Enochs High junior: “One vote can make a difference”

James Staley is a junior at Enochs High School. At 16, he is not yet old enough to vote, but he plans on voting in the future.

"I believe that one vote can make a difference in a democratic election," he said.

James is a fervent Republican, just like his parents. If he had the chance to vote, James says that he would help elect John McCain.

"I think that he is a good candidate because a) he has plenty of experience with foreign affairs and b) I believe that he can better navigate the war in Iraq."

Although James has a lot of faith in McCain, he is not positive that he will win.

"Unfortunately, I think that Obama will win, but at least he is better than Hillary (Clinton)," he said.

James has learned a lot about this year's presidential race by watching the news and debates on television. He also talks about politics with his friends.

On a scale of 1 to 10, James rates the importance of politics a 9 because, "Without political affairs, our country would fall apart and democracy would eventually disappear".

To James, the most important issue today is the war in Iraq.

"If I were commander in chief, I would pull out of the war because we cannot afford to lose any more troops," he said.