by Bob Monty

Created on: February 19, 2007   Last Updated: March 19, 2008

With the candidates now beginning to announce their intention to become the next president of the United States, it seems that there is just a handful of those running in the 2008 presidential election that actually have a chance for the votes of the American people.

It is most probable that the president elect will be a Democrat, with the current low approval rate of our current president, George W. Bush. It is clear that in the past when there has been a disagreement with the president, the next to be elected belonged to the opposite party, showing the voters' long for change in the government.

So, among the Democratic candidates, it is just a question of who will win the primary election. There are three main Democrats who definitely seem to have a serious chance in the election, but there are controversies about them. The first is Barack Obama, the young, charismatic Illinois Senator who announced his candidacy last weekend. A problem that many have with him, however, is his lack of experience in the government, having only been in the Senate for a few years. Being the youngest presidential candidate among his fellow Democrats, several voters criticize that he is not ready for the position of the president. However, in Obama's speech declaring his intention to run, Obama commented on this by stating, "I know I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington, but I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change." Also, many voters tend to like the youthful charisma of this candidate as his passion is very clear in his speeches.

The second clear candidate is Hilary Clinton, the wife of former president Bill Clinton. Despite her expanse of knowledge in political issues, a problem with the voters is that her speeches are not at all like those of Obama and lack the passion and emotional aspects that are very persuasive to new voters. Others criticize her for still being married to Bill Clinton, still holding a grudge against his past actions. However, those that listen to her words realize that she is informed and educated and are seriously considering casting a ballot with her name.

The final serious candidate is John Edwards, the running mate of Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. He had a high percentage of Democratic voters in the 2004 presidential election, coming close to Kerry. He seems to be a nice balance between the issues of Obama and Clinton, but not many Republican voters are even aware of his intention to run, let alone his existence. This will change, however, in time if Edwards succeeds in the primary election among the Democratic voters.

Among these, it is very difficult to choose one sole winner of the 2008 presidency, due to all of the issues they face with the American voters. In the end, it is up to us to decide which candidate's pros overpower the cons.

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