In November, I will be voting for either a woman or black man to possibly make history.

If you turn on a television, read a newspaper or listen to the radio, you cannot avoid hearing about the Democratic battle for the presidential candidacy.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have infused their party with a political energy this country hasn’t seen in years. These two candidates could break barriers of both sexism and racism that have persisted in America for centuries.

Their unwavering supporters vote in record numbers at the polls and get the nation to once again believe in the possibility of honest representation.

The smiles and friendly banter between Clinton and Obama continue to waver as the campaign drags to what appears will be a decision at the Democratic Convention.

As each candidate’s supporters get more enthused and each debate gets more intense, a bitter undertone is progressively more noticeable in the race.

Having two qualified presidential candidates for the party I support should excite me.

Instead, I am afraid this fight to the finish may be the one thing John McCain needs to guarantee a White House win.

The uglier the Clinton and Obama campaign tactics get, the more the divided the Democratic Party becomes. Rumors of sabotage, racism and sexism among the candidates detracts from the party’s quest to return to dominance.

The candidates need to let their platforms speak for themselves instead of attacking each other. Those methods not only detract from their personal strengths but from the party’s ability to show unity.

Through a joint ticket, the pair has the potential to be unstoppable. There will be no chance of that, however, with the negative tide the campaign has.

Democratic voters are taking their candidate allegiances to the extreme vowing they will vote for McCain if their Democratic choice does not win the nomination.

I do not chastise someone who switches alliances for sound reasons, but simply “hating Clinton” or “hating Obama” just won’t do in such a critical race.

The presidential primaries are not designed for party division, but party consensus. Supporters of the losing side should not feel literally defeated. Either candidate has the abilities needed to be an effective leader.

Now is not the time for voters, endorsements, advertisements or speeches to get ugly.

If somebody does not take a stand to redirect the negative energy in Democratic politics, an Arizona senator might get the last laugh.

MarchaŠ Grair is a sophomore electronic media production major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].