And people say dreams don’t come true. My dream has a chance and, no, I’m not talking about any “when you wish upon a star” lame little girl’s Disney princess fantasy.

I’m talking about politics. My idea of the perfect ticket for the Democrats in 2008 may actually become a reality. As a bleeding-heart liberal, the thought of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama taking on the Republicans for the White House puts a permanent smile on my face. And smiling isn’t really my thing.

With Obama announcing on his Web site his bid for the presidency Tuesday and Clinton following soon after, these two front-runners are exactly what the Democratic party needs. So what if neither one fits the mold of every president we’ve ever had?

As a side note, I would like to thank CNN.com for including in its story about Clinton that “should she win, she would be the first woman to serve as president of the United States – and the first presidential spouse to do so as well.” I think most of the American public, although they are not all experts in American history, would know we have never had a female president. And, hopefully, they can figure out that if we have not had a female president and most of the country does not recognize gay marriage that, obviously, no president’s spouse has ever become president. But maybe I’m giving the masses too much credit.

Let’s throw New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson in the mix for the Democratic presidential primaries, and we have a group of candidates who are a lot more representative of the U.S. population (If elected to the White House, Richardson would be the first Hispanic president). This is our chance to break barriers and make history. I’m being serious.

The face of Congress got a little more diverse this past election, with Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota becoming the first Muslim in Congress. If there was ever a time for a woman, a black and a Hispanic to fight it out for the White House, it’s now. I’m not going to hold my breath that the face of the Supreme Court is going to change anytime soon, simply because half of them would have to die before any serious change could be made.

The reporters have decided to make Clinton’s and Obama’s announcements into a story about the Democrats’ division over the war in Iraq. It’s funny that this is what grabs the media’s attention. Please consider that, although Democrats are rarely unified over a single policy, most believe troop withdrawal is necessary. As an FYI to MSNBC, the Republicans, not the Democrats, have conflicting ideas when it comes to the war. For once, the Democrats are on the same page with the majority of their policies and they even understand the need for diversity in the executive branch.

People say we’re not ready for Clinton and Obama to lead the country. Some political heavyweights think neither one can win. But, as clich‚ as this sounds, we won’t ever know until we try. There are about two years until the next president is inaugurated and it’s time for Americans to warm up to a major change.

Jen Steer is a junior broadcast news major and a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].