Ever heard the saying ‘shot yourself in the foot’? We can’t help but feel that that’s what the Democratic Party will be saying about themselves about a year and a half from now.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama represent everything that is great about this country. A woman and a black man are the two leading contenders for the Democratic Party nomination. Unfortunately, that’s all they are: contenders. In November of next year, we’re going to see things go the way they always do. We’re going to see the next President of the United States of America be…wait for it…an old, white guy.

Surprised? Well, you should not be. The Democrats think they are being groundbreaking trailblazers – which they are – but it is going to backfire on them.

We are all waiting for a change in the American political system, but let’s be honest, the rest of America isn’t. Shoving one minority into the limelight is risky enough, but two? The conservative members of America will be outraged! By nominating both candidates, the party is painting an unfavorable image of themselves in the view of these citizens. They always say that slow and steady wins the race, so why is the Democratic Party rushing to the finish line?

The candidates themselves aren’t really doing things to help their chances either. Obama has said he is not running for second place, and would not consider a ticket with him as vice-president and Clinton as president.

"You don't run for second. I don't believe in that," Obama said on The Late Show with David Letterman.

That ticket would actually make for a great team, but Obama’s refusal further hurts the Democratic Party’s chances.

To have these candidates run the same year is a terrible mistake. Only a liberal demographic will be willing to vote for these two candidates. There is an entire group of conservative Democrats who might not be so receptive to a candidate who is not an elder white male. Still, supporters are optimistic.

“I think that Hillary Clinton is an excellent candidate because she is qualified, because women run things better than men, and because she deserves a chance,” Paula Munnerlyn, Gables AP English teacher, said.

Even though we are optimistic, we are almost certain that the presidency will fall into the hands of the Republican Party yet again, perhaps into the flip-flopping hands of John McCain or the unsteady fingertips of Rudy Giuliani. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if the Republican Party took a chance on a candidate like Condoleezza Rice and the whole election became a fight between minority candidates? Wishful thinking, but we can always dream.