Your grandparents talk about how charismatic John F. Kennedy looked next to Richard Nixon or how Vietnam was a black eye on our America ideals. Your parents talk about how Ronald Reagan made the presidency more than an office job, or how Bill Clinton got himself impeached in the Monica Lewinsky affair.

But now it is your generation. And now the stakes have never been higher.

Whether you like it or not, and whether you vote or not, on Jan. 20, 2009, either Barack Obama or John McCain will be sworn in as President of the United States. One of them will lead a nation, hold the title of leader of the free world and assume the role of Commander in Chief. That cold fact of reality is enough of a reality to wonder what kind of effect this man will have on our nation.

One of the biggest problems the 44th President will face is a highly troubled economy.

With brokerage firms and lending institutions sinking like ships with a hole in the side of them, the new President will be forced to save the country from possible recession. With his nominations of Treasury Secretary and filling multiple seats on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, George W’s successor will be forced to bring a number of powerful, intelligent and problem solving economist to Washington.

This election has been largely dominated by the race, sex or background of the candidate. Yet given the change in our cultural and political landscape this election is about so much more.

For the first time in 48 years, a sitting U.S. Senator will be elected to the presidency. While the ballot box presents two men with large amounts of accomplishments and an unprecedented following, neither has one day of executive experience. The first time McCain or Obama will ever attempt to balance a budget, they will start with a debt $9.3 trillion.

Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. John McCain will also have to deal with another pressing issue: regaining our American status in the world. Everything from our situation in Iraq to our position on the Georgia-Russia conflict will be a challenge for the President. Students have continuously been told that we are living in a global society more and more each day.

But the President not only has the burden of handling the current problem. This president, more than any other, will have a chance to shape the future and direction of the country. With the Supreme Court in the balance, this president will be able to nominate justices of our being. Because this is such a hot topic, Supreme Court expert Jeff Toobin was scheduled to appear at the Quick Center on September 24, to educate Fairfield on how each candidate would approach nominations.

Some experts also feel that the elected President will not run for re-election. McCain would be 76 in 2012, and Obama may suffer from a Democratic congress and increased spending. This puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the Vice-Presidency. McCain’s nominee Sarah Palin and Obama’s counterpart Joe Biden, will be given the daunting task of serving as a catalyst for their boss’ agenda. They may also serve as the next step in the revelation as the conservative revolution comes to a close.

One burden the President will not have to endure is that of ‘filling big shoes.’

George W. Bush, who saw 28 percent approval ratings this summer, has found himself so far distanced from his party’s nominee that he delivered his convention speech not only far from the Twin Cities (mainly because of a hurricane), but on the first night of the convention.

The situation calls for a hero. A man that can stand up to any challenge, and one that can be the greatest President in our nation’s storied history. If that President does not enter the Oval Office as a likely hero, he will simply go down as our worst.

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