2008 Woodie Awards
Republican race could benefit Democrats
Joe Caporoso
Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: Op/Ed
Whether Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton emerges victorious from the primaries, Democrats nationwide have to feel comfortable about the chances of not seeing a Republican in the Oval Office for the first time in eight years. A diverse array of candidates has Republicans nationwide fractured, as the race remains wide open with the election only seven months away.
Mike Hukabee came out of nowhere to steal a victory in Iowa, but was only able to gain a victory there due to a strong Evangelical base of supporters. He has since struggled and doesn't seem to be a viable nationwide candidate. His lack of knowledge in foreign affairs should also be alarming to anybody who would ever consider voting for him. This isn't the time to elect a president who is clueless in foreign policy, especially after the mess the last president, with questionable foreign policy knowledge, has left.
Rudy Giuliani seemed to be the front-runner a few months ago, but his strategies have recently been questioned. By refusing to campaign actively in the first handful of races, he has dug himself a sizeable hole. Many doubt that he is popular enough outside of the east coast to win the nomination.
Mitt Romney had his back against the wall but escaped with crucial victories in Michigan and Nevada. There still remains skepticism of whether or not a Mormon could end up in the White House, but since a woman or black man is winning the Democratic nomination, his faith shouldn't be the factor stopping him from getting the nomination. He still needs to find a way to win a high percentage of Evangelical voters if he is going to capture enough delegates.
John McCain has scored victories in South Carolina and New Hampshire and is probably the most widely respected candidate. Yet his stance on the issues closely resembles President Bush's, which could make people hesitant to vote for him. However, he is a much more qualified candidate than Romney and Huckabee in the arena of foreign policy.
It looks like the race will come down to Super Tuesday when more than 20 states will have their primary. The Republicans are either going to have to deal with the widely known and popular Obama or the well-funded and highly experienced Clinton. At the current time it looks like Romney and Giuliani still remain the front runners, but McCain has been coming on strong. No matter who the Republicans end up selecting, Democrats everywhere have to feel confident as they watch two highly competent and capable candidates battle it out in a closely contested race. On the other hand, the Republicans remain a largely divided party that is having a tough time rallying behind one candidate. This is mostly because nobody has stepped up as a dynamic leader capable of guiding our country.
Mike Hukabee came out of nowhere to steal a victory in Iowa, but was only able to gain a victory there due to a strong Evangelical base of supporters. He has since struggled and doesn't seem to be a viable nationwide candidate. His lack of knowledge in foreign affairs should also be alarming to anybody who would ever consider voting for him. This isn't the time to elect a president who is clueless in foreign policy, especially after the mess the last president, with questionable foreign policy knowledge, has left.
Rudy Giuliani seemed to be the front-runner a few months ago, but his strategies have recently been questioned. By refusing to campaign actively in the first handful of races, he has dug himself a sizeable hole. Many doubt that he is popular enough outside of the east coast to win the nomination.
Mitt Romney had his back against the wall but escaped with crucial victories in Michigan and Nevada. There still remains skepticism of whether or not a Mormon could end up in the White House, but since a woman or black man is winning the Democratic nomination, his faith shouldn't be the factor stopping him from getting the nomination. He still needs to find a way to win a high percentage of Evangelical voters if he is going to capture enough delegates.
John McCain has scored victories in South Carolina and New Hampshire and is probably the most widely respected candidate. Yet his stance on the issues closely resembles President Bush's, which could make people hesitant to vote for him. However, he is a much more qualified candidate than Romney and Huckabee in the arena of foreign policy.
It looks like the race will come down to Super Tuesday when more than 20 states will have their primary. The Republicans are either going to have to deal with the widely known and popular Obama or the well-funded and highly experienced Clinton. At the current time it looks like Romney and Giuliani still remain the front runners, but McCain has been coming on strong. No matter who the Republicans end up selecting, Democrats everywhere have to feel confident as they watch two highly competent and capable candidates battle it out in a closely contested race. On the other hand, the Republicans remain a largely divided party that is having a tough time rallying behind one candidate. This is mostly because nobody has stepped up as a dynamic leader capable of guiding our country.