The 2008 "Race to the White House" has become one of the most heated since Kennedy and Nixon in 1960. On the one hand, we have Illinois Senator Barack Obama (D), whose campaign promises "Change We Can Believe In". On the other, we find Arizona Senator John McCain (R), who carries the slogan, "Courageous Service, Experienced Leadership, Bold Solutions". Who is the best candidate to pull our country out of this rut we’ve dug ourselves into throughout the last eight years? As educated college students of voting age, it is not only our privilege but our responsibility to learn all we can about the candidates to make an informed decision about our future president. There are five main issues that are more prevalent in this election: economy, environment, healthcare, Iraq, and social security.

The economy has been in a downward trend for several years. Currently in a recession, our country is in need of new jobs, tax cuts for the middle and lower classes, and assistance to homeowners to prevent foreclosure. Both candidates have plans to do all of these things, though in slightly different ways. Obama’s two main goals are to reverse Bush’s tax cuts on the wealthy and distribute tax cuts to the lower classes, and to increase minimum wage to keep up with the rampant inflation. McCain has plans to give Americans a gasoline tax break between Memorial Day and Labor Day, cutting the price of gas by $.54, and has plans to give homeowners a loan option from the federal government to keep homes in homeowners’ hands.

The challenges facing our environment are overwhelming, as well. Greenhouse gases are worse than they’ve ever been, and the attempts to create a nationwide independence from foreign oil have recently taken off. Obama’s plans include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% before 2050 and putting at least 1 million plug-in hybrid cars – which get 150 miles to the gallon – on the roads by 2015. Both Obama and McCain endorse the idea of a "Cap and Trade System". In this system, a person receives certificates allowing their vehicle to emit specified amounts of greenhouse gases. If they manage to come up below that cutoff, they can sell their spare certificates for cash. This would help both the economy and the reduction of greenhouse gases.

In recent times, it has become apparent that most Americans are in favor of ensuring each person in our country has health care. As a result, it has become a major issue in this election. Obama plans to make available a national healthcare plan, offered to all 47 million uninsured Americans. The plan would be similar to the healthcare plan given to members of Congress, including preventative, maternity and mental health care. The plan would also require mandatory healthcare for children, and allows for children to remain on their parents’ plan until age 25. In contrast, McCain wants to create a plan to ensure care for high-risk patients that presently receive little to no coverage, while at the same time lowering the cost of general insurance to make it more affordable for everyone.

Another hot button issue in this election is the Iraq war, and differing ideas for its resolution have been a large point of contention between the candidates. Obama has been consistently touting his voting record in the Senate, where he voted multiple times against the Iraq war. Obama has promised that immediately beginning his presidency our troops will exit Iraq in phases. During this time, he will be diplomatically working with the Iraqi government. As a result, all our servicemen and women will be home within 16 months. McCain has no desire to pull out of Iraq, and insists that American troups must remain there until the Iraqi government is established. He maintains that it is our responsibility to defeat Al Qaeda and ensure Iraq’s ability to safeguard their own country before bringing our troops home.

A topic that is very much an issue with the younger crowd – our crowd – is Social Security, and its availability when we retire. Obama’s plan involves asking those who make over $250,000 annually to contribute some of their income to the Social Security fund. He makes a special point to mention that he has no intentions to put any of the cost on the lower classes. McCain’s plan is to suggest that we invest in private accounts; the interest accrued on a private account is far higher than that on Social Security.