Democrats for President

By: Lindsay Little
Posted In: Opinion

In these post-war days, an epidemic of troubled minds is spreading among American citizens. People are concerned about the status of our nation in the hands of a leader who brought us into a highly controversial war. Many people are certain that George W. Bush is not the man for the job anymore.

Congruently, the general consensus from college students in the northeast is that they don’t like Bush and they want to take his power away however they can.

With approximately 10 months left until the general election, seven men remain on the campaign trail with hopes of winning the Democratic Party’s nomination. Three candidates have dropped out of the race, leaving Howard Dean, John Edwards, John Kerry, Dennis Kucinich, Joe Lieberman, Reverend Al Sharpton and Gen. Wesley Clark to provide competition for one another as they fight to be appointed to the ballot.

Many of these brave and determined men have been visiting all corners of the country for up to two years now, expressing their intent to essentially cure America from the plight Bush has brought upon us.

Between now and late July, when the Democratic National Convention will take place in Boston, all of the candidates will be aiming for the same goal: to gain the support of their fellow citizens, whose loyalties will greatly impress the Democratic National Committee’s ultimate decision.

Just as Republicans were adamant back in 2000 that it was time to replace the scandalous Clinton, Democrats are fiercely attempting to evict Bush from the oval office in any way they can – even if it means compromising some of the political positions that they desire in a new presidency. People are choosing electability over policy, and they are also turning out to vote.

In New Hampshire, the home of the first primary of the race, a record

number of voters turned out to put in their two cents. The new official record is 219,787 voters – consisting of democrats and independents. If you think about it, that really isn’t a lot of people. It’s less than 1% of the population of the United States. So why spend so much time in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire is a small state, but it is strong with tradition and

populated by many conscientious critics. Because it is so small geographically, candidates are able to spend lots of quality time with the voters. Instead of getting to know potential presidents through the television, one can attend as many events as he or she would like and personally ask the candidates all of the tough questions.

Living in New Hampshire during pre-primary campaigning is a blessing and a curse. You cannot escape the candidates. They are everywhere you turn – on the TV, on your phone, in the mail, at your school, in your morning paper, and sometimes even at your door or perhaps sitting in your living room. Your dog can even meet them if he wants, and if you pick the right event you might find yourself being served pancakes by a four star general (Gen. Clark). However, because the candidates are so accessible, anyone who has the time and motivation can evaluate the candidates on a personal level.

When running for president, it is considered smart strategy to spend a lot of time courting the citizens of New Hampshire. Obviously, the candidates try to appeal to the voters as much as possible. However, don’t you agree that the more time you spend watching and listening to a person, the more you learn about them and the more equitably you can conclude whether or not you like them?

I would say that the greatest deficiency of the New Hampshire primary is the lack of ethnic diversity in the states population. However, when it comes to issues that affect all Americans, New Hampshirites are good judges. We’re proud to be the very first ones to vote in a primary, we’re honored to meet many very ambitious and determined people who seem to have good intentions, we’re flattered by their attention, and we take our job of evaluating them very seriously.

New Hampshire’s primary has since passed and John Kerry achieved his second win of the race (the primary was post-Iowa caucus) with 38 percent of the vote. Howard Dean came in second with 26 percent of the vote, Wesley Clark and John Edwards tied for third with 12 percent, and Joe Lieberman tallied 9 percent.

The candidates left town the day after the primary as they began to concentrate on the seven states that will hold caucuses and primaries during the first week in February. And as stealthily as they sneaked into our lives months ago, they were gone – leaving behind some very impressed, yet politician-weary New Englanders and a few old cardboard signs flapping in the wintry wind.