Last night, presidential hopeful John Edwards visited Milwaukee for the "Small Change for Big Change" fundraiser where he addressed everything from universal health care to Iraq and poverty.
But how much does Edwards, a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 presidential election, speaking in Milwaukee really pertain to us Marquette students? The answer is.potentially a lot.
Most experts say the Democratic candidate has an advantage in the upcoming 2008 election as the House and Senate are both currently held by the Democrats, and because the current face of the Republican Party, President George W. Bush, holds such a low approval rating. The most recent poll taken by ABC and the Washington Post states 64 percent of America disapproves of the president.
Also, Wisconsin currently holds a Democratic governor and its 10 Electoral College votes went to Democratic candidate U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in the 2004 election. So, it's not a big stretch to assume Wisconsin will go vote for whatever candidate the donkeys put up for the 2008 presidential race.
Basically, the Democratic Party's primary election, and any person in the election, holds a great deal of relevance for any Marquette students interested in the future presidential election.
The upcoming election should prove to be an exciting one. For the first time ever there is a chance the nominee for a major political party is not going to be a white male.
U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) is the first female with a legitimate chance at the White House. Her gender may play a key role in the undecided vote because of the work of gender-equality activists and groups such as "Women for Hillary," which is one of the most popular subsets of Clinton's campaign.
On top of this, Clinton currently holds a commanding lead for the Democratic nomination with 35 percent of the vote, according to a poll taken by Fox News on Aug. 22.
But U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is also running for the Democratic nomination. Should he win it, he will be the first non-Caucasian presidential nominee for the Democratic Party. Currently, Obama is second in the Democratic Party's primary race with 23 percent of the vote.
John Edwards is currently in fourth, according to the poll, but there is a lot of time for the current numbers to change as the primary isn't until Feb. 19.
What's more, Edwards' campaign holds real promise. He focuses on the common, middle-class individual and his campaign appearances at events like last night's "Small Change for Big Change" truly separate him from both Clinton and Obama.
Edwards' appearance last night cost only $15, whereas appearances by his competition are often sponsored by big name celebrities and cost substantially more – which show their focus on the wealth of the upper class.
Whether you are Democrat or Republican, the upcoming Democratic Party's primary, and eventually the election itself, should prove to be the most important and interesting in recent years.
Students often complain about the current democratic process. They say it takes too long to vote or they're too busy with classes to pay attention. I mean, why bother.all the candidates are the same anyway, right?
Well, I understand these sentiments and have even expressed them myself in the past. But the upcoming election is different. It does matter. And we as educated young people should care about it.