With many strong candidates, the upcoming election seems as tight as ever. But, in the eyes of junior public relations major Laura Norman, only one man stands above all: Illinois Senator Barack Obama.
"I am excited about this election because it is time for a change in America," Norman said. "There are issues in this country that aren't being addressed that I think a change in leadership will shed light on."
Norman has shown her support by becoming a member of his campaign, as well as a member of the Support Barack Obama Facebook group, which currently boasts approximately 629,714 members.
"I believe Barack Obama is the strongest candidate because he is young and intelligent," said Norman. "Youth is something that is greatly underappreciated in this country. He represents a great majority of the country's beliefs."
Some of the major issues in this year's presidential election include the war in Iraq and how quickly troops can be withdrawn, as well as health care and human rights.
When asked why she considers Obama to be the best candidate to begin to resolve these issues, Norman said, "Barack Obama is the best in these areas because he has a plan of action for removing the troops in a timely manner that won't completely destroy what's left of the stability of Iraq. He also knows how important health care is to this country and has an articulate plan to make it more affordable for all Americans."
Some students who are declared Republicans seem to be swayed toward the Obama camp.
"I am not going to vote for John McCain because the value of having a non-white president in this country will naturally support the transition over the next decade from the American majority being white to Hispanic," said Ben Leffel, a sophomore political science major. "Though Hillary Clinton does have experience, Obama outweighs her overall for me."
Sophomore athletic training major Allan Webster said, "I like Barack better because of his speaking skills, but I will vote for John McCain because I am a Republican."
As the primaries draw closer, Norman is standing firm in her belief and support for Obama, and urges others to stand by him too.
Norman said, "I support Obama 100 percent and believe that our generation should support him because he is the one that will protect our futures. This election is no longer our parents voting. It is our time to stand for what we believe in and fix our country."
