John McCain versus Barack Obama: An Ethic Battle

Assuming Senator Barack Obama wins the Democratic nomination, one will see a variety of issues which both Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain will argue. The War in Iraq, Poverty, Health care, Education, etc. (the usual) issues will still be argued, however the media and both senators will focus on the most important issue of their campaign: ethics.

One can determine this through arguments of John McCain’s attack on Senator Barack Obama for not accepting an earlier promise made by the two senators to only accept public financing during the general election. It is not certain whether or not Obama will accept only public financing if he is nominated to the race for the presidency, given his ability to fundraise heavily this quarter over his current opponent, Senator Hillary Clinton. And while Obama was able to fundraise over 140 million dollars, John McCain has only been able to fundraise 55 million dollars. Barack Obama may reconsider, which would cause an ethic’s issue.

On the other hand, the New York Times has reported a ‘scandal’ which states that Senator McCain might have had an affair with a female lobbyist. Even though the New York Times did not have reliable sources, nor has John McCain or the lobbyist said their relationship was romantic, it still raises questions which John McCain has to answer. The Democratic Party also filed a report with the Federal Election Commission which stated that Senator McCain had ‘broken the law’ when it came to spending and fundraising his campaign money. John McCain said he followed the rules. Joe Sandler, the General Counsel for the Democratic National Committee, even branded him a ‘liar’ in an email sent to Democratic supporters.

Both Barack Obama and John McCain believe in ethic reform in Washington, DC. Both believe lobbyists should not have such a large influence over Washington. Barack Obama’s message of ‘Change’ signifies the importance of his message to reform Washington to allow lobbyist’s limited power. John McCain believes the same, however both men have taken rewards from lobbyists, and both senators now oppose what they initially received.

When and if Barack Obama receives the nomination from the Democratic Party, one will observe that the Republicans Party and John McCain will attempt to attack Barack Obama on his message of ‘change’ including ethics. The Democratic Party and Barack Obama will attack John McCain on his question of lawfully fundraising and spending, and other ethics. This will be a long ‘ethic battle’.

The biggest nuisance of the Democratic Party: Super delegates.

Today’s Democratic Presidential candidates, the media, and Democratic Party officials are creating a huge debate of whether or not Super delegates should choose the people’s choice for president, or whether they should vote for who they feel is the ‘most qualified’. However, it should be their duty to select a Presidential nominee based on the choice of the voting populace.

If one has not heard the immense debate over the past weeks over the importance of Super delegates in the Democratic Party’s presidential nominating process and their influence over selecting a presidential nominee, then one has not been paying attention to the biggest catastrophe of the Democratic Party’s nomination process.

These Presidential Nominee King-Makers (Super delegates) are the biggest annoyance to the Democratic Party. Super delegates can potentially override the Democratic voters’ choice for a presidential nominee altogether. Currently, there are close to eight-hundred Super delegates who could swing the presidential nomination to either Senator Barack Obama or Senator Hillary Clinton. That is not to say they will, but it is plausible. Hillary Clinton’s lead among Super delegates is a prime example how these Super delegates could override the voter’s plurality and select a different candidate in any election for president.

Super delegates are a move to give politicians more of what they do not need: power. It gives Senators, Representatives, Governors, and Democratic Party ‘Elites’ the opportunity to be more powerful than the people that elect them. Super delegates discourage the party’s platform of a ‘party of the people and by the people’. Furthermore, it should be their responsibility to do what is right. Super delegates must wait for the people to decide, and then select the plurality’s choice.

Here is my advice to the Super delegates: Vote for the Presidential nominee who receives the most votes.

Here’s my advice to the Democratic Party: Do away with these ‘Super delegates’, and go with the plurality in the next nomination process.

Michigan and Florida: If Hillary Succeeds

If Senator Hillary Clinton receives the delegates she wants in Michigan and Florida, Clinton will be close to Senator Barack Obama in the delegate count in the race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination. However, Senator Barack Obama will maintain his lead, but only slightly.


If delegates are allowed from Michigan in the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton will receive 73 delegates, and Obama will potentially receive 55. “Potentially” because Obama’s name was not on the ballot during the election. Including Super delegates from Michigan, Hillary Clinton wins the support of seven Super delegates. Obama receives the support of only one.

With the delegates added altogether Clinton will receive 80 total delegates.
Obama will potentially receive 56 total delegates.


If the Florida delegates are allowed to be seated in Denver at the Democratic National Convention, Clinton will receive the support of 105 delegates. Barack Obama will receive the support of 67 delegates. John Edwards, who suspended his campaign after losing the South Carolina primary, will win 13 delegates at the Democratic National Convention. With Super delegates in Florida, Hillary Clinton will receive the support of seven Super delegates. Barack Obama will receive the support of four Super delegates.


In Florida, Hilary Clinton will, in total, receive 112 delegates.
Barack Obama will be awarded 71 delegates.


If the delegates in both Michigan and Florida were allowed to be seated today, and before the March 4th primaries, the total number of delegates will be as followed:


CLINTON: 1461
OBAMA: 1487


It is difficult to tell how accurate this number actually is, since 55 uncommitted delegates would potentially represent Barack Obama, but this is not certain. Also, this number should not represent the consensus of either state, since many voters abstained from voting for a nominee knowing their votes would not be included in the race for the presidential nominee.




Written by Robert Bettis. Tuscaloosa, Alabama.