United States Presidential Election Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United States Presidential Election - Essay Example Still, there is only one of these candidates that has the credibility, honesty, and vision necessary to lead our country through these difficult times. Barak Obama can help heal this nation's legacy of discrimination, speak credibly about a peaceful future for out great grandchildren, and lead our country with the vision needed to assure a peaceful and prosperous future for all Americans. The election of Barak Obama to the office of the presidency could help to begin to erase the centuries of oppression and discrimination felt by African Americans left behind by the legacy of slavery. African Americans have been denied education, employment, and opportunities in America for over 300 years. Electing Barak Obama would show that America is finally ready to put aside race and begin to heal our nation's deepest wounds. There is significant evidence that the country still has racist attitudes. The Democratic primary has had race as a central issue as we see overwhelming numbers of blacks supporting Obama, while Clinton's supporters are a majority white. White voters fear the possibility of a black candidate taking the White House. Yet, these fears are unfounded. The election of Obama will not ignite a race war or cause centuries of resentment to boil over into recriminations against the white power structure based on race. Instead, it will give African Americans the show of respect and dignity that we value as a people and profess as a nation. Barak Obama should be elected president because he is the only candidate that has the credibility to guide our country into a peaceful future. While the other candidates speak of their desire for peace, Obama is the only one that has based his decisions, actions, and rhetoric on the philosophy of peace. John McCain openly supports the War in Iraq and has been an outspoken proponent of an escalation in troop levels in Iraq. Clinton, while she calls for an immediate withdrawal, voted for the war and has done little as a US Senator to lessen the prospects of continued involvement or hasten the possibility of peace. Our foreign policy is contingent on having other countries trust that our words and intentions will measure up to our actions. Without trust, other nations would only tentatively support our efforts and would remain cautious when we spoke of a desire for peace. However, Obama's initial, and consistent, stand against the military action in Iraq can be depended on to be genuine . The confidence that other nations place in our true intentions could bring them into the philosophy of peace and insure greater cooperation with our efforts to create a free and peaceful planet. The social structure of America is in such a state of chaos that it will require a president that has a solid vision for the country's future to be able to be an effective leader. America is polarized on several hot button issues such as abortion. Obama has the ability to reflect America's respect to the right of privacy, while assuring the rights of the minority are protected. His pro-choice stance reflects the ideology of a majority of Americans. America also has the social ills of poverty and inadequate health care that divide our nation. It will take more than billions of dollars and massive federal programs to solve our nation's problems. It will take a leader that can defuse the polarization on the emotionally charged issues, such as abortion, and bring about a sense of unity to the country. America needs a leader that has a focused vision of what our