Whitney on the presidential election

This year’s presidential election has been one of the most historical elections so far, and I’m glad that I was able to play some part in it. This year was my first time voting and not only was I excited about being able to vote, but I was also excited because the democratic candidate was a minority. Barack Obama is one of the strongest African American leaders since Martin Luther King Jr. His powerful words and influential speeches have touched the hearts of many (including myself) and have given hope to those who were in doubt of our government system. The fact that an African American man succeeded above other great democratic leaders and made it to the final stage of the election is amazing. His success and his goals to improve the government in a way that will benefit all classes of society made me even more excited to vote and influenced me to learn more about politics and our government system.

Therefore, on October 31, 2008 I stood in line at the polls in my home town for three hours so that I could vote. (I had planned to wait until Election Day but, after I found out that I could vote early, I took advantage of it.) Even though the process was terribly long, I felt a sense of accomplishment after I voted. On November 4, the night of Election Day, after I heard the final results that Barack Obama was voted the next president of the United States, I literally screamed! After a minute of yelling and jumping up and down in excitement, I called my mom to see if she had heard the news, and she was overjoyed also. I watched CNN show live footage of all the democrats that stood together at the Democratic Election Party yelling with pride, “Yes We Can”, as President Barack Obama ended his victory speech, giving them and the rest of the nation more assurance of a positive future for America. I personally believe that the new president, Barack Obama, can change this nation for the better so that everyone can share a part in the American dream.