The Republican Nomination Race.

Having just read an ABCnews feed, I am somewhat surprised, albeit not completely surprised, that Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) is not the front runner for the Republican presidential candidacy.

Who is in the front running?
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

So, why does this come as a surprise to me?
Well, for one, Giuliani hasn't held a public office since 2001, while McCain has held political offices since 1987. McCain has nearly 20 years under his political belt, while Giuliani has a total of eight.

To me, John McCain has more political credibility than Giuliani, and McCain has a war record, which is typically looked upon as favorable among presidential candidates, while Giuliani does not.

Another puzzling thing is that many white Protestants support Giuliani, more so than McCain, while Giuliani's political views often conflict with those of the white Protestant community.

Why am I not completely surprised?
McCain is more of a moderate Republican, more so than the neo-conservatives of today, and the Republican party is looking for more of a traditional conservative to represent the party, and to follow in the footsteps of President Bush.

Also, Giuliani has been looked upon as, not only the mayor of New York, but the Mayor of America, after the 9/11 attacks.

Moreover, I think that the rivalry between Giuliani and the likely Democrat candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-New York) would prove to be a stronger presidential battle than one between McCain and Clinton.

Why does it matter to me?
To be honest, I'm not completely sold on any single candidate just yet. Despite my liberal Democrat views, I'd still like to make an informed decision as to for whom I will be casting my ballot come 2008. As a Democrat, I favored McCain over both Bush and John Kerry back in 2004, and given a race between McCain and Clinton, I could be very much so on the fence.

Still, there's a good year-and-a-half of campaigning to go through, a good year-and-a-half of personal research on the candidates that matter to me, and a year-and-a-half where new "buzz candidates" could surface on both sides of the political spectrum. The third-party candidates will push different issues for the mainstream candidates to make a strong decision on as well, between now and November 2008, it's a matter of time until the country figures it out.

All I can do is urge the public to make an informed decision...to inform themselves past the mailers and television ads, to look deeper into the televised debates, and make a real informed decision. In this information age, I hope that the American public does not take their resources for granted, and that they take the time to vote for more than an icon, but a whole person. Whatever we do, let's do our best to make an informed decision. Inform yourselves during the political primaries, make sure that your candidate either fits your personal views, or what you feel would be best for our free world, what ever personal philosophies you hold dear. Then, during the presidential race, take an informed look at all sides, see what issues are pushed, and examine your own beliefs.

Our future is only as good as the decisions we make today.