Presidential Primaries
by: Kushang Vashi
With the general election coming up in November, Republican and Democrat presidential hopefuls will battle it out in primaries starting in January. The 2008 election is a special election for it will be the first time in which an incumbent president or vice-president won't run. This year's election could be the first time in which a woman, a black, or a Mormon could become the 44th President of the United States of America.
The Democratic presidential process started off with a bang with Barack Obama winning the Iowa Caucus. In the Iowa Caucus, Barack Obama won 38% of the vote. John Edwards came in second with 29.75% of the vote and Hilary Clinton came in third with 29.47% of the vote. After the Iowa caucus, Democratic hopefuls Senator Joseph Biden and Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut dropped out of the race. After the Iowa caucus, Obama won 16 potential delegates for the Democratic National Convention on August 28, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The first surprise came in the New Hampshire primary. On January 8, Clinton pulled off a surprise win over Obama. Prior to the New Hampshire primary, most polls predicted Obama to win by a 5-10% margin. With Clinton's win in New Hampshire, the Democratic race is still up for grabs. On January 15, Hilary Clinton won 55% of the vote in the Michigan primary. Although the Hilary Clinton won the Michigan primary, the delegates won't count towards Michigan because candidates such as John Edwards and Barack Obama didn't run due to the conflict in the date. On January 19, 2007, Clinton won the Nevada primary with 51% of the vote. Obama came in second with 45% of the vote. On January 26, Obama won the South Carolina primary with 55% of the vote. On January 29, Clinton won the Florida primary with 55% of the vote; however, the delegates won't count towards the Democratic National Convention. Due to his string of disappointing finishes, John Edwards dropped out of the race on January 30th. After these primaries, the race has narrowed down to Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama. The biggest day for the primaries came on February 5th, "Super Tuesday," in which 24 states were up for grabs. Clinton won the states of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, and Tennessee while Obama won Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, and Utah. Erin Cheaney, a senior, said, "I hope Barack Obama wins the Democratic nomination for he is a "charismatic leader" who could lead the nation past its troubles."
On the Republican side, the race is too close to call. The top candidates for the Republican side include: Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Arizona senator John McCain, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, former mayor of New York City Rudolph Giuliani, former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson, and Texas congressman Ron Paul, who is the favorite among internet voters. The Iowa caucus on January 4 started with a surprise when Mike Huckabee won 34% of the vote. Prior to the primaries, Huckabee was a relatively unknown name among voters. However, after a series of strong showings in the Republican primary debates, Huckabee has emerged as one of the top contenders for the nomination. In the Iowa caucus, Mitt Romney came in second, Fred Thompson came in third, and John McCain came in fourth. On January 5, Mitt Romney won the Montana primary. On January 8, McCain won the New Hampshire primary with 37% of the vote, Romney had 31% of the vote, and Huckabee had 11%. On January 15th, Romney won the Michigan primary with 39% of the vote. On January 19th, Romney won Nevada with 51% of the vote and McCain won South Carolina with 33% of the vote. Due his string of disappointing performances in the primaries, Fred Thompson withdrew from the race on January 20, 2007. On January 29, McCain won Florida with 36% of the vote. After coming in 3rd in the Florida primary, Giuliani dropped out of the race on January 30th and has planned to endorse John McCain. On Feburary 2nd, Romney won Maine with 52% of the vote. On Super Tuesday, McCain won the states of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and Oklahoma. Romney won the states of Alaska, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Utah. Huckabee won the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Joey Ferris, a senior, said, "In my opinion, Mitt Romney is the best candidate for the Republican Party because he represents true Republican ideals." On Febuary 7th, Romney officially dropped out of the race.
Unlike previous primaries/caucuses in which the presidential candidate can be determined after Iowa and New Hampshire, the 2008 nomination process for the Republicans and Democrats could be dead-locked for a while. The 2008 election will be considered the most important election in the history of the United States of America. Teacher Jamia Dixon said, "The main issues in the 2008 election are the War in Iraq, health care, and the economy. On the issue of health care, it is important that health care is available for all Americans. With respect to the economy, the middle class and lower class should receive more financial breaks." With the Democrats and Republicans having their conventions in late August and early September, these presidential hopefuls will battle it out until they can't stand anymore.