The Rocket

Issue date: 4/27/07 Section: Opinion

The time has come around again-the first Democratic debate of the political season.

Instead of a recap of the night's madcap entertainment, I'm here to present the frontrunners of the Democratic campaign, their stances, and their opinions, all with the 'fair and balanced' quips that you may not hear anywhere else.

Hillary Clinton is the candidate you hear the most about, and personally, I think she's kind of scary. She's a good candidate if you want to scare the terrorists and don't want to go so far as to put Joan Rivers into office.

As a senator, she voted for the Iraq Resolution, the resolution that authorized the use of force in that country. Now, I know that at the time, it may have seemed like a great idea, but I'm wary of any candidate who thought it was a good idea to begin with. She flip-flops on the issue of withdrawing troops and even supported legislation to make flag desecration illegal. Clinton said she did this because of her conversations with veterans in New York, who, she said, were offended by seeing a burning flag.

Is it just me, or is there a big difference between being offended, and being harmed by a burning flag?

This is a clear violation of our first amendment rights, and ultimately, makes me lose all support for Hillary Clinton. Just because you're offended by something doesn't mean the act needs to be illegal. This shows a frightening disregard for civil liberties, one that I am not willing to support, even in the face of utmost evil: a Republican candidate.

The other Democratic frontrunner is Barack Obama, occasionally likened to John F. Kennedy. He's not as offensive to me as Hillary Clinton, and the ACLU gives him an 83 percent, demonstrating that he aligns himself with their issues 83 percent of the time. It's a little bit more comforting than Clinton's 60 percent.

One thing that I dislike about Obama, however, is his constant talk about religion. America is a country, not a church, and while religion plays a big part in the lives of some voters, it should not be a major issue. If voters are so concerned about the religious and moral values of a candidate, then I am concerned about the state of our nation.

Overall, Obama doesn't look like a candidate with the ability to beat a Republican like Rudy Giuliani, the goofy GOP frontrunner, in a general election. It's starting to look like the primaries will eventually turn into a vote to decide who can beat Giuliani, not who has the principles that you agree with.

I, however, like so many "godless liberals," am hoping that Al Gore will be persuaded to run for 're-election' in 2008. I know that it's wishful thinking, and that I will probably be stuck choosing between "Nurse Ratched" and "Odumbo." However, silly nicknames aside, they are still both better choices than "Teflon Rudy," as far as second-rate candidates go.

So, sit back, relax and watch the election unfold.

Lisbeth Wells-Pratt is a freshman exploratory major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.

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