2008 Presidential Election Will Continue

2008 Presidential election will continue to be the most contentious issue for all readers. Enthusiasm for Barack Obama, 2008 presidential candidate, seems to be soaring among voters of various demographics and especially among young people. However, a large number of young voters are ill informed about Barack Obama and base their mistrust of the candidate on rumors and propaganda if not thinly cloaked racism. Many voters who would normally vote for the Democratic Party candidate have suddenly switched loyalties because of an irrational mistrust of Barack Obama.

A sizeable number of young voters are resisting voting for Barack Obama for irrational fears: including fears that include Obama's supposedly being an enemy of Israel. This editorial also targets young voters who may be prejudiced against an African-American candidate without being able to admit their feelings. A potentially large number of would-be-democrats are either not going to turn out to vote or are going to vote for McCain for the wrong reasons.

One of the most notorious smear campaigns recently made headlines when author Jerome Corsi was kicked out of Kenya for launching his book the Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality without obtaining a proper work permit. The Corsi book has become a best seller in spite of its overt lies, which have been frequently criticized in the mainstream press.

I am proposing an editorial that corrects some of the main smears against Barack Obama and also urges readers to face their biases, fears, and prejudices. The piece is aimed at young voters who would typically vote for the Democratic Party candidate, but who resist casting a vote for Barack Obama. I believe such voters have been grossly misinformed about Obama. Those readers who typically support Republican platforms are unlikely to respond to an editorial of this type and so the editorial is clearly directed at liberal, not conservative, young minds. The language used will be strong and confrontational, relying almost exclusively on first- and second-person points-of-view.

Editorial

For many of us, a vote for Barack Obama seems like a no-brainer. it's only common sense to want to elect a man who is robustly intelligent and profoundly, admirably diplomatic. it's also natural to welcome the freshness of a person of color in the executive office, someone who can deliver points-of-view different from the ones we've taken for granted so far as a nation that professes -- and only professes -- to be based on equality. Barack Obama should appeal to all liberal voters, all registered Democrats, and anyone who truly does want to see genuine changes taking place to the world and not just to the United States.

Yet a substantial number of young and old voters alike are shifting their loyalties away from the Democratic Party and toward the Republican one for the wrong reasons. If a person suddenly became infected with the desire to restrict the civil rights of homosexuals then so be it: the Republican Party welcomes you with open arms. If forcing females to bear children is something that you care strongly about, then the McCain/Palin ticket is for you. If the status quo is what you want, if you believe that America is on the right track, then vote McCain/Palin.

If, however, you are one of those voters who under most normal circumstances never consider voting for the likes of McCain/Palin then you have to ask yourself the big question. Why the sudden shift? Is it because you believe that Barack Obama is not ready or qualified for the office of Presidency, like his opponents have suggested? If so, then ask yourself when a person is ready to serve. How many more years in the Senate would it take? Does spearheading issues and committees mean nothing? Does deft diplomacy and communication skills count for nothing in a presidential candidate? Taking another approach: Barack Obama is far, far more qualified to be President of the United States than George W. Bush was (or is) and also far, far more qualified than Sarah Palin, God forbid.

Are you not voting for Barack Obama because he is rumored to be an enemy of Israel? Unpatriotic? Soft on terror? Not a single shred of evidence would suggest any of the aforesaid accusations, which smear Barack's name like cream cheese on a bagel. Before casting stones it might be a good idea to back up those accusations with facts rather than fiction.