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Joint Ticket Ideal for One Voter

 

By Brandy Emily

Shakara Hill wanted to vote for both Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as she cast her ballot in the Illinois primary presidential election.

But when it came to making a final decision on her paper ballot, Hill chose Obama as her candidate, although she said Clinton gets two thumbs up from her also.

"I want them together, I really do," Hill said of her support of an Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama ticket in the general election. "The two putting their heads together would be better. It wouldn’t be bad if she were president. She knows the ropes. That really would be change, both of them together."

Besides the obvious gender and race changes either Clinton or Obama would bring to the White House, Hill said she thinks both candidates would make a difference by bringing the troops home in a diplomatic way, through their proposed health care plans and what they would do about the mortgage crisis.

"The reason why I chose Barack is because for one he is a Democrat. Two, I agree with the issues that he stands on. I agree with some Hillary stands too, but not as much," Hill said.

The main issue she agrees with Obama on is his health care plan.

"I like that plan because he stated that he wanted to make the plan affordable to all citizens of America, unlike mandating it like Hillary."

The war in Iraq is the other issue Hill agrees with Obama on.

"[Obama and Clinton] both believe that our troops should come home, however Hillary thinks that they should just come home right away and of course, Sen. John McCain thinks they can stay another 100 years. He just doesn’t care. But mainly Obama thinks there is a way to go about getting them out instead of just immediately withdrawing them from Iraq. He believes that there should be like a discussion. Sit down and talk about it."

Hill voted along with her father at the local elementary school in her community of Galewood on the West Side of Chicago. She decided to catch the train from downtown to her home Monday night so that she could vote in Super Tuesday elections.

"I thought maybe this was really different. I thought wow, I am actually voting for the primary which I think will make a difference and hopefully my vote will count."

Although she did vote for a Democrat, Hill said she does understand that if Clinton or Obama were elected they would have big obstacles to overcome.

"I think if Obama or Hillary wins that the American people are definitely going to have some obstacles they are going to deal with because it takes a while for people to adapt to change. I believe they will have to work harder to try to prove themselves than try to at least satisfy at least 75 percent of people."

Not paying attention to the Republican race, Hill said she knows she doesn’t agree with McCain on the war in Iraq and she thinks he is "above and beyond the age that a president for the United States of America should be."