With the 2008 presidential election nearing, many voters are still undecided. This was the opinion of Starla Colson, a 20-year-old English major at ETSU, who has the ambition of becoming a college professor.

“I’m not 100-percent sure. It’s so hard to come up with a decision with so much information coming at me,” she said. “And it’s hard to sort through it all and decide what to believe. It makes it hard to pick.” 

This will be a difficult decision for many first-time voters such as Colson, who are working hard, as students, in hopes of beginning their professional lives in the near future.

For Colson the candidate’s political party has no meaning. Because the issues will affect their futures, the candidate’s stance on today’s issues will determine their vote.

“I find it to difficult to single out one party when every presidential candidate is different no matter their party,” she said.

She would much rather decide based on the candidate as a person and by what the person can do for this country. Colson said the issues at hand will largely affect her future as a young professional and that Americans should elect someone who will act now to save the nation serious trouble down the road.

For Colson it is not hard to see the issues. She would like to see some sort of pro-active plan to repair the nation’s economy and prevent the possibility of a recession or depression if action is not taken soon.

Health care is another concern for Colson and many other people in her age group.

“As an up-and-coming adult I will no longer be on my mother’s health insurance so I would like to see a plan for universal health care,” said Colson.

Colson also said that the war in Iraq is an important issue because of the effect it has on the economy and on the lives of soldiers. 

“I feel that we need a plan to pull out of Iraq and I am more inclined to support a candidate who has that plan,” she said.

Sen. Barack Obama stated in a New York Times article that unlike Sen. John McCain he “opposed the war in Iraq before it began,” and if elected “would end it as president.”

For this reason Colson is “slightly leaning toward Obama.” She also feels that he could be a “breath of fresh air” for this country. However, this is not without reservation.

“I don’t really feel like it affects my daily life,” she said. “Because by the time the power trickles down I don’t believe the people are very affected by his influence.” 

It is this problem that leaves Colson skeptical of the election. 

“With every change of power there is another set of problems that will affect us all,” she said. “It’s just disguised well in the beginning.”