In the field of politics, there is seemingly no time like the present.

Still two years away, candidates for the 2008 presidential election have begun securing the most powerful job in the nation. As part of the typically most apathetic voter demographic, I already see party-line politics taking control of the most important political issue today: the Iraq war.

This December is when prospective candidates for the 2008 presidency begin to launch their exploratory committees for their individual presidential campaigns. Brewing alongside this fray of bi-partisan politics is a leaked memo by former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, which has added controversy to what will arguably be the most important topic for candidates when they begin campaigning for their party’s and their constituent’s approval.

A private memo written by the former secretary suggested that a “major adjustment” is needed in Iraq, and also brought into question the ability of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri-al-Maliki. On Sunday morning, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley appeared on both “Meet the Press” and “This Week with George Stephenopolous,” with views opposing the memo on the war. During his interview with Tim Russert on “Meet the Press,” Hadley went as far as saying, “I think that maybe you misunderstand what the memo was about.” This issue has once again stirred the waters on when the U.S. will actually be able to trust the Iraqi government to control its own affairs.

The differences between the Republican and Democratic ideas for Iraq policy contrasted as much as the dissimilarities between an elephant and a donkey. John McCain, presidential front runner for the Republican Party, stands with the policy that more ground troops would be needed to secure Iraq, which is a position supported by the military as well. This stance has come under criticism, and one example came from Tom Vilsack, Democratic hopeful presidential candidate. In an article published on unionleader.com, Vilsack stated that the Army had been stretched too thin and said, “I’m not quite sure where Senator McCain thinks we can get these troops.”

A predicted candidate for the Democratic party in 2008 is Illinois Senator Barack Obama. According to an article published by CNN.com, Obama has called for a withdrawal of U.S. troops as early as 2007. However, without ensuring stability in the region, the U.S. may once again be falling into the trap of short-sighted foreign policy. Leaving without certainty that Iraq is in better condition than when U.S. forces arrived would be contradictory to our presence in the region. Still, we can’t stay there forever.

What needs to be considered is which policy carries a more sound solution to Iraq, not just in the immediate sense, but also in the distant future. What tends to be forgotten is the reality that the youth of this nation has a massive voter base, and along with that comes the lowest voter turnout of any demographic.

Recently, Democratic Rep. Charles Rengel suggested that the draft be reinstated. The issue of this war is looming over us, whether we like it our not. Policy will be decided on the topic with or without the insight of some of the youngest Americans. Realize, also, that the candidates have begun to draw lines in the sand, and the policies these leaders execute will determine the future we inherit.