EDITORIAL – Of primary importance

Regardless of the outcomes of tonight’s four crucial primaries, Democratic Sen. Hillary… Regardless of the outcomes of tonight’s four crucial primaries, Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton will push on to Pennsylvania.

Clinton made the announcement yesterday, telling reporters she believes the momentum is currently on her side. Some polls have positioned Clinton ahead of Democratic presidential rival Sen. Barack Obama in key primary states Ohio and Texas, and her campaign advisers have said if Obama, who has won 11 straight primaries, loses any primary tonight, it will show that Democrats are having second thoughts about him.

While the shifting momentum between the two candidates is a matter of debate, Clinton’s announcement has made one thing evidently clear: The Democratic primary race will continue to Pennsylvania, which has its primaries April 22.

As Pennsylvanians, this is great news. We’ve been watching the presidential race from the sidelines for months and will now have the opportunity to see both Democratic candidates campaign in our state, discussing issues pertinent to Pennsylvanians.

Both Obama and Clinton have taken pride in their grassroots campaign efforts, speaking to voters in diners, churches, schools and on college campuses. This type of campaigning is incredibly effective in bringing out new voters and granting undecided voters the opportunity to ask the candidates questions important to them – a privilege we’re happy to see Pennsylvania’s voters receive.

While we’re excited the race will continue to Pennsylvania, it’s hard to say how it will affect the Democratic Party. The 2008 primary race has been a grueling one, and both candidates’ commitments to continue on to Pennsylvania could raise questions concerning the level of discourse between the candidates. Both Clinton and Obama were guilty of resorting to negative campaign tactics in recent weeks, acts of desperation that only serve to alienate voters from the party and polarize supporters for or against each candidate. Although Clinton and Obama are almost identical on policy issues, they should instead keep discussions limited to policy, not character debates. Negative discourse only serves to turn voters away and lower the quality of discussion on both sides of the issue.

We encourage Pennsylvanians to take advantage of this rare and privileged opportunity. Countless political analysts have stated that we are watching a historical presidential election, a historic Democratic primary race – one that rests on Pennsylvania’s shoulders. We hold a powerful position in this primary race and encourage all Pitt students to register to vote in Pennsylvania. When else will we be able to say we made history?