OPINION: Vote Obama

Submitted by Katie Bowen, Vice President of the College Democrats

Several years ago, at the start of the primary season, a young and vibrant Sen.Barack Obama, D–Ill, came to George Mason University to talk about the hope for the future. We filled the Johnson Center from top to bottom, eager to hear about his ideas. As Election Day approaches, we know that Obama is the best candidate for president because he can bring the insight and change America needs to get back on the right track.

Barack Obama is the only candidate that can bring us out of the economic crisis that our country is facing. We have been heading towards this recession for a while. Only a few months ago, Sen. John McCain, R–Ariz., claimed that the fundamentals of our economy were strong. Unfortunately, this was not the case and now the federal government has had to bailout several companies. Our stock market has been on a roller coaster ride for weeks and many Americans fear what will happen next. McCain was wrong about the economy. We must ask ourselves, what else could he be wrong about?
Obama has a plan for the American economy.

He has the best advisers and support of important financial minds around the country. Obama has a plan to jumpstart the economy. The oil companies have had astronomical windfall profits on the gas prices. Each quarter they report more profits than ever before.

The American people have been paying more than enough and Obama believes that it is time for them to get some of that back. He will enact a Windfall Profit Tax to get that money back to the people, which will in turn help to jumpstart our economy. He will also give tax cuts to those who really need them right now, the middle class and seniors. This plan allows us to have a fair tax code.

Because of this crisis, we also need to start creating jobs. Obama is going to bring five million new jobs to America in the Green Sector. We are at the edge of innovation and with these jobs we can help our economy and environment
simultaneously. Obama has the best plans for our economy.

Since the beginning of the campaign, the Republicans have tried to say Obama is weak on national security because he plans on doing things differently. Democrats know, though, that it is time for a change. With McCain, we will only be getting more of the same. The old way has taken us into a war in Iraq with no end in sight. It has lost our respect on the international stage. We have fewer allies and have billions of dollars in debt.

Obama represents a new wave of thinking. We need this if we are to move into the future with the hope of a better world and a better tomorrow.

Obama has said that he will meet with leaders of Iran and other rogue states without preconditions. The Republicans are fear-mongering and want you to think that this is a scary idea because it gives legitimacy to those leaders. It is scarier to think of what they do because we won’t meet with them. When we ignore these countries, it only strengthens their hatred toward us. Without open discussion, how is America supposed to know what these countries want?

We need to change our international reputation, with allies and rogue states. Obama is the only one who has the ideas, willingness, and qualities to do this.

There is another important issue that we should all consider when choosing to vote for- education. Obama has a plan to help with higher education. He will provide an American Opportunity Tax Credit for most Americans which means that the first $4,000 of higher education will be free. With many of us or our parents going into debt to get this education, this is very important and can truly impact our lives. O

Obama will also help with the financial aid process. Many of us have experienced the headache of getting aid for college. As president, he will streamline the process to save time and money for everyone. McCain’s higher education plan says nothing specific to help individuals. We need specific plans of action to improve our higher education and make it easier to access by all. Obama has always advocated for change in the education system and we know that this will not end with the White House.

Obama is the best choice for President of the United States. He brings hope for a better future. His plan for America can propel us back to the top. We can improve our economy, regain respect on the world stage, and help our students to succeed. It is an easy choice on November 4. We could choose McCain and the ways of the past, but that has only brought us a declining economy and a war with no end in sight. The best choice is Obama, the only person who can bring the change we need to move forward. Vote Obama–Biden!