I'm turning 18 in 2004 and this will be my first presidential election, and I support Dean because I'm just sick of waking up every day and reading about what Bush & Co. have inflicted upon this world and this country. Bush consistently says something — says one thing and then does another and the only candidate who really seems to want to speak out against it is Howard Dean.

  I can't wait for the day when I can sit down and listen to my President speak and not have to be on the lookout for painful gaffes or inappropriate smirks. The first time I ever saw Dean was when I was watching C-SPAN about a year ago and they were televising some sort of Presidential caucus? I mean some sort of Democratic caucus where all the Democratic candidates for President were pitching to the audience and one of them caught my ear and eye.  That was Howard Dean.  After I heard him speak, I felt really, really wired — like I had just drunk a big cup of coffee and I thought that was great. I was really excited about him after that.

His views are for the American people — they're not for business and they're not for the elite. They're for the American people. I think he has substance behind what he says — he's not just another candidate who will say something to appeal to a certain number of people but who doesn't do it. He actually has substance and I think I can really believe in him for that? and also his stance on Iraq.  It was very courageous of him. He is the only candidate right now who was courageous enough to speak out against the war and speak out against Bush's idea for the war in the beginning.  I think we need a candidate who is like that right now. 

I think Dean is reaching out to all the people around the country and he also is able to touch students, whereas? when I first saw him on C-SPAN, there was this huge cheering and he was being supported by a bunch of students who had come down from Vermont, and I thought that was really great. No other candidate is trying to reach out to that young voting population.

Well, it's funny because I've heard a lot of adults saying that we've already seen our last honest election, and I just can't believe in that because my generation is just coming up to vote. I just can't believe that our votes won't count.  I can't wait to be able to cast my vote and to be a participant in this great democratic society where we are allowed to vote and where so many people don't vote. I can't wait to be able to have that right.

At my high school, I hand out voter registration ballots to student who have turned 18 and encourage them to go out and vote and share with them some of the topics that they can vote on and some of the political parties.  I'm also starting a Howard Dean club at my school to get people interested in Howard Dean and to share what Howard Dean's views are, the views of other candidates and why they should be voting for Howard Dean.

I think we've already seen horrible things happen in this world during this election and I think because of what happened in Florida, young people are starting to figure out that every vote counts? that their vote counts too. They can now go out and vote and say, wow, I'm really making a difference and I can help this country that I'm living in.

I think that Howard Dean has the smarts, the energy and the political instinct to take back the White House, to take back Washington and to take back what's left of our national respect.  I think he appeals to a range of voters and will inspire them to go out to the polls on voting day and cast the right vote.

My name is Robert, I'm a high school senior and I'm taking back my country.