State of Disunion
A primary concern
Iowa, Nevada set limitless possibilities
By Lauren Harrell, Behind the Scences, Blogs
February 14, 2008 | 10:10 p.m.
When it comes to life, it is always best to expect the unexpected. Never has that been more pertinent than in the primary elections that have gone on in the past week.
With only two states weighing in so far, the country has already been through more twists and turns than a gymnast on speed. As the country waits for the last 48 states to weigh in, is there any way anyone can predict who will get the Republican and Democratic nominations?
Last summer Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani appeared to be shoo-ins for their respective party's nominations in the 2008 election. However, Iowa overwhelmingly voted for Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee, while the “inevitable” Clinton came in third, and Giuliani barely scraped up four percent.
In New Hampshire a few days later, Clinton won by only three percent, and John McCain, who has barely been able to keep his campaign alive, won for the Republicans. Well, at least Americans keep things interesting.
The truth is, that after eight years of lies, war, scandal and being hated by the rest of the world, America is ready for a change. That message was never clearer than on Jan. 3, when Obama won the Iowa caucus, beating Clinton by nine percent. Unlike most politicians, who have used outlandish political statements to win factions, Obama is more interested in unifying the country than dividing it. Clinton, for all her attempts to hurt Obama's campaign, just doesn't seem to understand that the nation isn't interested in hearing her bash other candidates. Although she may have won in New Hampshire, the fact that she only won by three percent in a state where she was so well-established speaks volumes.
Finally, after almost a year of pointless debates, the real race is on! Meanwhile, over in Camp “I’m Ronald Reagan Reincarnated,” the Republicans are struggling to find a solid candidate. Riding a wave of evangelical Christians, Huckabee glided his way to the front of the pack in Iowa. In New Hampshire, however, it was the former election rejection King McCain who took the lead. With Romney, Fred Thompson and Giuliani still campaigning hard (not to mention Ron Paul clinging on for dear life), a strong front-runner has yet to emerge.
Regardless of an interest in politics, the importance of the upcoming election is undeniable. Surprises are abounding at every corner. In Iowa, a predominately white state, a black man was able to pull out an unexpected win. A man who was considered to have no chance and had a severe lack of funds made an incredible comeback in New Hampshire. At the Republican debate, someone is still clapping when Ron Paul speaks. Who could have predicted? In a country where anyone can become anything and in a year where change is unavoidable, the possibilities are limitless. As the election unfolds, the only thing that the country can count on is the historic and momentous impact the results will have.