“The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.” – 24th Amendment (1971).
Every day I hear people, both on campus and off, speak of how the youth vote will change the upcoming presidential election.
I have heard that the youth of America will emerge on Nov. 4 with a new political vigor unheard of in previous decades and claim their right to guide how their future unfolds.
From the bottom of my soul, I hope and pray that that will be the case, but more and more as I see the reasoning or lack of reason behind many political opinions my fear grows as to how that vote will be cast.
Now, as our nation faces one of the gravest economic crises in its history, the young voter must understand what is at stake, and that whatever happens, we are entering a new era of American politics. Not only the young voters, but all voters need to examine candidates.
Now, more than ever, it is necessary for voters to become involved and research the issues themselves and not just adopt the view they hear most often.
Don’t allow the evening news to cast your vote for you.
Watch the debates objectively, research the candidate’s political careers and hold them accountable to those records.
Both of the major party candidates as well as those running for a third party are career politians and have been trained to bend the truth.
Both John McCain and Barack Obama offer new paths to our nation, don’t be sucked into the “black hole of mass media bias” as I call it and not believe that.
What I ask of you, is that you as a voter and American, remember what that vote means.
An election, especially a presidential one, is not a popularity contest, but a job interview plain and simple, experience versus ideals.
Forget about all of the political hype and buzz that many people let influence their political opinion.
Barack Obama is not a “secret Muslim” and John McCain is not the party puppet that George Bush has revealed himself as being.
Don’t cast your vote for the person you would rather watch a football game with because you never will.
Just ask yourself, who do you want in the Oval Office signing a name to your future, and the futures of everyone else?

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