future. While the other candidates speak of their desire for peace, Obama is the only one that has based his decisions, actions, and rhetoric on the philosophy of peace. John McCain openly supports the War in Iraq and has been an outspoken proponent of an escalation in troop levels in Iraq. Clinton, while she calls for an immediate withdrawal, voted for the war and has done little as a US Senator to lessen the prospects of continued involvement or hasten the possibility of peace. Our foreign policy is contingent on having other countries trust that our words and intentions will measure up to our actions. Without trust, other nations would only tentatively support our efforts and would remain cautious when we spoke of a desire for peace. However, Obama's initial, and consistent, stand against the military action in Iraq can be depended on to be genuine. The confidence that other nations place in our true intentions could bring them into the philosophy of peace and insure greater cooperation with our efforts to create a free and peaceful planet. The social structure of America is in such a state of chaos that it will require a president that has a solid vision for the country's future to be able to be an effective leader. America is polarized on several hot button issues such as abortion. Obama has the ability to reflect America's respect to the right of privacy, while assuring the rights of the minority are protected. His pro-choice stance reflects the ideology of a majority of Americans. America also has the social ills of poverty and inadequate health care that divide our nation. It will take more than billions of dollars and massive federal programs to solve our nation's problems. It will take a leader that can defuse the polarization on the emotionally charged issues, such as abortion, and bring about a sense of unity to the country. America needs a leader that has a focused vision of what our future needs to look like. Barak Obama is the only candidate that can offer America the hope of the real change that the country needs, while maintaining a united populace. Obama has the one thing that no other candidate can offer, which is a vision for our united future. Critics will argue that Barak Obama does not have enough experience to operate at the level of the Presidency. This attitude ignores and trivializes the extensive experience that Obama would bring to the office. Barak Obama has years of public service working to bring a resolution to issues such as poverty, race, immigration, gender inequality, and age discrimination. In addition, he has not been inflicted with the politics of compromise and pandering that a long career in the US Senate can bring to a candidate. If experience was a determining factor, and the US Senate was heavily weighed as experience, we would have seen 48-year Senate veteran Strom Thurmond, an avowed opponent of racial integration, as a leading contender (Clymer). In fact, very few politicians with a long Senate career have ever risen to the office of the Presidency. Obama's experience has been far wider than several years in the Senate. Obama's experience has spanned his entire life, from his youth growing up with a multi-racial identity, to the current national campaign where he is confronted by an establishment that is not yet willing to accept the real change America needs. Not only does Barak Obama have enough experience, he has the experience that America needs as it moves from the hegemonic military power of the Cold War and into the next century of global cooperation and a future of world peace. In conclusion, of the three candidates that are left in the 2008 presidential race, Barak Obama is the only one that has the qualities required to lead America into the future. Obama understands the great racial divide and can begin to build the bridge between the races that has been neglected for centuries. Obama is the only candidate that can restore our global reputation as a peace loving country built upon the ideals of freedom and dignity. Barak Obama is the only candidate that has a vision of America where everyone has an equal opportunity, whether poor, or old, or handicapped by the status quo of the white power structure. Obama's years of experience working for the socio-economic classes that needed it most has given him the temperament and judgment required of this high office. The presidential election of 2008 will be a pivotal event in US history. The voters can decide to stay on the path of indecision and neglect, or they can decide that it is time to bring about change, and that Barak Obama should be elected President of the United States. Works Cited Clymer, Adam. " Strom Thurmond, Foe of Integration, Dies at 100." The New York Times 27 June 2003. Read More