The Collegian

Issue date: 11/6/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Andrew Dodson

Though some might not expect their existence, no one on West Street Tuesday night could deny that President-elect Barack Obama's victory energized Hillsdale College Democrats. About a dozen students marched up the street, onto campus, across the quad and through the Grewcock Student Union carrying posters, skipping and chanting, "Yes we can, yes we can!" after Obama presented the world his characteristically well-crafted victory acceptance speech just after midnight.

Though volunteers are still counting ballots, current statistics claim 349 electoral votes for Obama and 163 for Republican candidate John McCain, with Obama netting about 52 percent of the popular vote. Democrats also nabbed at least 20 seats in the House of Representatives and at least five in the Senate.

The number of voters between ages 18 and 29 increased by at least 2.2 million compared to 2004, says preliminary data from CIRCLE, a non-partisan organization focused on the political engagement of young Americans. About half of eligible young voters took their opportunity. CIRCLE reported that, depending on final vote tally, this year's youth vote could be the second highest since 1972. That same data says that young voters favored Obama over McCain 2 to 1.

While national news outlets report similar globe-wide euphoria about Obama's win, the tone on campus, College Democrats aside, sounds more grim and uncertain.

"I walked out of the dorm when [Obama] had more than 300 electoral votes, and my stomach sank," said sophomore Kahryn Rombach, who lives in McIntyre Hall. "I thought, 'It's done, it's over.' All this talk of change makes me wonder if he's going to be the next FDR. I just wonder what kind of country I'm going to get into when I get out of Hillsdale - what kind of liberties will my children be raised with? I'm nervous."



'Not really a surprise'

Obama polled at between 6 and 8 percent above McCain in the last days before the election, and few students said they expected McCain to make up that difference. President Larry Arnn told The Collegian on election day that he "imagined" Obama would win.

"It's something that's been building up for six months," said freshman Kyle Forti. "I did fight to the end, but ultimately I think the American people got what they deserved with Obama. It's a little bit disheartening."

Professor of Political Economy Gary Wolfram, frequent policy advisor for campaigns and the Michigan legislature, noted that market exchange firm Intrade, which functions almost like a political betting pool, recorded consistent odds against McCain.

"The fact that the markets were down almost 500 points today tells that people were probably trying to bargain against Intrade," Wolfram said.



Worry, hostility and hope

Obama's victory surprised few students and faculty, but troubled many. That is also little surprise, for campus clearly leans conservative. Evidence abounds in its mission statement, associates and general teaching philosophy. That alignment sometimes prompts rudeness - and beyond - from students who expect everyone shares their party colors.

A student walked past senior Calla Brodbeck, president of the College Democrats, on Wednesday and told her he thought Obama would be shot, and that he hoped someone would shoot her, too, she said.

"People I've considered my friends have said derogatory things to me - that I'm un-American or helping this country fall apart and how they are ashamed to be an American and to live here," she said. "That's been the most shocking thing to me, that they would switch their patriotism like that."

Some students channelled their discontent into hope for change - within the Republican Party.

"I do hope this gives Republicans an injection of spinal fluid that we desperately need," said senior Christina Miller. "I hope this forces Republicans and conservatives to stop acting like Democrats, to regroup and rethink our identities and come back in 2012 and throw this bum out of office."

Others predicted that Democrats' massive wins this election cycle would prompt an equal and opposing reaction in the next set of elections.

"Conservatives around the country will rally around the need to defend our principles because that need is now clearer than ever," said junior Andrew Cureton, chair of the College Republicans. "I believe we will repeat the 1994 Republican revolution in 2010."



What does 'change' mean?

Arnn and Wolfram both said they expected that an Obama presidency would mean higher tax rates and more government programs, but neither knew exactly how Obama planned to harvest the political fruits of his victory.

"I don't think high tax rates are good for the world, and they're probably going to get higher," Arnn said. "It's not the greatest news, but we don't know what the news is for sure."

Students echoed the uncertainty about Obama's future policies, noting that his mass appeal came largely from charisma and widespread positive feelings about his motto, "change."

"In the past [Obama] has shown himself to be a radical, but he will have to be more of a centrist now because of his position and character," Forti said. "Because of his ability to show the American people a vision, whether it's a good one or not, he will continue to be powerful in that respect."

Brodbeck agreed that Obama's personality attracted many.

"His charisma attracted a lot of people above and beyond his policies," she said. "He gave people hope. He was very personable and people could relate to him, whereas McCain could not relate as well to a diverse group of people socioeconomically and racially."

Whatever happens politically, Arnn said, correlates less with the college's continued daily business than some might think, because both major political parties embrace progressive ideas to some extent and the college, on whole, does not.

"We hope that the college will not be whipped back and forth by politics," Arnn said. "The college has an affinity for the conservative movement, but that's a symptom rather than a cause. The college is not a progressive institution. It is an abiding institution."

During their victory tour, the College Democrats walked over to Broadlawn, the president's home, and took pictures of themselves on his lawn while doing group and individual impressions of McCain. That zest in celebration, Arnn suggested, comes from humanity's desire for good, and their delight when it arrives.

"The call of the beautiful is irresistable," he said. "When people answer that call, particularly young people, we're not beat yet, and we'd make a mistake to imagine that we are."

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