In 2004, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry lost to incumbent President George W. Bush in the presidential election by only three percent of the popular vote.
Some Democrats voted for Kerry, understanding that their vote wasn’t necessarily a vote for a perfect president but a vote against Bush. Some voted for Ralph Nader, literally wasting their vote on a nominee who had next to no shot of winning. Some did the unthinkable – they didn’t vote at all, once again helping to give Bush another four years in office. One thing that this election proved was that Democrats could not unite around a candidate and therefore lost the White House.
With the 2008 presidential race around the corner, Democratic nominees Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are locked in a tight foot race for every possible vote and delegate en route to the White House.
Republicans seem to have made their choice with Arizona Senator John McCain, but with a general consensus showing that the majority of Americans are sick of a Republican regime that has left us trillions of dollars in debt, fighting an unjust war, without universal healthcare and with an educational system that ranks lower than Slovenia’s, Democrats should be confident that their nominee will be elected.
But there is worry for Democrats. Some of their likely voters have foolishly claimed they would rather vote for McCain over Clinton, should she win the nomination. People love to hate Hillary. They hate her so much that if she were to win the nomination, they would rather vote for a Republican who wants to increase troops in Iraq, make tax cuts for the rich permanent and end abortion rights; who opposes stem cell research and has a weaker plan for universal healthcare coverage than either Clinton or Obama.
This article is in no way meant to endorse Clinton. It is intended to suggest that personalities should not influence people to vote contrary to their principles. It doesn’t make an ounce of sense why a person who voted for Obama in the primaries would then choose to vote for McCain instead of Clinton in the national election. Clinton and Obama share the same view on the majority of issues. They both plan to provide every American with health insurance, repeal the Bush tax cuts and replace them with a system that Democrats believe to be more fair, protect abortion rights, support stem cell research and make college an accessible option for more students through various programs.
Regarding the defining issue of our generation, they both plan on removing troops from Iraq immediately. If you agree with the Democratic positions, your choice should be easy – either candidate is better than McCain.
If you’ve been a long-time fan of McCain, go ahead and vote for him.
But, if your single reason for voting for McCain is because you hate Hillary, you’re doing yourself and Democrats across the country a disservice. Democrats deserve a president who fights for what Democrats believe in, not a president who “isn’t Hillary.”
Kraus is a member of the class of 2009.
