Although in past primaries, Clinton or Obama has had the leg up, a slight advantage, in the Indiana primary, they begin on equal footing (or so people say). In the two counties where over 25% of the vote comes from (Marion County and Lake County) there are large African-American populations, which is good for Obama. These two counties house Indianapolis and Gary. Not only that, but the north of Indiana considers themselves part of Chicago and have been watching Obama and his growth as politician. I’m thinking to myself… What’s left for Clinton?? Well, even if she won all the other counties, she could still lose because of how big these two ones are. Whatever this data seems to say, I think that it is never certain who will win a primary. What you thought would happen could flip itself around, leaving you feeling as if you’ve been hit by a 50 ton truck. For example, recently I came in second place for a writing competition, The Dupont Challenge. I had no expectations that I wuold win anything and lo and behold… I won second place!! If that will happen with this primary, I have no idea. All I have to say is let the best person win.
At a speech quite recently, Obama stated how he thought that small town voters were bitter about not having jobs, and that they didn’t place their trust in the government but instead held onto religion or antipathy against certain people. And the commentary/intense scanning began. This was analyzed over and over again but what really interests me is Hillary Clinton’s reaction. At everything that she has attended she has mentioned that in order to bring Obama down just a wee bit more. And is it working? Have the people lost faith in Barack Obama? Considering the other things done to him in the past, and that he has worked above in this presidential race, I think not. Barack Obama retaliated by stating that he did not use the correct wording and that he was sorry for offending people. Everyone loves apologies, for they are hard to give. It is interesting however, that Clinton uses the negativity against other candidates to fuel her own campaign. She seems to become more successful from it, or rather in the end will it just collapse around her ears? My mother always says that the honest people win, the good people, and the liars lose out in the end. Will she be right, or will it be an unusual case of the bad one winning (which is funny in movies but not in real life)?
As the race for president and the Democratic nomination draws closer and closer, like a barrel of gunpowder, it is widely said that the super delegates will be the one to decide who becomes the Democratic nominee. And so there is a tooth and nail fight for the super delegates so that Obama or Clinton will be able to run for president. There also seems to be a hierarchy among the super delegates–whoever gets to appoint more super delegates is therefore higher in the pecking order. It seems normal to me, that you would want to have the super delegates with appointing power on your side. I think it is very cool that some super delegates can appoint up to five other super delegates at the convention. Like Art Torres, the chairman of the California Democratic Party. Control over a total of six votes is a pretty big deal when that is what this race is beginning to depend upon. But imagine if you made the wrong decision… And America got a president that we do not need. How horrible would that be? There is never anything that would really help your decision, except whether you would follow your state’s wishes. To be a super delegate, you must have extreme presence of mind and a high determination to do what it right. Which is why I want to see the Inauguration in January to see what came of the super delegates decision.
When he was asked if he would place Al Gore on his cabinet, Barack Obama answered wisely with a yes. Al Gore would be a fantastic asset to one’s cabinet, and if you question that, just look at all the things he has accomplished. I think it is just fabulous that he is trying to save our environment, and he’s trying to spread it too. It’s something that everyone should be making an effort to do. I think that if Al Gore had become president he would not have been able to do all that he does now with the environment and all. Because, honestly, when you’re president, who has time for stuff like that since you have to run the whole country first? The remark that Barack Obama has already been talking to Al Gore is very impressive because that shows that Barack Obama is already moving in high circles. Which is good for his career of course. I wonder if the other candidates would put Al Gore in their cabinet… Hillary probably wouldn’t. I think it’s exciting picking your cabinet because you are the one deciding who the influential people in your administration would be. Basically who keeps the country running alongside yourself as president. All in all, Al Gore would be very helpful on Barack Obama’s cabinet, if Obama becomes president. I guess you could say Al Gore would be a convenient someone.
For this week, my principal has launched a new persistence campaign to try and get all students in all three grades to become more persistent. So we had to listen to a reading this morning on persistence and we are also going to have door decorating contest with the theme of persistence. Not only that, but our teachers are addicted to us learning about persistence so they decide to talk about it any time they can. However, sometimes it sounds forced. It seems as if the only thing us students are persistent in is talking. The persistence campaign (as I’ve begun to call it) is highly annoying to all the people who are already persistent, including me. It sounds corny, and no one actually cares like at all, so I think there is no point, although I applaud my principals for making an effort. And here is the best part… They’re bribing us with the fact that if we achieve three green tickets for being persistent, then we get a green bracelet. Oh joy! Before writing this, I actually never realized how much alike school and a political campaign are. It’s actually kind of scary when you think about it. Both are trying to get you to do something, sometimes you feel they are corny and other times, you think ‘This is great!’. The people who are running for president have to be very persistent (side note:sometimes i think persistent is a nice word for competitive and stubborn). You see, they have to convince all of America to like them, and seeing how diverse we are that can’t be easy. Which is why they have to be very persistent. And if, in my school of about 600ish people, our principals can’t convince us to do one thing, Obama, Clinton and McCain have to be pretty darn stubborn and competitive. Hillary Clinton is especially persistent, I think, especially since she is determined to win the Democratic nomination over Obama. Is she being too persistent however? (Now do you see why persistence just might be another word for competitive and stubborn?)
John McCain got the Republican nomination and now he is pretty much safe and sound as far as fighting it out with another possible nominee, like the Democrats. So while everyone has been watching Clinton and Obama battle, has he been watched very, very closely? No. Pretty much everyone has left him alone in reference to slamming him. No one has really focused on his age, or things like that. He is a media darling, and pretty popular from the looks of things. Obviously if he wasn’t popular then he wouldn’t be the nominee now would he? I don’t think so. But do the popular always win? Some people say that if Obama gets the nomination then he will be more the darling than McCain. Very interesting if I do say so myself… Well only time will tell who wins. What do you think… Will John McCain win the presidency or will the Democrats finally sort things out and take away the prize?
Do you feel that sometimes you have no control over what happens in your government, either school, nationwide, or at home? Well I feel that way in relation to school this time. I know that people at my school do their best (i.e. the teachers), but as for everyone else, I’m not so sure. I think that we should be able to vote on certain things that impact us and affect us directly. For example, we should be able to vote on how many people should be able to sit at a lunch table (a rule at my school). By voting, everything becomes more fair. Also, sometimes people who are supposed to give you guidance or help do not do that. They talk a lot, but they say nothing. I guess that politics are sometimes like that. It stinks to feel powerless in a government, no matter how small it is. One day I would like to make a difference and become powerful instead. That is partly why I would like to attend the Presidential Youth Inauguration Conference because then I would feel just a little more powerful, like I could make a difference. Seeing whomever sworn into office would make me feel that we have a little more control in our government. And that would be a spectacular feeling, don’t you think? I do.
I was recently watching the news and many people were talking about the fight for the Democratic nomination between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton would fight to the end if things were doubtful, or even if Obama was the certain nominee. This way she would leave Obama with so many “bruises and wounds” (as my dad says) that he would lose to McCain and he would not be able to run in the next election. I’m definitely not an expert on political topics, but it seems to me that in the hearts of all the candidates, America should come first and personal reasons/ego should come second. I guess that is not the case in this cycle. Hopefully things will become more certain so that I will know sooner who I will see sworn into office, if/when I go to the Presidential Youth Inauguration Conference in January (so soon!!).
Recently there has been some controversy regarding Barack Obama’s passport information. THREE times someone accessed his private passport files containing personal information such as social security numbers. And what was done about it? Exactly. No answer. When this exact thing happened to Bill Clinton, there were many security measures taken to prevent it from happeneing again, but now… McCain’s people and Clinton’s people were investigated and then… The administration then found that the person accessing the files was an employee of a person who is on the advisory board for Barack Obama. How wrong that is I have no idea, but it definitely isn’t right. But as for all the buzz that seems to envelope Obama, I hope he will overcome it and accomplish what he needs to.