Collegiate Times

By now, your votes have been cast and the entire state of Virginia waits to see who, in fact, will be our next U.S. Senator. If you stayed up late last night, the numbers were close and through polls and experts, it was hard to say at press time exactly who it would be: Allen or Webb.

This political race has been, by no means, nice. From political ads to name-calling and all of the debates in between, it is no surprise that this race is a close one.

It is safe to say that Virginia has, in the past, been considered to be fairly conservative and with a race like this, with numbers so close, there are two things that should be brought to light. One, the fact that the state seems so divided says a lot about the direction that the state of Virginia is now going in as well as how people feel about politics and the government in today?s world. Two, it emphasizes the importance of getting out there and vote.

Yes, we have said it time and time again and it is something that is almost intrinsically imposed upon us college students, but races here in Virginia as well as in Tennessee, Montana and Missouri (the Democrats need 3 of these 4 to take the Senate), just further highlight the fact that every vote does count.

The Democrats have now taken over the House, a major shift in our political arena in the United States, and the fate of the Senate remains unknown due to close races like that of Allen and Webb.

It is not too hard to recall the ?recount-happy? theme in the 2000 Presidential elections and all of the uproar in the state of Florida and its voters. Well, it seems like another recount has been declared and this appears to be the best suit of action to follow considering the close percentages and votes for each candidate. There is always room for a margin of error and making sure that the right person is elected into office should be the first priority, no matter how long it takes.

Yes, it?s frustrating for the candidates, voters and the news world, like us, to sit and wait for the actual results, but, in time, the United States will see who the majority of Virginians, even if it?s only by a slim margin, voted into the U.S. Senate. Soon, all of the months of campaigning, debates, speeches and paraphernalia will come to an end. The only question left is who will it finally be: Allen or Webb?