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One of the buzz words in this election is the word "change". Senator Obama is using this one so effectively that he will most likely win the Democratic nomination for President. He may even win the election on the strength of that one word. People have shown that they are interested in change. What people don't know is what will change bring. Change for the sake of change is not always a good thing. When you look at past Presidential elections where the word change was a key word I think of 1976 and the election of Jimmy Carter as President. In 1976 we were dealing with the aftermath of the Nixon resignation, the end of the Vietnam War, and the first phases of the gas crisis. People did not have faith in Washington and those who served there. If any of this sounds familiar it should. At this point 2008 sounds much like 1976. But lets take a look at what happened under Jimmy Carter, when a Washington outsider was elected President. We entered a phase in which President Carter himself described as a "national malaise". Respect for the United States fell so low in the world that Iran's pro western Shah was disposed and then our embassy was overrun. This resulted in the Iran Hostage Crisis where 50 plus Americans were held hostage in Iran for 444 days. Our economy almost came to ruin with "double digit inflation, unemployment, and interest rates". Does anyone remember when mortgage rates were about 15% instead of the current 6%. How about the national unemployment rate of well over 10% in the of the current rate that is under 5%. Do you remember when inflation was well over 10%. I remember all of those things. I graduated high school in 1975. These are the conditions I faced shortly after graduating from high school. I don't think that this was the change that people were looking for in 1976. No one can predict the future. That is why history is so important. When of the best indicators in trying to predict the future is to look at the past. As I said earlier, there are many similarities this year to 1976. I can only hope that we as a nation don't get caught up in the hype and hope presented by this years Presidential candidates. Let's take the time to evaluate each candidate. Let's not just fall for the line of "change". Let's find out what that change will entail before we follow someone down a road that we really don't want to go down.

Learn more about this author, Paul Tetuan.
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