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Young Republicans not surprised by outcome

November 5, 2008

The room fell silent at 8 p.m. in the convention center at the Eldorado Hotel Casino in Reno, when four television screens flashed “Obama elected president.”

Supporters of Republican presidential candidate John McCain had barely began to eat as Barrack Obama was declared president of the United States.

Young McCain supporters were not surprised at the win, but they still were upset.

“I’m devastated,” Calvin Giacomazzi, 19, said. “I really don’t know what to do.”

Giacomazzi had planned to join the Navy but is now hesitant: “He doesn’t support the military and I cannot support a man like that.”

Alec Elliott, 19, a McCain supporter, predicted this win.

“Obama had the money.” Elliot said. “He also had the popular vote and the youth.”

Elliott believes a different running mate might have secured this election for McCain.

“Mitt Romney would have been a much better choice,” Elliott said. “He is a businessman and he could have helped with the business side in this economic crisis.”

Michelle Beard, the volunteer office manager for the Washoe Republican Party, urges Republicans not to give up.

“Smile–because it’s not over.” she said. “It’s not even counted in all of the states.”

Beard said the names registered in the county will also be investigated.

“We want to make sure every name is real – and every vote is a legit vote.”

By Jessica Pacheco

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Will youths vote…or play Super Mario?

November 4, 2008

On “The Daily Show” Monday, Jon Stewart did his traditional 20 minutes of poking fun at political buffoonery. However, near the end of the broadcast, sharing a split-screen with Comedy Central colleague Stephen Colbert of “The Colbert Report” made a declaration to all young voters watching.

“By the way, voters out there: Do not blow this for us!,” Stewart said. “Every four years we hear about your vote-rocking powers, and every four years you stay home and play Super Mario. Not this time!

Did youth voters listen? They seemed to at the University of Nevada, Reno, at least based on campus activity, Sidewalk chalk and large lawn signs told passersby to vote. But was that enough to convince students? Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, who was Stewart’s guest Monday night, seemed convinced they would.

“I think they’re gonna come out this time,” Goodwin said. “I really do.”

There is evidence supporting Goodwin’s claim based on this year’s presidential primaries.

According to the Pew Research Center, young people made up an average of 14 percent of Democratic primary voters, up from the average of 9 percent in 2004. And this rise in primary voting by the youth demographic is a definite representation of their involvement now.

Donald Green, director of the Institution for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University,,told USA Today, “Voting is a habit-forming activity. The fact that so many young people have now voted…is a sign that we should expect higher-than-average voter turnout among young people in the fall.”
We’ll know by late tonight if he’s right.

Story by Ian Sorensen

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Political violence mars some campaigning

November 4, 2008

This is a widely contested political election. There has been both positive and negative campaigning going on. This highly charged political landscape has brought on extreme methods that supporters of both candidates have used to get their point across.

According to Oleg Atbashian, a conservative blogger, a complaint by a district attorney documented the assault on a McCain supporter by an enraged Democrat in Manhattan:

“Defendant grabbed the sign [informant] was holding, broke the wood stick that was attached to it, and then struck informant in informant’s face, thereby causing informant to sustain redness, swelling and bruising to informant’s face and further causing informant to sustain substantial pain.”

Being passionate about political involvement is one thing. Causing bodily harm to someone with opposing viewpoints is quite another.

Similar stories have popped up in recent weeks. A man was arrested in August on Market Street in San Francisco after he allegedly verbally abused and slashed the face of an Obama supporter. Additionally, two men were arrested Thursday for hanging an effigy of Obama from a tree several times at George Fox University in Kentucky, a state that McCain has won by quite a large margin. An effigy of Sarah Palin was also hung in October from a tree in West Hollywood.

These are political parties, with different ideologies and values. But some seem to feel they are soldiers in opposing armies, fighting each other tooth and claw to get their guy to win. Might this be a growing trend?

Story by Ian Sorensen

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Politics meets popular culture

November 4, 2008

The election has inundated nearly every aspect of our popular culture. Musician will. i. am., along with other celebrities, put music to Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s speeches and Republican candidate John McCain claimed that Obama is a mere celebrity in one of his ads. And now voting patterns might be determined from products sold to consumers.

The 7-Eleven franchise has been selling cups of coffee featuring the names of Barack Obama and John McCain on them. This helps “7-Eleven coffee drinkers weigh in on the election with every coffee purchase” and the results were featured weekly in USA Today. Featuring the phrase “Every Cup Counts!” 7-eleven.com also advertised its alternate election website, 7-election.com, to observe the results of the election.

Similarly, Starbucks is giving out free tall coffees and Ben & Jerry’s is giving out free ice cream to those customers with voting stickers on. In the most extreme of cases, Babeland adult store is giving out free sex toys to voters.

“We’re expecting a good response,” said Pamela Doan, a Babeland spokeswoman.

While civic duty may still be a part of the voting process in this country, capitalism and consumerism are also coming into play. Whether this is a good or bad thing is certainly an issue.

By Ian Sorensen

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