2008 Presidential Corner:Clinton, Giuliani become early frontrunners in race (Part 2)
By Nadine Tester
Republicans may not be in America’s favor, as President Bush sent our nation into a lot of places we never planned to be like Iraq and huge ballooning debt. I know that a lot of student voters would opt for change, and in their minds, change would mean switching the political party in power. However, one of the strongest candidates in the 2008 election is a man close to home, and therefore with priorities which would reflect opinions close to home. You may remember Rudy Giuliani as New York City’s mayor during the Sept. 11 attacks, but now he is looking at the bigger picture. Running as one of the Republican candidates for president in the 2008 election, Giuliani is ready to make changes both nationally and abroad.
At the forefront of his campaign, Giuliani has ‘12 Commitments’ that he plans on tackling once in office. One of the first points he mentions is keeping Americans on the offensive in the Terrorists’ War on the US. This refreshing statement insinuates that students will have to worry less about being drafted and about friends and family abroad. The need to keep foreign countries in line will switch to the back burner (where it belongs) so the U.S. can focus on things more pertinent, like the mass amount of debt we’re in right now.
Speaking of immense debt, another of Giuliani’s commitments is to ‘restore fiscal discipline and cut wasteful Washington spending.’ This may seem like another flaunty political statement, but Giuliani has already shown he can actually bring the debt down. During his time as mayor for New York City, he turned a two billion dollar debt into a two billion dollar surplus. He also looks to cut taxes, as he did as mayor 23 times, and impose accountability on Washington. Hopefully, this will be the end of the blame game. I think the most important commitment Giuliani makes though, is strengthening America’s reputation around the world.
For a lot of students, the 2008 election seems a long way off. Candidates and what they stand for are at the very bottom of the importance scale, with things like research projects, papers and football at the very top. Even though the election may not be the main thing right now, it’s vital for us to see what we’re in for in the future. Right now the economy is down, we may not have enough social security to cover us when we’re old, and do I even need to mention how expensive college is? Even though a year may seem like a long time, it goes so fast. Before you know it, students will be one year closer to living in the real world, working and paying rent.
When it comes to this, you’re going to want a responsible, hard working person in office — someone with a history of dedication and who knows how to stay cool under pressure (not to mention someone who actually has a hold on the English language). Make sure that you vote for the person whose reforms you believe in: not just to make a social statement by voting for Clinton, just because she’s a woman. Giuliani has already shown how strong he can be in making decisions and sticking to them. As one of New York’s strongest mayors, Giuliani deserves to be the frontrunner of the 2008 election and become “America’s Mayor.”
