The 2008 Presidential election has as its front-runners two dynamic candidates who bring the to the campaign, issues of gender and race. Is that the real question here? I would rather believe that the real question is the ideology of the candidates. However, both candidates are backed by power and money. It is likely that one of the two will win the Presidential nomination and the Presidency of the United States.

I would vote for a woman, not because I'm a woman, but because I believed in her ideology. I would vote for someone of a different ethnic culture for the same reason. That's a given for me because we all belong to the human race. I believe most people choose a candidate based on their platform.

Aside from the fact that the candidates bring gender and race issues to the forefront, there are other differences.

Hillary Clinton:

Clinton has the backing of the NOW (National Women's Organization). They have the power to influence voter registration and to turn out the vote! They wield a powerful influence on voters of both genders who support women's rights.

Clinton's style is portrayed as uneasy or prickly by some of the press. Words that are delivered with style have power. The candidate must have winning qualities, which include a certain amount of charisma to win the voter in any election. Bill Clinton has gotten involved with some of Hillary Clinton's campaign activities and this may add to the support of her candidacy.

Campaign donations for Clinton were reported at 26 million dollars for the first quarter of this year.


Barrack Obama:

Obama has major backing from Hollywood moguls and celebrities. These are essentially the same people who backed Bill Clinton for his presidency. I'm not sure why they should impress us. The majority of voters don't usually look to celebrities for information on Presidential candidates.

I scoured the NAACP website and could not find an endorsement for either candidate. Count on their power to be a big influence on the election.

Obama's style and delivery is one of a man at ease with himself and with the press. He appears to have more of the Bill Clinton charismatic style than does Hillary Clinton.

I don't have a clear understanding of Obama's ideology and I believe that many voters find themselves in a similar place. Obama is only slightly behind Clinton in campaign donations at 25 million dollars for the first quarter of this year.

The candidates are running neck to neck in power and (campaign) money.


Soft Money:

In addition to the campaign money, which goes for the candidate's efforts, the soft money from 501(c) s, 527s, and PACs for the Democratic Party are estimated at 78 million dollars. The Republican Party has an estimated 51 million dollars in soft money. This money is not for use by the individual candidates; however, the current figures place the Democratic Party ahead in the Presidential race.

Learn more about this author, Mona Gallagher.
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