Primaries

Droopy-eyed Columbia Students for Obama returned from the Buckeye state early Wednesday morning after a long weekend of campaigning, traveling through the night so that one campaigner could make it back on time for a 9 am midterm. Despite the inopportune timing as academics anchor most students to their library desks, six students piled into a minivan last week and drove away from the Butler stacks to the Ohio haystacks.

In this election like no other recent one, the American people seem more willing to change, more hopeful for the future. Once again they have the opportunity to change things, and this time I have a say.

For Republicans in large, predominantly Democratic urban centers such as New York City, going to the polls can feel like an unsatisfying stop on the way home from work. Those of you who have grown accustomed to this line of thought however, think again. This Tuesday, your vote DOES matter.

With Edwards out of the race, Clinton and Obama must motivate themselves to stand on principle and fight for progressive ideals, even as they struggle to become candidates that can appeal to independent and undecided voters.

The race to succeed President Bush in the 2008 election has been touted as exciting, if not revolutionary, and a chance for young people to be louder than ever before. Yet despite these hopeful claims, we should not ignore the many faults of our nominating process, parts of which are both irrational and antiquated.