The World Will be Watching

On Nov. 4, the world will be watching as the United States elects its 44th president. Should Senator Barack Obama (D) win the presidency, he will become the first African American in American history to reach the White House. Should Senator John McCain (R) claim the presidency, he’ll become the oldest president in United States history to ever be sworn in to office.
While poll numbers and key states are currently in favor of Senator Obama, if McCain can manage to persuade voters to vote Republican in key battleground states such as Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, he still has a chance at carrying the election. The Obama camp has not dismissed this scenario.
On Oct. 16 Obama spoke to top contributors in New York, cautioning them against over-confidence. “For those of you who are feeling giddy or cocky and think this is all set, I just have two words for you: New Hampshire,” said Obama. During the democratic primary, he lost the state to Hillary Clinton, despite polls showing him in the lead.
Right now, polls are showing Obama in the lead by between three and 10 points. However some polls are suggesting McCain is gaining ground in certain key states and that the gap is tightening as Election Day nears.
During his campaign, Obama has played off of his substantial rhetorical skills, speaking to massive crowds of cheering supporters.
His “yes we can” slogan has stayed with many.
Obama says he wants to rebuild America’s image worldwide and change the way business is done in Washington. He wants to end the war in Iraq, a war that has claimed the lives of over 4,000 American soldiers.
Obama wants to create jobs and cut taxes for working class Americans.
His environmental policy involves investing in “clean” coal technology.
He continues to say that if he’s president, he’ll work closely not only with democrats but with republicans as well. Speaking at the 2004 Democratic Convention, Obama proclaimed, “there is not a liberal America and a conservative America, there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America, there’s the United States of America.”
Obama has also revolutionized campaign funding, raising more money than any other candidate in history through his website.
On the other side John McCain’s campaign has focused on his reputation as a “maverick,” and as a war hero, whose military achievements are a testament to his bravery and to his love for America.
During the Vietnam War, he nearly lost his life when his plane was shot down over Hanoi in 1967. McCain was badly injured and captured by the North Vietnamese. He was a prisoner of war until 1973 and was tortured during his imprisonment. Since his retirement from the Navy in 1981, McCain has been a member of the United States Senate. Throughout his career, he has defied his own party. “I stood up to President Reagan, my hero, and said, if we send Marines in there [to Lebanon], how can we possibly beneficially affect this situation? And said we shouldn’t. Unfortunately, almost 300 brave young Marines were killed,” said McCain, at the second presidential debate.
McCain wants to cut corporate and capital gains taxes, which he says will help stimulate the economy. He also wants to give tax deductions to businesses investing in new equipment and technology. He has also promised to eliminate “tax loopholes” and end “corporate welfare.”
He also wants to make the United States independent of “foreign sources of oil.”
Both candidates have made interesting choices for Vice President. Senator Joe Biden, who has been in the Senate for over 20 years, brings foreign policy experience to the table for Obama. While Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, until recently a relative unknown, has won over much of the Republican base.
The McCain-Palin camp has been on the attack in recent weeks, since Obama has taken the lead in polls, criticizing him for “palling around with terrorists” – a reference to Obama’s brief association with William Ayers, a 1960s radical who, as part of the Weather Underground, was involved in a campaign that bombed public buildings in the late 1960s and 1970s. Today Ayers is a university professor in Chicago, Illinois.
McCain was widely criticized when he delayed releasing his medical records, which opened him to questions about whether he was healthy enough to serve as president. Recently Palin also faced some heat for going on a $150,000 shopping spree, racking up a $49,425.74 bill at Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York. She also spent over $75,000 at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis. The Republican National Committee also spent almost $5,000 on her hair and makeup in September. McCain justified the makeover last Friday, telling reporters aboard his campaign bus, “she needed clothes at the time. They’ll be donated at end of this campaign. They’ll be donated to charity,”
The McCain campaign has also criticized Obama for not having enough experience.
With a week to go before Election Day, both candidates are campaigning in key states. Obama continues to encourage voters to come out on Nov. 4, hoping to make his lead in the polls translate to a victory in the election. McCain continues to portray himself as the underdog, but also as the candidate with the most experience, who has what it takes to handle a crisis and who would be an ideal choice for “ordinary people” like “Joe the Plumber” and for America.
The McCain-Palin camp has recently accused Obama of “saying anything to get elected,” but as both candidates near the finish line, both seem to be saying anything to get elected.