This election will be one for the history books.

The 2008 campaign broke free from the male Anglo American tradition by including an African American presidential candidate and a female vice presidential candidate. It has been quite a ride for Republican candidate John McCain and Democratic candidate Barack Obama, and the end of the journey for one will be determined on Tuesday, Nov. 4, Election Day.

In order for voters to make an informed decision on Election Day, they must be knowledgeable about each candidate. This includes personal backgrounds, and the pros and cons of each candidate.

"I want to know just what the candidate’s intentions are. I want to know that they are experienced and that they agree with what is best for the economy," said sophomore Raul Ramirez, an Engineering major.

Senator Barack Obama, 47 was born Aug. 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was raised by his mother Ann Dunham, a former resident of Wichita, Kansas, with the help of his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley. Obama’s parents divorced when he was two; his father, a native of Kenya, was absent throughout his childhood.

Obama has acknowledged experimenting with drugs and alcohol in his teenage years. His education started off at Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he studied for two years before transferring to Columbia University in New York City, where he graduated with a degree in Political Science. Years later, he entered Harvard University’s Law School and graduated in 1991. Obama was the first African American president of Harvard’s Law Review.

Obama, a Christian, has been a member of the United Church of Christ for 20 years.

"I am voting for McCain because there is something about Obama that I just don’t trust," said Kevin Naranjo, Engineering major, "It isn’t just the rumors that he might be Muslim, but he denies mistakes he has made in the past. He is just a popularity vote. He isn’t that bright."

In the summer of 2004 Obama was invited to deliver a speech in support of John Kerry’s nomination at the convention in Boston. Since then he has continued to climb the success ladder. He was elected a U.S. Senator for Illinois in November of 2004. In February of 2008, Obama made headlines when he announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Senator John McCain, 72 was born Aug. 29, 1936, in the Panama Canal Zone, Panama. He spent his childhood moving between naval bases in America and abroad. McCain followed in his father’s footsteps by attending the Naval Academy, where he graduated in 1958.

McCain served during the Vietnam War flying attack planes. In 1967 his plane was shot down during a bombing run over the North Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, and McCain spent five and a half years in various prison camps.

McCain was first elected into the U.S. House of Representatives serving Arizona in 1982. In 1986, McCain was elected a U.S. Senator.

McCain earned a reputation as a conservative politician. With President Bush limited to two terms, McCain officially entered the 2008 Republican presidential race in 2007 during an announcement in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

"I am ready for Barack Obama to take over and fix this mess that Bush made out of this country," said Jessica De La Garza, a freshman Criminal Justice major.

Though this election seems to be receiving a lot of interest from younger citizens, some young people did not register to vote by the Oct. 6 deadline.

"I’ll be quite honest; I haven’t really paid attention much to the election. That’s just not my focus at the moment. I guess I’m more interested in my business than in helping Obama or McCain. After all, I am only one vote," said Wesley Parks, a Business major.

Some interviewed didn’t even see a point in voting.

Rick Mora, 25, a vendor at the Domestic Violence Fair in the Student Center, said, "The state will always back its Republicans. San Antonio is a Democratic city, but Texas is a Republican state."

Mora mentioned that he is registered to vote, and he would vote for Senator Obama but he doesn’t think that Obama has a chance, so he would rather not participate at all.

Those who are interested and excited about voting said they love the idea that the candidates are more diverse.

"That’s what sparked my interest in voting," said Rakenda Busby, a Communications major. "As an African American myself, it’s nice to see that Obama might have a real chance at this election."

Democratic Candidate Barack Obama and Republican Candidate John McCain share similar ideas on some issues, but they strongly disagree on others. Issues that concern young voters today are the war in Iraq, the economy, education, health care and immigration.

American troops are fighting a war for their country and although everyone supports their effort, many wish they could return home safely and quickly.

"My heart is in Iraq, said Rosalba Flores, a freshmen Education major whose boyfriend is away in the war. She wants Barack Obama to win the election and bring the troops home.

According to Senator John McCain’s official website (www.johnmccain.com), his position on the Iraq war is as follows: "The best way to secure long-term peace and security is to establish a stable, prosperous and democratic state in Iraq that poses no threat to its neighbors and contributes to the defeat of terrorists. When Iraqi forces can safeguard their own country, American troops can return home."

Ed Hagen, 58, a Biology Professor at Palo Alto said, "I wish we didn’t have a war. I want to see troops come home, but I also want them to do their job and help those countries overseas become democratic countries."

Hagen seems to agree with presidential candidate John McCain. He mentioned that he isn’t quite sure who he is voting for, but he is leaning toward McCain because he is more conservative.

Senator Barack Obama (www.barackobama.com) sees things differently: "Here’s the truth: fighting a war without end will not force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. And fighting in a war without end will not make the American people feel safer. So when I am Commander-in-Chief, I will set a new goal on day one: I will end this war. Not because politics compels it. Not because our troops cannot bear the burden—as heavy as it is. But because it is the right thing to do for our national security, and it will ultimately make us safer."

The economy is another issue affecting Americans today. Fred Pompa, a Work-Study for Student Life, said, "We’re in bad shape. There has been a loss of jobs here at Palo Alto, and the issue is nationwide."

The economy is definitely in a crisis, and both candidates sound determined to do something. According to their official websites, both Presidential candidates have the American people’s best interests at heart.

Affordable education is an issue that concerns many young people in today’s society because students want to attend college and receive a degree without going into debt.

"I have to think smart. I want a degree without it breaking my wallet, so I put in a couple of years here and then transfer to my college of choice," said Martin Gomez, a Science major.

Both presidential candidates agree that help should be given to those who want to pursue a higher education, but their plans differ in how they will address this issue.

According to their official website, Obama and Biden will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of college education is completely free for most Americans, and it will cover two-thirds of the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Recipients of the credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of community service.

McCain’s website explains that he wants to streamline the process: "The existing tax benefits are too complicated, and many eligible families don’t claim them. By simplifying the existing benefits, I can assure that a greater number of families have a lower tax burden when they are helping to send their children to college. Consolidating programs will help simplify the administration of these programs, and help more students have a better understanding of their eligibility for aid."

Healthcare is another issue that is very important in today’s society. Millions of Americans are seriously ill and cannot afford the treatment to get better.

Obama’s official website details his plan: "We now face an opportunity- and an obligation- to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday’s health care debates. It’s time to bring together businesses, the medical community, and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution to the crisis, and it’s time to let the drug and insurance industries know that while they’ll get a seat at the table, they don’t get to buy every chair."

McCain’s ideas about healthcare are also listed on his official website: "An important part of McCain’s plan is to use competition to improve the quality of health insurance with greater variety to match people’s needs, lower prices, and portability. Families should be able to purchase health insurance nationwide across state lines."

Adam Mendez, a freshman at Palo Alto, shared his concerns about immigration. He mentioned that he disagrees with how the issue is being handed by the current president.

"The wall shouldn’t happen. Most people cross the border to have an opportunity at a better life," Mendez said.

John McCain, senator of a border state, wrote: "We must prove that we have the resources to secure our borders and use them, while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States. When we have achieved our border security goal, we must enact and implement the other parts of practical, fair and necessary immigration policy."

Senator Obama’s website wrote: "The time to fix our broken immigration system is now... We need stronger enforcement on the border and at the work place... But for reform to work, we also must respond to what pulls people to America... Where we can reunite families, we should. Where we can bring in more foreign-born workers with the skills our economy needs, we should."

The Presidential election is only days away. Every vote counts. If you don’t vote you don’t have the right to complain. Early voting began on Monday, Oct. 20 and goes through Friday, Oct. 31. Tuesday, Nov. 4, is election day. Go to the voterinfo website to find your poll site.

• www.procon.org—Provides information on the 2008 Election. It separates the candidates by party and gives background information on each. Also includes speeches, videos, statements on the issues.
• www.politifact.com—Offers information on the candidates and the statements that they have made. Their Truth-O-Meter rates the statements of the candidates as true, mostly true, half true, barely true, false or pants on fire.
• www.factcheck.org—Gives plenty of information on the 2008 election. Everything from poll results, news and more. Just type in what you want to know and a few links will guide you to more information.
• www.votesmart.org—Provides information on voter registration, voting deadline, voting records, major candidates, campaign finances, public statements and biographies of candidates.
• www.snopes.com/politics—Find out if an e-mail you have been sent about McCain or Obama is true or not on this site
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