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Since the beginning of the year my awareness of the Campaign 2000 has grown substantially and I feel confident that on Election Day, I will confidently submit my ballot. Since I am only twenty years old, many of the "hot topics," such as Campaign Finance Reform or prescription medicine coverage, have very little significance to me. On that account, I've decided that over the next four years I want a president who will work for women's issues. Legislation regarding health care and the workplace will most directly affect me during the next presidential term. Additionally, I believe it is important to elect a president that cares about the condition of his country as well as his people. All politics aside, the preservation of the environment is the only aspect that affects every person on this earth. After carefully researching information, speeches, party platforms, and each candidate's stance on women's rights, equality and environmental issues, I have decided that Al Gore is the best presidential candidate for me. Since Al Gore has served as the vice president for eight years and previously served in the Senate as well, I was able to examine some of the work he has done in two separate branches of the government. The most important issue for me to research was what Al Gore did in support of the woman's right to choose. Since I am a college student, I feel that the issue of abortion most directly affects me over any other issue. Since I came to school, I have had many friends that have become pregnant. Each of them became so under different circumstances and unique situations. What they all had in common was the legal right to choose whether or not they were able and willing to bring a child into the world at the particular time. I strongly support a woman's right to choose whether or not she wants to have a baby. Having a baby is life altering and college women have plans for their futures. Women can no longer depend on getting married and becoming housewives and homemakers. Women today need a college education, a sense of independence, and the right to achieve their goals. Like myself, Al Gore is publicly against the actual concept of abortion. "During his 1984 Senate campaign, Al Gore stated that while he personally opposed abortion, he believed that they shouldn't be outlawed by the federal government." (Gore2000 homepage.) Additionally I discovered that, "Gore Co-sponsored the Freedom of Choice Act, which sought to ensure that states could not chip away at the rights provided by Roe v. Wade," (CNN.com) the case in 1973 in which the Supreme Court ruled that the right to choose was protected by the constitution It is important to have a president, which once elected, will ensure the rights established by Supreme Court rulings, especially those rights that have a direct effect on individual freedoms. In support for the right to choose, I also believe in the right for women to be well informed of their options. The Gore2000 homepage states that Al Gore has adamantly opposed the "Gag Rule" and vows to continue his opposition of it through his presidency. I think that if doctors are unable to counsel women about all of their reproductive rights, then the woman does not really have the right to choose. Similarly, "Al Gore has also supported the "Freedom of Access to Clinics Act," which establishes a "safety zone" around women's health clinics" (Gore2000) to prevent violence and intimidation against women. This concept is very important to me because it prevents violence while advancing women's health at the same time. If abortion were to become illegal the lives of many women would be endangered. This is an important election for the pro-choice voters because it is very possible that the president elect will have to make Supreme Court appointments. As of now the Supreme Court has upheld Roe V. Wade by a slim margin of votes. If Al Gore is elected he will continue to uphold the Roe V. Wade decision and ensure the woman's right to choose is protected by appointing pro-choice judges. Similar to the right to choose, I believe that the president should uphold the right of equality between men and women. As a college woman, I will graduate and enter a competitive job market. I will have the same degrees and credentials as many graduates contending in my field, but traditional society holds the "glass ceiling" and the "sticky floor" for me. The problem of equality for women in the workplace is not a fabrication; " a 1998 study indicated that women on average earn about 75 cents for every dollar earned by a man" (Gore2000.) The Gore2000 homepage indicates that Al Gore has done a lot of work to ensure equality for women, as the Vice President, Al Gore urged Congress to pass the Pay Check Fairness Act, allowing women to hold their employers accountable for paycheck violations. Additionally, "Gore was an original cosponsor of the Civil Rights Act of 1990," this act attempted to overturn a number of Supreme Court rulings that made it more difficult for minorities and women to win discrimination suits. Along with equality in the workplace, Al Gore has also made progress in legislation to support family and medical leave. "Under the Clinton Administration, Gore has been an advocate for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) which has assisted millions of women upon giving birth or caring for ill relatives." (CNN homepage.) The Gore2000 homepage says that Gore has promised if elected into office he will continue to expand the FMLA and also address other problems that mothers face while employed, such as meeting their children's teachers. Al Gore's stance on women in the workplace compared to his opponent George W. Bush's is more beneficial to me. On his homepage, George W. Bush has made it clear that he does not believe that women or minorities should be assisted in any way in the working world. He insists that there should be no affirmative action programs or quotas. If our society operated in a truly equal manner, there would be no need for these regulations, however women and minorities are historically prone to discriminations. As more women graduate from college and earn degrees, I believe that there lies a growing sense of animosity from a formerly male dominated job market. It is important to me that I am protected from discrimination, because I am working hard in school now to have a fair and equal chance amongst men later. Although equality in the workplace is not a main concern in my life right now, it is my greatest fear for the future. I feel confident that Al Gore, if elected, will pursue legislation that will make it possible for me to break through the glass ceiling. Another concern I have for the future of our country is its rapid expansion and constant depletion of vital resources. Polar ice caps, clean drinking water, and land preservation, are serious issues regardless of one's age, sex, or political affiliation. As a nation, out economy can only continue to prosper if we live in a healthy, livable environment. Legislation regarding the preservation of our environment is essential and beneficial to each person in this nation and Al Gore has made the environment his signature issue. "If elected into office, Al Gore has promised to curtail global warming and guarantee cleaner air. He has plans to reduce smog, greenhouse gas emissions and ozone depletion." (Project Vote Smart.) Additionally, "Gore intends to preserve public lands and irreplaceable natural resources by providing funding for parks, protecting wildlife, and forests from being destroyed. (Gore2000.) Another important aspect of Gore's environmental plan is to "ensure safe drinking water" (CNN.com.) So many chemicals have been put into the ground through the decades and as a result many health problems are arising today because of unsafe drinking water. If elected into office, "Gore plans to strengthen the Clean Water Act by increasing funding for clean water programs and ensuring a more comprehensive watershed approach to improve water quality." (Gore2000.) Similar to the Clean Water legislation, The CNN Homepage states that Gore insists that he will protect people from industrial and toxic waste by raising awareness of toxic waste problems in communities and beginning to clean up those toxic release areas. Also, in response to Global Warming, "Al Gore supports the Kyoto global warming agreement, which his opponent George W. Bush opposes" (Project Vote Smart.) Al Gore's environmental policy sounds strong to me because he emphasizes the need for federal regulations and sanctions regarding the environment. George W. Bush "supports increased state control over environmental policies" (George W. Bush) which in my opinion, is not in the nation's best interest. If states are able to set their own environmental standards, they will do so in their own economic self-interest. I believe that Bush's plan will lead to big businesses adapting standards that are harmful to the environment, and they won't be subject to federal discretion under his presidency. I think that Bush's environmental plan lacks concern for the environment, while Al Gore seems to recognize that we need to unite as a nation and act on environmental problems before they are out of the nation's control. As the race runs on, plans keep improving and taking form. I am increasingly able to understand the importance of electing a good president. As a college student, I am at the point in my life where the president's actions will begin to affect me. Therefore, it is essential that as the race continues, I examine Al Gore's plans for other issues as well as the ones most important to me. However, I feel comfortable that if elected, Al Gore will be a good president and represent the country and myself commendably. After a long and close race the presidency is undecided. This election year has turned itself into history. This year, the role of the American voter has proved itself essential to our democracy. It is rare that the popular vote for a candidate ever contradicts the electoral vote, but this year we have two winners. Al Gore has secured the popular vote, and the numbers keep rising for him as recounts go on. However, it appears that George W. Bush will receive Florida's Electoral votes, which will put him right over the 270 votes needed to secure the presidency. Throughout the campaigns, the polls have always been near even; neither candidate ever rose to a safe level above the other. Going into Election day, Al Gore knew he had to win over some swing states, he needed to secure voters that might be tempted to vote for the Green Party. However, Florida was expected to be a win for the Democratic Party. Al Gore got most of his swing states, and he secured more votes that George W. Bush, but he was unable to gain enough Electoral Votes to put him into the oval office. Many factors contributed to the nature of this presidential race. The media's influence, the rise and acceptance of the new Green Party have combined to produce no clear winner of the election. From the primaries to the ballot box, the news media never lost sight of the presidential candidates. Slandering Ad's, personal controversy, and heated debates, were twisted and turned on every news channel. I believe that the media is partially responsible for the nature of the election. Although George W. Bush's past DUI conviction probably won't have any effect on his ability to be the president today, after watching the news that day I was certain that our nation was going to be "under the influence" of a bad leader. Mud Slinging was the primary information tactic utilized by every news station that covered the election. The media attacks a candidate with negative journalistic opinions and their opinions stick to him, and stay there through their continuous reference to it. The media influences us; they say pick a candidate because he is a Boy Scout, or a veteran. Support him because he grew up on a farm, just like you did. The media gives us reasons for support that we can relate to, but they often leave out important details. Hence, the voter is manipulated and controlled in forming his opinion about the candidates. He is unable to contest the control of the media because most of us lack the resources and the time to research otherwise. I believe that in this election the media stereotyped Al Gore. The Republican Party labeled Al Gore a liar and the media exploited that. "Headlines such as "There he Gores it again; Gore Just Can't Tell the Truth" and "Record Shows Gore Long Embellishing The Truth" graced the cover of the Boston Globe. Similarly, "Gore Takes False Credit" and "Gore-it is: Al Gores uncontrollable lying" screamed across headlines" (Republican National Committee). If Al Gore slipped up or contradicted something he said ten years ago, he was called a liar. These words echoed in the heads of American voters at the polls. You can't trust a liar with the presidency, and the media compounded the words "Liar" and "Al Gore" through articles, cartoons, and newscasts into voter's heads. If you hear it enough it becomes your opinion to, such is the case in Florida. The election will be decided by a limited number of votes, and if the media had not influenced even 300 of those voters, their votes might have been cast for Al Gore. Most of the voters that disliked Al Gore did not go straight to the polls and vote for George Bush. Many of the votes that might have gone to AL Gore were cast to the Green Party candidate, Ralph Nader. The Green Party emerged as a strong third-party influence this election year. Historically, third parties play a beneficial role in the two-party dominant system. They raise awareness and lead to the development and implementation of new ideas and platforms. This year Ralph Nader gathered a large number of supporters based on his human rights, political reform and environmental platforms. Due to his strong environmental ideology, he served as the role of the "spoiler" for Al Gore. The "spoiler" refers to a third party candidate who gathers enough votes to either influence or alter the presidential election. Ralph Nader's success was damaging to Al Gore because it altered the number of popular votes that he needed to secure the electoral votes in "swing states." States such as California and Oregon serve as examples of the "spoiler" effect, in which the electoral vote could have been tilted to a conservative side by default between the Green and Democratic parties. The threat of Nader's voters prompted Al Gore to campaign heavily in swing states, to secure the electoral vote in those states. This campaigning may have ultimately cost him the election in states that were projected to vote Democratic. For example, Florida was expected to be a Gore state however; its votes have ended up determining the election. If Al Gore had secured the swing states without the threat of the "spoiler," Ralph Nader, then he could have focused his campaign efforts to places like Florida, or other states that could have given him those needed electoral votes. According to the CNN homepage, 3,835,594 votes were cast nation-wide for third party candidates and in Florida 96,873 votes were cast for Ralph Nader alone. "The election is at a difference of 300-900 votes between Gore and Bush" (CNN.com) and those 90,000 voters who voted for Nader would have most likely gone for Al Gore if the election was between George W. Bush and Al Gore alone. This year serves as a historical example of how important every American's vote really is. When only a few hundred votes separate who will and who will not be the president over the next four years, one can truly see the significance of one vote amongst millions of others. I believe that Al Gore did not win decisively because of the factors that contributed to him losing small amounts of votes throughout the campaign. Perhaps the media influenced some voters to change their votes to Bush or Nader. It is possible that Nader alone is responsible for spoiling Al Gore's victory. Regardless, it is difficult to pinpoint a winner when one candidate wins the popular vote and the other takes the electoral vote. I believe that after this election, the American people will recognize the need to go to the polls and choose their leader. CNN.com. November 2000. Cable News Network. Http://www.cnn.com GeorgeW.Bush.October 2000. Bush/Cheney 2000. Http://www.georgewbush.com Gore2000. October 2000. Gore/Leiberman Inc. Http://www.gore2000.org Project Vote Smart. October 2000. Project Vote Smart. Http://www.vote-smart.org Republican National Committee. November 2000. 2000 Republican National Committee. Http://www.gop.org Bibliography: Works Cited CNN.com. November 2000. Cable News Network. Http://www.cnn.com GeorgeW.Bush.October 2000. Bush/Cheney 2000. Http://www.georgewbush.com Gore2000. October 2000. Gore/Leiberman Inc. Http://www.gore2000.org Project Vote Smart. October 2000. Project Vote Smart. Http://www.vote-smart.org Republican National Committee. November 2000. 2000 Republican National Committee. Http://www.gop.org Word Count: 2874
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