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When people talk about the race for the Democratic nomination, a lot of names will pop up, like Barack Obama, John Edwards, Joe Biden, or Bill Richardson. Although all of the Democrats are running on similar platforms, they each have key differences between them that should give voters a decent choice in the primary. Unfortunately, there is also a name that could tip the balance.

Hillary.

This name is like a dark cloud, hovering over all other Democratic candidates. No matter how many speeches they make, no matter how many states they visit, and no matter how much money they raise, Senator Hillary Clinton is beating them all. She has on her side the powerful Clinton campaign team, and of course her husband Bill, who, as President, slept with a White house intern, and managed to become more popular. For the last eight years, ever since the Clintons departed from the White house, Democrats have been dreaming of their return. And now, with the election of 2008 getting closer and closer with each passing day, Hillary seems to have the support to win.

I too was once a supporter of Hillary before I came to my senses, and I believe that many of her supporters are there for the wrong reasons. In order for us voters to be able to make educated decisions when Election Day arrives, we must consider each candidate carefully. In Hillarys case, there are many things to be considered.

First off all, Hillary is not Bill. I cannot stress this enough. Hillary is not Bill! Electing Hillary is not the same thing as having the old glory days of Bill Clinton back. They are two vastly different people, and Hillary is far too independent for Bill to influence her the way she influenced him during his term. While Bill was a likable President, Hillary is an extremely polarizing person, one who people can either love or hate. This is not the kind of leader that America needs, in a time when party politics has already polarized us enough.

Hillarys claim to fame among many Democrats is her work in healthcare while she was First Lady. They use this to argue that she will be able to bring major healthcare reform if elected President. I have three problems with that. First, Hillary never actually managed to get either house of Congress to pass the universal health care plan that she created as head of the Task Force on National Health Care. Second, she only became head of said task force because her husband appointed her, which brings about questions of favoritism. Third, it is common knowledge that several drug companies have backed Hillary in her campaign for President. I personally would like to know how much influence the blatantly corrupt prescription drug industry will have over her and her plans for healthcare. The results may not be what her supporters expect.

The most puzzling aspect of Hillarys Senate terms and Presidential campaign is her stance on the Iraq war. When President Bush first asked Congress to declare war, she voted for that declaration. Later, as the war refused to end, Hillary took an anti-war position. As of the last Democratic debate, she supports a troop withdrawal, but wants to continue combat missions. Will she change her mind again? We can only guess. But the last thing this country needs is a President who cant make up her mind on foreign policy. Such decisions take swift decisiveness, not campaign politics.

I have not yet officially chosen a candidate to support, but I do believe that any one of the Democratic candidates is a better choice than Hillary Clinton. I also believe that the Clinton political machine can be beaten if enough voters believe that it can. For too long, too many Democrats have been convinced that Hillary Clinton will be the President in 2008, whether they like it or not. We can do better.