Primary+Race+of+2008

**Tessia Bracken**
**Introduction to the Presidential Primary Race of 2008 ** ====This year’s election campaign was going to prove to be a hard one. Due to young Americans showing a larger interest in this year's primary candidates this year’s primary candidates. So many younger Americans showed an interest that 2008’s primary election was nicknamed the year of the young. Candidates had to adjust their strategies to appeal to this younger crowd. With a wide range of candidates it was sure that it was going to be an interesting race. From the first women to run to the oldest would-be President, who will prevail in the end? ====

**Hillary Clinton **

 The 2008’s presidential primary race had a different twist to it because the woman herself, Hillary Clinton runs as this year’s expert on woman’s rights.  As the first woman to run for president, Hillary Clinton took America by surprise. The wife of former president Bill Clinton, she had experience with what campaigning was all about. She had no problem playing the game just as well as the boys, constantly dishing out statistics on what she believed Americans want and what she supports and why she would make a good President. However, it wasn’t until she made it to New Hampshire that voters started to take her seriously. Talking about what the election has meant for her in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was an emotional thing for Clinton. Speaking about the country’s future, she instantly became emotional and choked up then said “This is very personal for me. It's not just political. It's not just public." She allowed the American public to see her human side and showed that she wasn’t just a robot trying to keep up with the boys. She could easily talk to voters and went out to common places, like Dunkin’ Donuts, to ask Americans to vote. Later she was confronted about what happened in Portsmouth and used it to her advantage; she said it showed voters that she is only human, like the rest of them. Critics had something else to say about the incident. media type="youtube" key="6qgWH89qWks?version=3" height="290" width="438" align="right" Gloria Steinem, feminist icon, scolded //New York Times// readers, and warned women that the "sex barrier [is] not taken as seriously as the racial one." Some say she faked being emotional to beat out Barack Obama in New Hampshire, and they wonder if she can cry her way back into the White House. John Edwards, a D emocratic candidate from North Carolina, said she was not fit for the “toughness” of the Presidency. Clearly Hillary Clinton had her work cut out for her, but will her efforts be enough to be end up victorious?



**John McCain **

 John McCain, a Navel veteran who completely supported the troops in Iraq, ran for the Presidency in 2008 as a R epublican from Arizona. He used the war in Iraq to explain to his voters how America was going to change. When speaking of the change in America, McCain claimed that democrats were never specific and too grey. McCain believed that to change America he needed to  change the status quo in Washington because the American people were not satisfied with it, and change in America is based on the change in Iraq. McCain believed he was prepared to run for the presidency because he did <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> not underestimate Hillary Clinton as some of the other candidates may. Later on after accepting to run for the presidency he was confronted by the press on whether or not he would run for an eight-year term. He strategically answered that he has known many presidents and many candidates and none of them have ever run for an eight-year term. He later goes on to say he is running one term at a time because he understands that his “age could be a factor at any time.” McCain made it clear that he does not have the most money, but he makes the best of it. He made few appearances on television shows and when he dmedia type="youtube" key="XPWBY-zmnKk?version=3" height="312" width="512" align="left"id appear on television it was on //Saturday Night Live//. He talks about how Barack Obama has gone on several shows, and jokingly said this is the only one that he could afford. Even though the show starts off well it quickly takes a spiraling downfall when he makes fun of himself, which was supposed to be humorous, but instead made him look foolish in the public eye. Also Tina Fey, acting as Sarah Palin who is McCain’s Vice President Elect, made it seem like he did not have control over his own candidacy. Overall McCain seemed to be too old and too “old school” to make a good president by the public eye.



Much attention has been focused on the ages of Sens. Barack Obama (D, Ill.) and John McCain (R, Ariz.), the two major parties’ candidates for president in 2008. Obama, who turned 47 on Aug. 4, would be the fourth-youngest person to become president. Meanwhile, McCain, who turned 72 on Aug 29, would be the oldenst. (Reagan [R, 1981-89], however, was elected to his second term at the age of 73). Some political observers have expressed doubts that Obama is experienced enough to lead the country; he began his political career in Illinois State Senate in 1997 and has been a U.S. senator since January 2005. On the other hand, some pundits have questioned the wisdom of electiong the 72-year-old McCain to be president, concerns that were magnified when he chose Sarah Palin, the relatively inexperienced governor of Alaska, as his running mate. In 2008, however, doctors gave McCain a clean bill of health, noting that his most serious health concers—an ongoing bout with skin cancer and a struggle with high cholesterol—should not seriously impede his ability to be president,” says Jeremy Eagle of // Wall Shreet Journal. //

<span style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 150%; margin: 11.25pt 15.1pt 18.75pt 0in;">**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Barack Obama **

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Barack Obama, a young 47 year old Senator from Chicago, Illinois, faced many challenges with running for presidency. He would continue to have to defend himself against racial comments, but he dealt with this to his advantage making voters everywhere love him. He constantly gave speeches about how there isn’t a black America or a white America because we live in a //United// States of America. He appealed to many young voters because he brought new ideas to politics. He wasn’t as outspoken as Hillary Clinton or as old as John McCain, so many voters found him to be the perfect candidate. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Senator Obamasought to appeal to all voters. While campaigning, he often comments that he wants to find a “common ground” between both democratic and republican sides and to seek “common-sense solutions” to the many social issues that Americans face. The big issue that Obama stressed throughout his campaign was his new health care plan. Barack Obama's health care plan is "to mandate health care coverage and have a universal government-run program." The Republican Party, mainly Sarah Palin, McCain’s running mate, talked to Americans about how Obama’s plan for health care is not what American’s want. Palin makes a statement that not only makes the government look bad, but makes Obama look bad too, “I don't think that it's going to be real pleasing for Americans to consider health care being taken over by the feds.” This made the McCain party look bad because they didn’t have all their facts straight. Obama’s health care system is going to keep the free-market system intact, in fact the health care system is going to stay pretty much the same, it just expands the health care system to insure the uninsured, or the people that can’t afford health care on their own or to people that do not get health care through their workplace. Obama’s health care system promised voters that they would be able to buy their own insurance at a cheaper rate. He ensures that his plan will have low enough costs that the over 47-million uninsured American’s could be insured, which would also lower insurance rates. Over all Obama knew how to appeal to American voters. He makes sure that voters want to believe in a better America because like he says “yes we can” make change happen. media type="youtube" key="47MKGOPP4Zo?version=3" height="279" width="520" align="left"media type="youtube" key="pNBpe87yEqg?version=3" height="390" width="640" align="right"

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