Personal beliefs drive political opinion, choices for candidacy
April 04, 2008

Dacee Kentner
news editor

Election 2008 keeps drawing nearer, and because of my sense of responsibility and duty to my country, I have begun to weigh our presidential options. For me, it comes down to two candidates. Obama or Clinton. McCain is not an option because he supports the war, and it’s my personal belief that peace is not attainable through war. [Stepping down from my soapbox.]
As I look through all the issues, there are some I care more about than others. Healthcare has become a very hot topic throughout this campaign. Being a single parent, this issue affects my family on a personal level.
Clinton’s approach to the problem is to change the way insurance is regulated. Her plan would require insurance companies to treat pre-existing conditions, pay for drugs for chronic conditions, and provide preventative medicine. She would also require that all Americans have insurance coverage and would provide a similar government plan to Medicare that families could choose to pay for.
Obama approaches the subject much the same as Clinton, but there are three major differences. Obama’s plan would require that all children have medical insurance coverage, but not all Americans. For adults, the choice would be left up to the individual. I feel the same about this issue as I do about seatbelt laws. It’s the individual’s life in jeopardy; let the individual make the decision.
The second difference in Obama’s approach is that his plan would create options for those who do not already qualify for government insurance. Although the state’s insurance is fairly easy to obtain (my son and I have both been covered by it), you must be within a certain financial bracket in order to be accepted. This allows many working-class families to “slip between the cracks”, left uninsured. Obama’s plan would work to eliminate this problem.
The third difference is that Obama’s plan would require employers who do not provide insurance to pay into the national health insurance program. This should encourage companies to provide coverage to employees and their families, in turn, helping out the working-class families and others who are currently not covered.
As far as the health insurance issue, I am leaning towards Obama’s plan. I feel that it covers all of the problems we are facing with healthcare, while still leaving room for individual choice. Clinton’s plan seems forceful and incomplete.
Many other issues are of importance in this campaign as well. Nearly every celebrity has recently become an environmentalist, preaching to the general public about how to save our energy sources. I am not entirely concerned with this topic. I turn the lights off when leaving a room and, of course, I never litter. Clinton and Obama have both laid out very specific plans to promote environmental recognition. Both plans will set up federal standards to lower greenhouse gas emissions, as well as focusing on global deforestation.
Another issue that I feel strongly about is same-sex marriage. This is one of the most controversial topics to discuss, especially in Midwest America. Although all three candidates are opposed to same-sex marriage, I am not. In my opinion, the American people are failing themselves by not allowing each individual to decide whom they will spend the rest of their lives with. I am not a lesbian, but I have gay friends and am not opposed to this lifestyle. Gays are not out to ruin the American family structure, they are just people who want to be allowed happiness. There is no such thing as a “wrong” love. Love is simply an emotion that everyone feels regardless of gender, ethnicity, or beliefs.
In order to decide which presidential candidate to vote for, you must first decide what issues are most important to you. For me, the issues of the Iraq war and healthcare drive my vote. For you, it could be immigration, education, taxes or something else. Decide what you want out of your country and out of life. Form a personal opinion because your vote does count.
As college students, we are the future generation. Do we want to continue to allow our friends and family members to die overseas, while fighting an endless war? Religious and cultural differences will always be present in the world. But instead of killing each other over our differences, at some point, we will have to learn to tolerate each other’s differences. I am not a hippie and I am not a socialist, but I am a person who loves people. And I only want to see positive things happen in the next four years for our country and for our upcoming generations.