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Hillary Clinton's record unmatched by competitors
By Pasha Sternberg, Students 4 Hillary
We are now entering the end of the longest campaign of U.S. history. Through it we have seen a lot of things: 30-point leads, comeback kids, themes of experience and change, the economy, Iraq, Iran and a lot, and I mean a lot, of debates. But in the end, the most important factor in deciding the next president of the United States is simply who will be the best at the job.
In the midst of going to school, earning a living and enjoying life, most people cannot possibly keep track of, and have an opinion on, every issue that the president faces. The whole point of electing people into office is to trust them to act wisely in whatever situation they encounter. The population of every state in the country now has its chance to tell the rest of the country who they think the next leader of the country should be. And for Wisconsin, after months of hearing about Iowa, it's finally our turn!
This is an exciting choice. But it is also one that needs to be thought carefully about. After years of mismanagement and poor leadership, the challenges that the next president will face are enormous. His or her job will be an incredibly hard one; they will have to mend fences with the rest of the world while at the same time fighting colossal problems at home. The candidates are the first to admit that the Democratic pool of choices is a strong one.
However, for me, Hillary Clinton stands out. All you have to do is look at her record. A president's words are powerful not because they say them but because people believe that they can be achieved. For 35 years Hillary Clinton has been making promises, and for 35 years she has been backing up her words with actions. From helping investigate Richard Nixon to fighting for underprivileged youth during law school, and into tackling health care problems from positions of power, such as U.S. Senator, she has proven that when there is something that is not working she can help fix it.
The next president is going to have to make difficult choices, and Hillary Clinton has proven that she has the wisdom to make the right choices and the know-how to execute her decisions.
Barack Obama offers a real plan to revitalize the nation
By Maggie Raiken, Students for Obama
On Jan. 3, 239,000 Iowans participated in the Democratic caucus, almost doubling the amount from 2004. After spending months spreading his message of change and hope throughout the state, 38 percent of those caucus-goers stood with Illinois Senator Barack Obama - they stood for change.
But change is more than just a slogan, it's an act. It's about finally bringing America together after years of political division and derision. It's about realizing that there are no red states and blue states but the United States of America. And it's about fundamental changes when it comes to policy and the way the system works in this country.
As the only leading candidate who was against the war from the start, Obama showed the superior judgment necessary to take a step back and really look at the facts. Now Obama wants to refocus the war on terrorism away from Iraq and back to Afghanistan so we can finally finish the job against Al Qaeda.
On health care, instead of focusing on a mandate like some of the other candidates, Obama's plan looks first to lower costs by $2,500 per year for the average family. After all, there are 47 million uninsured people in this country not because they don't want it, but because they can't afford it.
Obama would also bring a new era of openness to rebuild trust in Washington. With steps such as creating a searchable database of lobbying reports, ethics records, and campaign finance filings as well as increasing transparency in pork barrel spending, Americans can finally feel like their government is working for them again.
Supporters know Obama can finally bring change to this country, and they know it because they trust him. He's genuine, he's honest and he's straightforward, which is something he learned while working on the ground as a community organizer in Chicago. With Obama as president you can count on him to create change from the top-down, but he'll be counting on you to make it happen from the ground-up too. It's time for change we can believe in.
John Edwards alienates Democratic base
By Mark Thompson, The Daily Cardinal
As one of the three frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nomination this year, John Edwards appears poised to act as one of the most progressive candidates in several decades. Unfortunately, his appeal may be too radical for the moderate left.
Edwards' firm belief in economic justice and discontent for corporate power have led him to take very drastic changes in his outlook since campaigning in the 2004 election. When running for the nomination in 2004, Edwards defended the war in Iraq and has since denounced his vote as a mistake.""
He currently calls for the removal of all troops within nine to 10 months of initiating his plan. Further, with regard to health care, Edwards has altered his proposition for a $50 billion dollar plan insuring health care to all children to a $120 billion dollar-plan insuring universal health care.
Though Edwards, who claims that ""corporate greed has infiltrated everything happening in our democracy"" values working- and middle-class United States citizens, it appears his approach may be too far left, or too progressive for the common democratic voter. As Edwards campaigned heavily through rural Iowa to get his message out and appeal to voters of the working class, he still trailed Barack Obama by two delegates in Iowa and has fallen behind both Obama and Hillary Clinton nationwide thus far.
The basis of Edwards' deficit is stated in the Des Moines Register, claiming, ""Edwards was our pick for the 2004 nomination. But this is a different race ... His harsh anti-corporate rhetoric would make it difficult to work with the business community to forge change.""
Further, Edwards' complete disdain for corporate society has created a ""classic conflict between corporate media sensibilities and left-leaning populism."" Thus, Edwards' stance may be too extreme to appeal to the masses as Obama and Clinton have.
Edwards states that ""[he] has never taken a dime from a Washington lobbyist or a special interest PAC."" As spending on political advertising rose from $9 million in 2004 to $50 million this year, fundraising obviously will play a large part in these primaries. Edwards' radical stance, while refreshing, will alienate many avenues his competition will use to reach the masses, and his deficit will continue to grow.
John McCain demonstrates unparalleled integrity and experience
By Jeff Healy, McCain for President
As the campaign season intensifies, Arizona Senator John McCain remains the person best-suited to take over the presidency in 2009.
There is certainly a lot to like about Senator McCain.
After serving our country with distinction in the Vietnam War, McCain returned home and eventually won a seat in the U.S. Senate. Ever since, he has been a vocal leader in Washington for an efficient and competent government. However, what draws many people to McCain is that he is no ordinary Republican.
Through the years, McCain has expressed positions that are at odds with the base of the Republican Party. For example, McCain has been vilified by fellow conservatives for working with Senator Ted Kennedy on a responsible and comprehensive immigration bill.
In regard to global warming, McCain is one of only a few leading Republicans that views global warming as an issue that should be taken seriously. McCain is an independent thinker. It is this quality, along with his character and integrity, that separates McCain from most other political leaders.
While politicians like Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney seem to base their positions on what will get them the most votes, McCain has shown time and again that he is different.
Last year, during the run up to the primary campaign, McCain was one of the most visible supporters of the troop surge in Iraq. Despite the obvious political risks of this position, McCain remained steadfast. The fact is, McCain has credibility on Iraq. Even before it was popular to do so, McCain criticized the handling of the war by President Bush and his advisers. As president, McCain will aim to resolve the war in a manner that will not harm the United States long term. McCain's appeal is simple. More than any other candidate, McCain has the integrity and experience necessary to be a successful president.
Mike Huckabee fails to fulfill conservative values
By Adam K. Schmidt, The Daily Cardinal
While the Democrats quarrel over race and gender, the Republican Party is desperately searching for its ""Ronald Reagan"" candidate. After three major primary events in Iowa, New Hampshire and Michigan, five candidates remain active on the campaign trail. At the same time, national polls have seen dynamic fluctuations - indicating that GOP voters are not satisfied with their slate of potential Commanders-in-Chief.
Mike Huckabee, the little known former governor of Arkansas, jumped to the head of the pack in Iowa with the help of socially conservative Evangelical voters. The former Baptist preacher is considered to be charming and folksy - he even ""rocks"" on his guitar at campaign events. Huckabee's demeanor and overt Christian rhetoric is appealing to some conservative voters, but Republicans should look beyond his Ned Flanders-meets-James Taylor persona and focus on the greatest potential problem the Huckabee candidacy presents: religious isolation in the general election.
Certainly, strong personal faith is a good characteristic in the eyes of most voters, regardless of party affiliation - and voters are accustomed to politicians invoking God in their rhetoric - but how often do we hear the phrase ""taking back this nation for Christ"" from a presidential candidate? Not often, and for good measure - we are electing a chief executive, not a preacher-in-chief.
In recent days, Huckabee has been charming South Carolinians by proposing an anti-abortion amendment to the Constitution. Some conservatives might be willing to consider this option in order to correct what many consider a flawed Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. However, Huckabee's sales pitch is not based on Constitutional law, but rather on his belief we must ""amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view.""
This kind of unequivocal religious argument could cause a significant fracture in the Republican Party between religiously conservative evangelical Christians and others - not to mention cast off moderates and independents in the general election.
While the founders did acknowledge the role of our Creator in the Declaration of Independence, impetus to alter the Constitution ought not come from the doctrine of any one church or religion, just as the Constitution bars us from establishing a religious test for elected officials. There are better arguments that make a strong case against legal abortion than the knee-jerk ""because my God says so"" that has come to tarnish the GOP's reputation with young and independent voters.
If Republicans want a shot at keeping the White House this year, they must nominate a candidate who will bring the party together and appeal to a broad base of voters in November. For as long as Huckabee continues to wave the cross and campaign as the Christian Candidate, he is not that man.
Mitt Romney's past leadership indicates strong presidential potential
By Brad Engle, Students for Romney
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has spent his life turning around organizations and institutions and it is time for him to have a chance to fix Washington. Gov. Romney has far more executive experience of actually running organizations. From turning around large corporations, reforming taxes in the state of Massachusetts to bailing out the Olympics, Mitt has nearly done it all. At such a crucial time in our country's history, the next president will not have time for on the job training. Everything Romney has done has brought change for the better and now more than ever we need a President with strong values, leadership, an optimistic vision for America and one who will bring people together to get things accomplished.
In the private sector, Romney founded Bain Capital, a venture capital firm that turned around and helped start hundreds of businesses such as Dominos and Staples. He then went on to become CEO of the Salt Lake City Olympic games, inheriting an organization ripe with corruption and a $379 million operating deficit. By cutting waste, eliminating corruption and with the will of his strong leadership and vision, Romney saved the 2002 winter games and made it the most successful Olympics in our country's history.
In 2002, Mitt Romney was elected governor of Massachusetts where he erased a $3 billion budget deficit, dramatically improved education and created a private market-based health care reform bill that gave every citizen health insurance without implementing socialized health care. He accomplished this all through strong leadership, by cutting waste and providing economic stimulus packages while never once raising taxes.
Romney has already solved the very problems our country is facing today once before, making him the only candidate who will strengthen America.
Rudy Giuliani worthy of nonpartisan support
Nick Novak, Students For Rudy
This upcoming election is going to be a very important decision for all registered voters of the United States. America needs someone who can accomplish many tasks in Washington and be willing to include Democrats and Republicans.
We need many changes in this country and Rudy Giuliani is the person who can bring this change to Washington. America needs to reform its tax system and health care system so U.S. citizens can all afford health care. Lowering taxes and cutting wasteful spending in Washington will help to boost America's economy and create change for the better. We also need to stay on the offense in the War on Terror to protect this country.
Rudy Giuliani is willing to do all of these things and that is why I decided when it is Election Day, Rudy Giuliani has earned my vote.
