Election 2008 Coverage

John McCain by Dimitri Baskous
John McCain is a senator from Arizona and he also served in the Navy as a pilot during the Vietnam War.  He was born in Panama, which means that he would be the first president born outside of the U.S. if elected. Born in 1936, McCain would be the oldest President ever to take office if he is elected. He’s way older than the Democratic candidates, who accuse each other of having minimal experience. He is the son of an admiral, as well as the grandson of another admiral, (both named John McCain) so naturally, the Navy was a perfect fit. While serving in the Vietnam War, he received some honors and declarations, such as the Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. He was shot down on one mission and held prisoner in a place known as the “Hanoi Hilton” until the war ended; McCain later revealed that he was tortured frequently. He retired from the Navy in 1981, and won his first term in the House of Representatives for Arizona a year later. In 1987, John McCain was first elected as a senator in the same state, which he still represents as his occupation to this day. He has never been publicly confronted of a politically incorrect scandal, though he has been through numerous marriages. Two of his sons are in the Navy, one serving a tour of duty in Iraq.
John McCain tried to become the Republican nominee in the 2000 elections, but lost to George Bush. After losing the nomination to George Bush, he returned to being a senator until 2007, when he ran to become the republican nominee of the 2008 elections. He succeeded in this, beating out Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Rudy Giuliani for the nomination. Though unsuccessful in his first run and presidential candidacy eight year ago, he is now in search of candidacy again.
One of the most important issues in the country is the state of the economy. Like all of the candidates, he has created a plan for ending this problem. For rising gas prices, he has stated his plan to create a “gas tax holiday” where gas taxes will be temporarily be lowered during the summer. He will cut taxes of middle-class families, who typically have higher taxes than figured as fair. He will create a new special home loan for a way to get out of the housing crisis. Reducing Pork Barrel Spending within the American government has been one of the major achievements through his campaign so far.
Another hot issue is the Iraq war, and while John McCain doesn’t plan on ending the war, he plans to eliminate the insurgents in the country in ways like a large troop surge and training the Iraqi army. On the subject of the environment, he believes that the economy and environment are dependent on each other. He thinks that we should become less dependent on foreign sources of energy and use alternative energy.
On November 4th, 2008, most adult American citizens will be in their nearest school cafeteria or gym and making their choices for President. Under the Presidential Candidate box, the name John McCain will be there. While the Democratic candidate has yet to be revealed, McCain is our pick as Republican candidate for President.

Barack Obama by Bianca Martinez
Although students cannot partake in the voting process, which occurs every four years, we should still be knowledgeable about the people who are running for office to represent and guide our country. Our future is in their hands. Before electing a president, what should we know? Do they know enough to be the president? Do they have any experience? What are their intentions and how does it benefit our country? Really, the question is, why choose Democrat Barack Obama over the many other eligible candidates?
Barack Obama was born on August 4th, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii to biracial parents. His father, Barack Obama Sr., was from Kenya and his mother, Ann Dunham, from Wichita, Kansas. He lived in his hometown of Honolulu for the beginning years of his life with both parents. At age 2, his parents got divorced and Obama moved with his mother to Indonesia. Soon on, he moved back to Honolulu to live with his extended family after his mother’s death and battle with cancer. Although times were rough, Obama managed to stay on track academically. Life outside school was another story – Obama used drugs and alcohol as he was growing up to comfort and protect himself from his past.
He eventually moved to California and attended Occidental College. He then transferred to Columbia University where he received his Bachelor of Arts. In 1985 Obama worked hand-in-hand with a church organization that was trying to benefit struggling neighborhoods in Chicago as a community organizer.  It was here where Obama realized that he wanted to change the world and he was going to do it through politics. In 1988, Obama was accepted to and attended Harvard Law. He received his J.D. degree and worked with attorneys for a few years, learning about and defending cases dealing with voting rights and bigotry..
In 1996 Obama was elected onto the Illinois Senate where he served eight years. Once Obama was promoted to US Senate he began to make changes. He did work that would help decrease the cost of childcare; minimize tax for people with little income and other things that would eventually have a positive outcome. Obama was considered one of “ten people who could change the world” and one of “the world’s most influential people”.
February 2007 marked the start of Barack Obama’s campaign for presidency in hopes of being the first black president. During his first speech as a newly elected candidate for office, Obama said “We owe it to the American people to do more than that.”
In one word, Obama is about: change. He wants to see the people happy, living in a world that benefits everyone. “I wouldn’t be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation,” Obama said during a candidate speech in October of 2007. Obama is a young candidate and often uses this to his advantage; a new generation wants change. He believes he can be that change – the change that America has been begging for for so long.
His campaign has raised $58 million dollars – more than any previous campaign. His “everyman” image is what appeals to people of all ages, races, and sexes in America. Obama, 46 years old, enjoys playing poker, eating chili, writing books about his life, relaxing at home with his wife and two daughters. and playing basketball – a sport he enjoyed while in high school.
Hillary Clinton Profile by Alexandra Krutel

Hillary Clinton has come a long way since she was a small girl growing up in Illinois. Since then, Hillary has succeeded in becoming an advocate for families, an attorney, a First Lady, an author, and a very influential woman. Throughout her life, she has been inspired to work hard to get what she believes is right. For example, she has been an advocate for children’s rights for a long time, because of experiences in her family. She has long fought for what she believes in, and will only fight harder if she becomes president.
So what does Clinton have in store for our schools if she wins the presidential race? First off, she believes that kids should be prepared to learn by the time they enter kindergarten, and she will fulfill that by starting new programs to help young kids learn, and have all four-year-olds attend pre-school. Clinton also wants parents to get more involved in their kids’ learning before kindergarten, because she thinks that parents are a strong role model in the lives of young children.
For kids in kindergarten to 12th grade, Clinton plans on doing a lot more. She wants to finish No Child Left Behind, because she feels it puts too much emphasis on state tests. She also wants more excellent teachers and principals in our schools. Clinton is also planning on creating schools that are safer, healthier, less energy consuming, and protects kids from environmental dangers which schools are known as “green schools”.
However, it doesn’t stop there. Clinton has ideas for what to do with colleges too. Clinton thinks that everyone should have a college education, especially because it is so important today. She wants to make going to college more affordable, so everyone can get in and have a chance to get a higher education. To do this, she will encourage some colleges to expand and allow more students from low-income neighborhoods to join, and more.
All in all, Hillary Clinton has a lot to do if she becomes president. She cares about improving our schools, and helping everyone receive the education they deserve. So now that you know what Clinton wants to do, who do you want to win the election?