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Highlands Today

Primary Elections Show Interesting Trends

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By Raleigh Whiteman | Highlands Today

Published: January 10, 2008

It's a good thing, I guess, that nothing else important is happening around the world. The networks and news channels are almost completely devoted to the primary elections, especially after Barack Obama won over Hillary Clinton in Iowa. It was fairly close in Iowa when Obama finally took the lead in a close race with Hillary. And when Mike Huckabee won, I believe they were surprised. Now in New Hampshire they battled again and Clinton won, as did Sen. John McCain.

The networks are giving each candidate a lot of free time interviewing and asking them questions that could have an effect on the undecided voters. It must be a logistical nightmare for the networks in making sure they do not give one candidate more free time than the others.

Florida's Primary

Rudy Giuliani didn't put out much effort in the New Hampshire primary, saving his energy and money for the Florida primary that will in all likelihood be the most important primary in the nation, even though the Democrats say it won't make any difference. Rudy is spending a lot of his election funds here in Florida advertising hundreds of times each day on television advertisements because it might be that how Florida goes so goes the nation, as it did in the last election.

Hopefully, Florida can get its balloting machines working correctly and not be the laughing stock of primaries. However, none of the votes count towards delegates for Democrats and only half the delegate votes count for Republicans.

Election Firsts

It is a very interesting election year and how it will finally turn out is anybody's guess. Obama has overcome the false rumors about his ethnic and religious background, and Clinton seems able to handle herself despite controversy with her husband when he was president. That could be a plus for her since he could aid in her decisions. Obama seems very articulate and very poised in his appearances and his youth could be a plus, he is 25 years younger than the oldest candidate. Should that candidate, Rudy Giuliani, (71) run in November against Obama, (46); the choice will be youth versus age.

We Want Changes

They are all calling for change. Of course we all want changes. We want the Muslims to cease their squabbling and threats against the United States. We want lower taxes and more benefits. We want better health care for less money and insurance that doesn't cost more than a hospital stay or a doctor's bill. We want gasoline to go back to 20th century levels.

We want the climate to not change and make the oceans rise and no more hurricanes. We want everyone to have a job and get rid of welfare for those who do not deserve it. We want the factories to stop outsourcing and for the computer gurus who try to solve our computer problems to be here in America. We want blacks to get along with the Hispanics and the whites to get along with them both and more equality between us all.

Raleigh Whiteman, of Lake Placid, is a contributing writer to Highlands Today. You can reach him on the Internet at rwwhiteman@comcast.net

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