Whom will the coming election Empower?

2008 may be a pivotal moment for two rights movements that have been fought for far too long in america. On the one hand, the Womans Suffrage movement from the 1920's and the Modern African American Civil rights movement from the 1960's


The fact that the next presidency shall belong to the democratic party, does not surprise anyone anymore.


If Obama wins, He would perhaps, on account of representing black america in some way, would close the gap between white and black america, that minorities have always complained about. Although Obama does not have any civil rights background (His father being kenyan and him being far removed from any of the hard battles that african americans had to fight), He brings something very unique to the presidency. He's half white and half black, in race terms, and the fact that his father is not an american might elevate america to being the most liberal and representative democracy in the world.


The fact that he is black in a sense, will set the bar higher for the african american minority. Maybe, we shall not see statisticians beaming details of "first black this.. and first black that" anymore. Because the presidency, the highest goal of being represented would have been achieved.

The downside to obama winning would be that he comes to the table without much experience. Wil he run the country or will those under him tell him how to run the country?

If Hillary wins, women would win their badly denied representation and find their heroine in her occupying perhaps the most powerful position in the world. It's a pity that one of the oldest democracies in the world is late to the party of having a woman as it's leader, but it's never too late. There could not be a more opportune time than this. For woman leaders as hillary, are few to be seen in american politics. She is perhaps the most equipeed, with her experience and background, to take on the male political bastion. And the fact that she would come to power with the entire clinton machinery, that her husband painstakingly built, would signal a return to those roaring 90's when america basked in economic prosperity.

The downside to having hillary as a leader is that america would go in history as having been ruled by two families, the clintons and bushes, for 24 years. America would not look much different than any of the budding democracies where a few families control power.


Whatever the result, the next election is expected to make either the women or the african americans sigh in relief after a long battle for representation. What if it were both? A Hillary presidency with Obama as the Vice President. Would that not be wonderful?