Diversity in the Presidency

Discusses the new wave of Presidential Diversity
- Cort Moffitt

Is our country ready for a woman to lead the ranks? Is our country ready for an African-American to fill the role of the presidency? I suspect if we have to answer questions regarding race and gender about our presidential candidates, then we are not ready for someone other than an upper-class, grey-haired white man to hold the high office.

Unfortunately, America has two candidates capable of taking the reins to this runaway wagon we call the United States, but we the voters continually want to discuss the one factor that should not be a factor. It’s a sad truth that many citizens of the U.S. are tainted by preconceived stereotypes of the human race.

Women have been proving their worth in the business, sports and political arenas for years. Women have been exhibiting the requisite shrewdness of the cruel capitalist, the grace of a world class athlete and the savvy of the most adept politician, so why must we consider gender when going to the polls? Acknowledging such a question is a regression in morality. Of course Senator Clinton is qualified to run our country or she would have never made it this far.

Enough people have shown faith in her to dispel any fear that she will be an incompetent pawn for lobbyist and special interest groups. Moreover, Senator Barak Obama is the first legitimate African-American candidate with a real chance of braving the trials and tribulations of a presidential race.

"America has needed a fresh perspective for far too long."

This man is as qualified to run our country as his opponents, and certainly as well as the cowboy we call president now. America has needed a fresh perspective for far too long, and Sen. Obama can provide just that. If we as a country discard this man because of his race and name then we are a country living in the past. Such a stereotype would never be outright spoken, but it is quite obvious that this man faces just that. It is time to let go of our grandparents’ biases and shed the albatross of ignorance that should have passed away with our ancestors.

"We must alter our damaged image to the world."

We cannot afford for the qualified to go unrewarded. I hope with all sincerity that America is ready for a change in the demographic of our leader, but I fear we are not. Ours is a country screaming for change but hesitant to take the next step. When race and gender cease being a factor in the presidential race, then perhaps we will be ready for a leader who is not the carbon copy of the capitalist puppet with whom we lay our trust. America needs a face-lift. We must alter our damaged image to the world, and electing a qualified leader is the initial and most crucial step.

What the two democratic candidates offer is a fresh perspective on how our great country should be led. Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama are running on very similar platforms differentiated only by subtle differences, but on the whole they are promising the same things. So what is the deciding factor for the democratic nominee? The answer may simply be an issue of security for the individual voter. Which one gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling? Hey, John Q. Voter, are you ready to elect a qualified candidate regardless of race or gender? The world is waiting.