Election 2008: A Sign of the Changing Times

Election 2008 is the most open presidential race since 1928. With no presidential or vice presidential incumbent running for the chief executive position, the field is wide open for both republican and democratic candidates to jump into the fray. Among the main contenders on the Democratic side are Senator Joe Bidden of Delaware, former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York. In the Republican side, some of the important candidates are former New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, Senator John Mc Cain of Arizona, Former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts among others. The list goes on.

In January 2007, Federal Election Commission Chairman Michael Toner stated that the 2008 U.S. presidential race will be "the most expensive election in American history." Toner estimated that the 2008 race will be a "$1 billion election," and that to be "taken seriously," a candidate will need to raise at least $100 million by the end of this year. This has caused a number of presidential hopefuls to drop out of the race as Governor Tom Vilsack did.

The forthcoming elections are exciting for more reasons. It is a sign of the changing times. Just like the Oscars, where we are beginning to see more and more black presence, this is going to be an election where there are strong chances of having a black man or a woman taking up the reins of the nation. We, as a nation, are evolving into a situation where gender or race has not disappeared; it is there, but it is no longer a barrier or an obstacle to recognizing a person's abilities.