Rebel Record <![CDATA[Rebel Record]]> en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:43:57 GMT 15 <![CDATA[Race and gender influence votes]]> By Carolina Diaz (Staff Reporter)


Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are in a tight race for the 2008 nomination campaign

History is in the making. Take Hilary and you get the first female president of the United States. Take Obama and you get the first African-American president. It all comes down to the Caucasian woman, or the African-American man. With all this talk of primaries, caucuses, delegates, and now super delegates it’s hard not to get mixed up. But there could be something else influencing one’s choices. So let’s not ignore the elephant in the room, which has a greater influence: gender or race? “Race, gender and ethnicity are all part of our political socialization,” Government teacher Mike Jones explained. “Voting behaviors, whether to vote or not and whom to vote for, are heavily influenced by these factors.” Some are still undecided. But it is because they too have realized the importance of this year’s elections. Change, no doubt, is a good thing but is a difficult decision to make. “If I vote for Obama people will say it’s because I’m black, and if I vote for Hilary people will say it’s because I’m a woman,” Senior Brittany Ward said. “So as an African-American woman, it puts me in a difficult position.” Regardless of the numbers and the delegates, this year’s race still addresses some significant questions. And to some the answers are clear. “The demographics are important, but it’s all about race,” Senior Ariana Estrada said. “Sure Hilary is a woman, but she is a white woman and she still loosely fits the white man stereotype.” Gender is a stronger influence to others. “People are definitely more sexist, but it’s way more subtle,” Senior Cris Bautista said. “People are sexist and they don’t even realize it.” Although race and gender both have a strong influence on people’s choices, some see that it’s not the only reason to vote for a candidate. “It’s definitely not a slam dunk, because there still is a lot of loyalty to the Clintons. But then again, not all women will vote for Hilary, just as not all African-Americans will vote for Obama,” History teacher Alicia Dorosin said. Regardless of whether Hilary or Obama win, this year’s presidential election will leave its mark in history. “The fact that we have both a woman and an African-American both running for president tells us that the people who came before them [Hilary and Obama] made a lot of sacrifices to get to where we are today,” Government teacher Judy Smith said. “We’ve still got a long way to go, but we’re getting there.” ]]> Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:26:00 GMT