Current Release: April 28th, 2009 | Vol. XXX Iss. 10

by Andrew Foster

Our Voice

staff

First let us says this: we thank you for your enthusiasm.

It s the homestretch of the Presidential election, which has been creeping along for, literally, two years now. Ever since George W. Bush was reelected in 2004, it seemed the focus immediately shifted to who s next in line.

Though we ll have to wait another two weeks to find out who that might be--most of the polls show that it s too close to tell if Sen. John McCain or Sen. Barack Obama will win--at least we can expect is your continued interest and attention.

For many of us, this is our first opportunity to vote for a President. It s hard to think of a more crucial junction we could be faced with. Think about it: four months ago, nobody was talking about the economy. In the early summer months, the focus was on high gas prices spoiling road-trips and a timeline for troop withdrawal from Iraq. Obama and McCain, Democrats and Republicans, environmentalists and oil executives; they were all duking it out over offshore drilling, the surge in Iraq, did it work, what s going on over there&

And here we are now. The economy is in shambles, its worst state in decades. There s still other points to debate, but our nations wealth and status as a global economic superpower is in question.

To top things off, this is undoubtedly the most historic election for generations of Americans. The major parties on the ballot offer a black presidential candidate and female vice presidential candidate. Four years ago, we knew change was coming, but this? Who could have foreseen the election circus these campaigns have evolved into?

In some ways, it d be easy to grow tired of the constant inundation of facts, quotes, allegations, opinions, and general he-said-she-said nonsense that fills the newspapers, televisions, radios, and blogs with endless amounts of material and campaign drivel.

But from what we see on campus, you aren t quitting the race just yet. You can see the finish line; your still focused on the candidates, the issues, and the race. That, more than the candidates themselves, is what makes these campaigns so interesting.

While college campuses are largely considered a breeding ground for the liberal agenda, Wesleyan s campus seems evenly divided when it comes to political ideology. There s actually a College Republicans organization on campus, and it s plenty strong in number, as is the College Democratic group.

Students aren t just sitting on the sidelines either. So many young people volunteer every day for the candidate they hope will soon lead the country. Take a trip to any campaign office and you ll see rooms dominated by your peers. Wesleyan boasts volunteers for the Obama campaign, and just last week sent a group of students to a McCain rally to serve as event staffers.

In this marathon of a campaign, it d be easy to fall short of the finish--we re overloaded with media coverage of this mess, and suffice it to say it ll be a relief when this is all over. But there s a mob mentality in this race; knowing there s so many other people interested and ready to vote keeps us going.

So thank you, and keep it up. Two more weeks, and then we change the world