2008 Woodie Awards
War not the only issue in 2008 election
Amanda Heidman
Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: Opinion
With the War in Iraq pulling more soldiers to the Middle East every day, Americans at home are left to hope and pray that their loved ones will be safe. This emotional investment often dramatically changes people's opinions about the war, and as a result will dramatically affect voting decisions. However, people need to be able to look past the war when choosing who they want to be the next president of the United States.
One should not vote for Barack Obama based on his plan to immediately begin withdrawing troops from Iraq, nor should a person vote for Hillary Clinton just because he or she agrees with Clinton's plan to gradually withdraw them. Similarly, people should not vote for Mike Huckabee because he supports the war and President George W. Bush's actions, or John McCain because of his plan to keep the United States in Iraq for as long as it takes to get the job done. Basing one's vote on the candidate's plan for Iraq could lead the country to trouble.
Currently, the United States is facing a problem with low approval ratings of the president. To avoid this same situation, voters need to look past the War in Iraq and make their decisions based on other issues. Because a great majority of the American population has an enormous emotional investment in the war, it is easy to look at it as the one determining factor in the voting process - "if I vote for so-and-so, my loved ones in Iraq will be safer/ happier/ better off."
This is the wrong mindset in such a situation, though, because once the appropriate actions have been taken in regard to the war, you may be stuck with a president you don't agree with on other issues. It would be a situation of immediate gratification followed by four to eight years of disapproval.
Voters need to consider other large issues in the war, such as economic stimulation, social security, education and gun control. They need to acknowledge Clinton's plan to increase funding to secure the American-Mexican border and Obama's plan to create a national health insurance system for people who do not receive it through their employer. They need to recognize Huckabee's statement from his campaign Web site saying that "we have to explore, we have to conserve and we have to pursue all avenues of alternative energy - nuclear, wind, solar, hydrogen, clean coal, bio-diesel and biomass," and also McCain's support of funding for stem-cell research.
By taking these other issues into consideration, the American people will be pleased with their president and will not find themselves facing another record-breaking low approval rate. Though it may be hard to look past something as obviously significant as the war, it is necessary for the future happiness of the country.
One should not vote for Barack Obama based on his plan to immediately begin withdrawing troops from Iraq, nor should a person vote for Hillary Clinton just because he or she agrees with Clinton's plan to gradually withdraw them. Similarly, people should not vote for Mike Huckabee because he supports the war and President George W. Bush's actions, or John McCain because of his plan to keep the United States in Iraq for as long as it takes to get the job done. Basing one's vote on the candidate's plan for Iraq could lead the country to trouble.
Currently, the United States is facing a problem with low approval ratings of the president. To avoid this same situation, voters need to look past the War in Iraq and make their decisions based on other issues. Because a great majority of the American population has an enormous emotional investment in the war, it is easy to look at it as the one determining factor in the voting process - "if I vote for so-and-so, my loved ones in Iraq will be safer/ happier/ better off."
This is the wrong mindset in such a situation, though, because once the appropriate actions have been taken in regard to the war, you may be stuck with a president you don't agree with on other issues. It would be a situation of immediate gratification followed by four to eight years of disapproval.
Voters need to consider other large issues in the war, such as economic stimulation, social security, education and gun control. They need to acknowledge Clinton's plan to increase funding to secure the American-Mexican border and Obama's plan to create a national health insurance system for people who do not receive it through their employer. They need to recognize Huckabee's statement from his campaign Web site saying that "we have to explore, we have to conserve and we have to pursue all avenues of alternative energy - nuclear, wind, solar, hydrogen, clean coal, bio-diesel and biomass," and also McCain's support of funding for stem-cell research.
By taking these other issues into consideration, the American people will be pleased with their president and will not find themselves facing another record-breaking low approval rate. Though it may be hard to look past something as obviously significant as the war, it is necessary for the future happiness of the country.
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