In this presidential election year, President Bush’s approval rating is plummeting and the country has headed into a recession, which makes it the Democrats’ race to win.

Barack Obama, the democratic candidate, has run on a platform that has attracted enough voters to lead in states that are traditionally Republican.

“I think that perhaps there is a better perception of association by Democrat voters with Obama in terms of him connecting to them and feeling the financial crisis we’re undergoing right now,” Eduardo Munoz, political science instructor, said.

Obama has proposed to cut taxes for 95 percent of workers with a tax cut of $500 for workers and $1,000 for working couples and said the war in Iraq has been a drain on the economy.

“The fact that we’re spending $12 billion every month in Iraq means that we can’t engage in the kind of infrastructure improvements that are going to make us more competitive,” Obama said. “The notion that we would sustain that kind of effort and neglect not only making us more secure here at home, more competitive here at home, allow our economy to sink.”

This stance has attracted opponents of the war in Iraq who feel it has detracted from their pocket.

“He wants to stop investing in weaponry and focus on the economic needs of the people,” Tanu Padath, 18, said.

Obama spoke against the war during his tenure in the Illinois state legislature and now says he would end the war in Iraq within 16 months.

He believes in a phased withdraw of combat brigades from Iraq and a redeployment of at least two combat brigades to Afghanistan, where the Taliban are resurgent. To some, this sounds too good to be true.

“Obama says we have to get out as fast as possible which really isn’t a reality for him,” Laurie Houske, political science instructor, said.

The McCain campaign has attacked Obama for his connection to the Weathermen founder, Bill Ayers.

The Weathermen launched a string of bombings that targeted the Pentagon and the United States capitol in the 1960’s in protest of the Vietnam War.

“He’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country,” Sarah Palin, vice president nominee for the Republicans, said.

Some see these accusations as unfair.

“Just because he was associated with Bill Ayers doesn’t justify calling him a terrorist. That is a pretty big accusation,” Padath said.

Ayers hosted a party for Obama’s first run for office and they have met sporadically.

But Obama has called Ayers’ involvement in the Weathermen “detestable” and the two do not appear to have been close.

Many appear to have made a decision.

“I support Obama because he believes in what I believe in,” Padath said.