After learning that incumbent George W. Bush had won the 20 electoral votes in Ohio he needed for reelection, both the College Republicans and the College Democrats face a daunting task: for months their membership worked on and off campus for their respective candidates. Now, both organizations must find ways to encourage both new and old members to remain politically active in order to prevent the stereotype of the apathetic college student from returning.
The College Republicans are thrilled their candidate won a second term. Co-chair of the College Republicans Ethan Davis '05 is interested in students' responses to the election results. "We are taking a bit of a breather after the madness of the election," he said. "In this liberal bubble, it's nice to see the things that we believe in vindicated at the national level."
Davis also discussed the interaction between Democrats and Republicans at the College. "I know some conservatives on campus are upset at the level of vitriol that has been directed at them because of the election results, but I look with amusement at Daily Jolt posts like: 'Everyone who voted for Bush is a red neck and a moron,'" he said. "It's those kind of tactics, and that kind of irrational anger, that landed Bush a second term. If it continues, then the Democratic Party will slide further into irrelevancy."
While the College Republicans have a victory under their belt, the Democrats are spurred by an even more fervent desire to see the party in the White House change in four years. "The Democrats are going to be spinning off several committees to work on a series of ongoing commitments, such as reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights, among others," said Russell Kornblith '06, co-president of the College Democrats. "We're also going to begin working with the [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee] and the [Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee] as soon as possible to target midterm races where Amherst students will play a critical role in unseating Republican incumbents."
Kornblith considers reform necessary. "We are helping students begin to think of what happened Tuesday not as an election we lost, but as a call to form a movement. Tuesday was the culmination of a 40-year movement in the Republican party that began with Goldwater, gained strength with Reagan, began to rear its ugly head with Gingrich and came to its disgusting fruition with Bush," said Kornblith. "We are challenging students to begin thinking in the same terms. Eighteen- to 29-year-olds voted overwhelmingly for Kerry. We need to make sure that 20 years from now, that's 18-to 49 year- olds."
Students who were active in the election and students from swing states discuss their election experiences and thoughts about the future.
Tia Subramanian '05: Bethesda, Maryland
I'm crushed by the results of the election. I'm terrified of what the repercussions of four more years of an administration as bullheaded and dangerous as this one might be. There's no reason to believe that their foreign policy will be any less ruinous, or that the steady erosion of civil rights at home will come to a halt. One of the most unnerving aspects of the current situation is the fact that there are potentially so many Supreme Court seats up for grabs. I don't think it's accurate to say that this election just means four more years of Bush. It could mean the implementation of reactionary laws that we'll have to struggle under for decades to come. We've all heard the reports of people having voted for Bush based on the importance they place on so-called 'moral values'-wanting to limit gay and women's rights, placing huge emphasis on dogmatic religious beliefs and so on. Personally, I'm sickened by it.
After witnessing the incredible amount of work so many people across the country put into this election, with so many of them engaging in the many issues at stake for the first time in their lives, the outcome is really disheartening. However, there's also an urgent movement to not give up on the rights and values people have been working for. There's a sense that things are going to be unimaginably bad, and we just have to do what it takes to stop that. All the groups I'm involved in, as well as the people I know who were invested in this election, are planning with as much energy as before, looking ahead to what kinds of things need to be done now and over the next four years. The way I see it, we don't have a choice.
Elizabeth Petrik '07, Floyds Knobs, Indiana
I get the sense that Amherst as a whole may be somewhat dissatisfied with the results of the election, judging by the chalk messages, antagonistic table tents, angry remarks and the unusual length of faces. For my part, however, I am looking forward to the four years of progress toward freedom in the Middle East, reform of entitlement programs, and protection of the right to life that I think the Bush victory and Republican majorities in Congress will allow. Plus, my native Indiana has a Republican governor for the first time in two decades! And you guys can be happy, too; after all, protests are a lot more fun than defending a bunch of politicians.
Katrina Hazlett '06, Miami, Florida
I live in Miami, which is often referred to as Cuba or an independent country from the U.S., so I can't really speak as a Floridian but I can speak as a "Miamian," if such a thing exists. I am registered in Florida because that is my home and is also typically a swing state and so I feel my vote matters more there. Also, I am probably one of the few Hispanic Democrats since there continues to be animosity for the Democrats because of the Bay of Pigs Crisis. I think the outcome in Florida was a clear indication of that. [Governor] Jeb Bush is extremely popular among Hispanic voters since he speaks Spanish and I believe is married to a Mexican woman. Even though he is really popular, many of his policies, particularly those on education, are highly criticized. Nonetheless, people continue to like him because he is a family man and basically a good guy. I think this mirrors the election results with neither candidate really talking about policies and voters not really voting on actual policies but just assessing the candidates' moral stance and how it reflects their own. Particularly among Hispanic voters, family [and] social issues are extremely important, and the fact that Bush's brother is an extremely popular governor (especially after his response to the hurricanes) played a big part in his winning of the state.
Caitlin Rhodes '07, Sharon, New Hampshire
At first, I was devastated by the election results. ... I truly had believed Kerry would win simply because he absolutely had to-I could not imagine even having another four years under this president, let alone surviving them. However, I have been able to bounce back relatively quickly because I believe that it is now more crucial than ever to be politically active. Fueled by this belief, I am ready to become far more active than I was before, to give more, to push harder. George Bush has to know that winning 51 percent of the vote is not a "mandate from the American people." ... It is our job to let him know that 49 percent of this country did not want him in office, and certainly does not support his presidency or his policies. President Bush has a very selective memory. He won a very close ... 2004 presidential election. It was not a landslide. It was not a mandate from the American people. Political activists, such as the ones who dedicated themselves to the Kerry campaign, must constantly remind him of this. We must demand that he accommodate the beliefs and values of the Democratic Party. ... Our country is divided. [Bush] cannot ignore the left side of the divide because we will not let him.
Russell Kornblith '06, Oberlin, Ohio
Ohio has three good-sized urban cities, but the state operates on more of a political gradient. When Democrats win in Ohio, they win because they carry the Cleveland area with significant turnout, they carry Columbus proper, they swing the Columbus suburbs and they lose Cincinnati with low turnout. That John Kerry lost in Ohio is not entirely surprising to me. The Democratic National Committee had ostensibly written Ohio off until this year. Twenty years ago, Democrats controlled the governorship and both Senate seats from Ohio. Organized labor was a serious force, and no one could have imagined that a man with the name Taft could survive a massive recession to win reelection. Now there is hardly a party infrastructure outside the greater Cleveland area. Like so much of the country, the rustbelt recession hit Ohio hard, and the evangelical movement made great inroads with voters, encouraging them to hold onto traditional Christian morality as their wages declined and their jobs disappeared. I remember in 1992 asking my child caretaker for whom she planned to vote. Knowing my parents to be staunch Democrats, I was surprised when she responded that she would vote for George H. W. Bush and I asked her why. She replied that while she was not really behind his economic policies, and healthcare for all was probably a good idea, she was voting on abortion. It's people like her who had their day last Tuesday, and it looks like, in Ohio at least, they will maintain control. Ohio's largest export is 18- to 24- year- olds, the group that, nationwide, voted most handily for Kerry, which means that unless the Democratic Party is willing to sell out its ideals for a share of people like my caretaker's votes, it may be time to "right" Ohio out of the Democratic coalition.
Scout Durwood '06, Shawnee Mission, Kansas
I really thought we swung Ohio. Being there and seeing the voters really excited to get out to the polls was one of the most inspiring things I have seen. ... I was disappointed by the election's result, but now more than ever I am resolved to fight for my beliefs. A number of groups on campus are working on smaller projects to promote more progressive ideals, despite the religious resolve of our current administration to adhere to a conservative Christian agenda. Now I am focused on the midterm elections. I don't agree with the right wing on most issues, but I am willing to work with my government to enact change. I have to come to terms with the idea that for the next four years all policy must go through an individual with whom I viscerally disagree, but I am up to the challenge. I think we all have to be. My candidate of choice may not have won office, but all hope is not lost. Not even close. We all have a lot to do over the next four years, and I am ready to keep fighting the good fight. America is not apathetic anymore, and that's a fantastic step in the right direction.