For the better part of a year we’ve been hearing how this is a historical election. Headlines and sound bites have drilled this idea into our heads to the point where we catch ourselves trying to convince others how important it really is.

In this election the American people have the power to evoke change. The value of every vote increased in the past year and has become a hot commodity on the campaign trail.
With the 2000 and 2004 elections as proof that every vote counts, candidates during the primaries and general election have emphasized it with each passing day.

In addition to the influence each vote holds in this election, the true magnitude of it first became evident a year ago when Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton announced they would be running for the Democratic ticket for the 2008 presidential election. For the first time in history we had a woman and a black man in the race to be the nominee for one of the two largest political parties in the nation.

The primaries earlier this year showed America that it was any candidate’s game.
Then in June 2008, history took place when Obama was announced as the presumptive nominee for the presidential race. After years of fighting for equality and civil rights, many were still hesitant to believe that a young black senator from Illinois would prevail as the leading candidate for a major political party.

The excitement didn’t stop there. Sen. John McCain surprised everyone when he announced Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential candidate. Suddenly we had a woman and a black man in the presidential and vice presidential races.

With so many different candidates in the race for the White House, Americans should take a moment and understand how vital it is to vote for a candidate that can bring the change they have waited for.

The United States is at a crucial fork in the road. The American people need strong leadership, assurance and confidence from their next president.’ The current financial crisis, high unemployment rates, our relationship with Middle Eastern countries and other issues have given rise to an uncomfortable uncertainty in our futures.

What we need is someone who will not just act as a cheerleader for their plans to pull Americans out of the current economic, political and cultural depression, but a leader who will provide a strict and detailed strategy on how they will accomplish these goals.

Whoever students, staff and faculty have in mind to assume this role, it is imperative as United States citizens, whether born here or naturalized, to take advantage of their right to vote on November 4 when choosing our next leader.’

As trite and repetitive as this may seem, we need someone who simply inspires change and hope, who can mobilize Americans to do the same for themselves and within their communities.’

We should vote for whomever we feel can act as a catalyst for these ideals because, as one AB540 student wrote this past week, we have the opportunity, the right and the obligation to ourselves and others who live in this country to contribute to its future and success.

The 2008 presidential election marks the end of an era most Americans wished never happened. Many people might think that anything would be better than what we’ve had these past eight years with the Bush administration. People want to see change and they are looking to this election to hopefully get the results they’ve been waiting for.