A Replay of 2000?

Many experts are speculating that the 2008 election will deliver a possible "Election month of court challenges".  Lawyers are already preparing to contest results in close states. John Fund, of The New York Post, believes "America's sloppy, fraud-prone voting system," is responsible for the potential of controversy. Despite arguments on both sides of the political spectrum, certainly, we can all agree that, "The integrity of the ballot box is just as important to the credibility of elections as access to it."

The Republicans are using the issues of voter fraud as their newest enemy on connection with Obama. Its hard to determine if this is a last desperate attempt to stop the scales from completely tipping in Obama's favor or if these accusations are indeed well-founded.

Trusting the Candidates Plans

Because candidates are vying for every vote, they try to present everything they can to the American public that will instill confidence in their campaign—even if it means manipulating the “facts” presented by each campaign. Many have a sense that each candidate will cite facts and statistics that are favorable to their platform, but when caught up in a whirlwind of politics, an ongoing war, a failing economy, and the stress of everyday life, do people remember this little piece of common sense?
Kevin Sack, a writer for the New York Times, stresses in his article "On Health Plans, the Numbers Fly" that people must be more discerning of the candidates because their “ideal” plans actually may not transfer to an “ideal” budget or care for the “ideal” amount of Americans as seen in the case of each candidate’s health care plans. In Sack’s article, Dr. Uwe E. Reinhardt, a health economist from Princeton, recognizes that the campaigns use the best numbers to produce the solid proof that their plans will truly take care of the people. Reinhardt, along with a number of economists believes that voters would be “wise to tune out all the competing numbers and focus instead on the philosophical underpinnings of the candidates’ plans.” However, what about the undecided voters? If the ideas and “philosophical underpinnings of the candidate’s plans” isn’t enough, how do they choose who to vote for when they can’t compare plans and numbers? If we can’t even have a genuinely close estimate of numbers, are we just left with unsubstantiated ideals?

Money Makes the Man

While matters such as the war in Iraq and healthcare may have seemed like crucial issues at the beginning of the election, the focus has clearly shifted to the economic crisis on hand. As if McCain hadn't figured this out already, Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden made sure to point this out at a recent rally. However, lack of focus on the economy might not be McCain's only monetary woe. As Obama continues to raise funds for his campaign, the Republican senator has not been as lucky. Hope for large contribution to the grand old party has just about gone out the window as election day quickly approaches.
While past elections have shown the "liberal elite media," as McCain so lovingly referred to it, to be critical of the massive funds that the Republican party usually raises, however they have remained relatively quiet about the Democrats this season. However, that could change after they see how much it will cost them to spend the evening of November 4th in downtown Chicago.

Republican Aggresion: Help or Hindrance?

Lately, Republican candidates across the board, from Minnesota's Michelle Bachmann to VP nominee Sarah Palin, have let loose comments concerning American patriotism. In a speech given last week in North Carolina, Palin described "small towns as "the real America" and the "pro-America areas of this great nation."" More recently, Rep. Michelle Bachmann "recommended that the news media investigate whether other members of Congress are "pro-America" or "anti-America."" However, this tactic seems to have backfired, as Palin later appologized for her statements and Bachmann's comment left her Democratic opponent raking in "$1 million over the past four days." This just proves that the American people aren't going to be swayed by trite accusations of patriotism, or lack there of.

Not a “Socialist,” not ‘“President Bush’”

Recently, CNN and Fox commentators have been debating about the negative remarks arising in Senators Obama’s and McCain’s rallies. McCain supporters have pointed to people wearing shirts with inappropriate messages about Sarah Palin, while Obama followers argued that the McCain rallies have been experiencing blatantly racist remarks regarding Senator Obama’s “Americanism.” A recent article from Fox News gives a thorough account of the different ways in which the candidates are “attracting rowdy supporters.”
While it is important to consider the ugly behavior at the rallies and pay attention to the responses from both campaigns, we should remember that behind all the commotion, we are experiencing an economic crisis that is directly affecting our lives, even if some of us have not realized it yet. I hope that the differences between the candidates’ political and economic approaches will be the important issues for voters, especially those who are currently undecided.
An NPR article titled “Some Voters Surprisingly Crossing Party Lines” indicated that nothing is set in stone for November 5. Conservative Republican Colin Powell’s recent endorsement of Barack Obama, and Democratic Senator Joeseph Lieberman’s support for John McCain serve as examples for the “Joe The Plumbers” of a person’s beliefs being more significant than party loyalty. No, Obama is not a “socialist,” and McCain is not ‘“President Bush,”’ but one of them will become our president and have the opportunity to contribute to America’s history.

Nail in the Coffin?

"It's not easy me to disappoint Senator McCain as I have this morning," said former Secretary of State Colin Powell of his recent endorsement for Democratic Senator Barack Obama. Powell, a Republican, is the first African American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and has served in three presidential administrations. A highly popular figure, Powell was once touted as a possible presidential candidate at one point in his illustrious career. 

Powell, who was torn between supporting McCain or Obama, endorsed Obama this morning citing concern over McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as VP, the narrow attacks on Obama's faith, and belief that change is needed for America and Obama is that man. 

While this endorsement probably won't have as much of an effect on the election as Democrats hope for, it is definitely a blow to Republican morale as the days wind down. Senator McCain has made up some ground in the past week,  but still faces an uphill battle this election.