What’s in a name? A campaign slogan? Are the few words that follow a candidate’s name the deciding factor for votes? They could be, if you can believe it. Words like experience, change, security, faith, and strength for the future are some that we have heard in this 2008 primary race. But are they really what help you decide?

Campaign slogans are thought about for months before they show up. The candidates want to give you essentially what they are all about in a quick shot. If you are just looking at a sign or you are watching a debate on television, those words and slogans are all around the candidate. It is something visual and easy for you to remember while you are alone in the voting booth.

Candidate Fred Thompson, who said at one point that there is no clear front-runner in the Republican race for president, was obviously trying to sneak into the hearts of millions of voters (or trying to jump on as a running-mate) with his campaign slogan of "Security. Unity. Prosperity."

Using the word security implies that we are not safe in our country now. But with Thompson as president, would we be?

Ideas like these are pressed upon the voters of America.

Sen. Hillary Clinton has been using a few different words and phrases like experience, change and finding her new voice to help pull more voters from each demographic. The young vote, the old vote, the new vote, the women’s vote, whomever she can reach however she can reach them, she is doing it, even as she makes history.

From her Web site (www.hillaryclinton.com) she asks the viewer to "Help make history." No doubt that history has already been changed by her decision to run.

Sen. Barack Obama also is making history; only he is asking you to "believe" rather than to help. Is that really effective?

Asking the nation to vote for him based on believing may not be the best course of action. When Obama says to believe, though, it’s more than just believing in him or the party, it’s believing that someone other than a rich white man will be president, or that our nation has the capacity to look past race, or even gender to elect the future President.

Asking the public to believe in him is more or less asking them to have hope, but believing doesn’t mean that people will get out the word or even get out the vote. He also has been using the word change, as in changing the current administration.

Rudy Giuliani’s slogan is not only over-using the idea that he was the Mayor of New York City when Sept. 11, 2001 happened, the words Security, leadership, and liberty scream: ‘I can help us be secure against the terrorists, I can lead us through the hard times to come after they attack us, I can keep our liberties safe before and/or after they attack."

The former mayor needs to give the 9/11 thing a rest. Maybe if he came up with a different slogan or had a different platform that made the United States think something other than terrorism was in our near future, it would be a fresh start, and maybe give some voters a new opinion of him.

The use of the political campaign slogan has helped and hurt in many past elections.

For example, in the 1964 election Barry Goldwater used the phrase "In your heart, you know heís right." It was very creative but not successful. Or, maybe something like in 1992 Ross Perotís stab at rhyming "Ross for Boss," or 1920’s Warren G Harding’s slogan of "Cox and Cocktails."

Whatever you take into the voting booth with you, whether it be experience, or change, security or prosperity, let it be your decision on who is best for the job, not just someone else’s words.