Category: Featured News

Tonight, students are invited to watch Arizona Senator John McCain accept the presidential nomination of his party. Mason Votes is co-sponsoring a Republican National Convention watch party which begins at 8:30 p.m. and McCain’s acceptance speech is expected at 10 p.m.

Mason Votes will feature video responses to the speech, live blogging from our Democratic and Republican bloggers and a roundtable podcast following the event. Everyone is invited to join to the live blog.

Content Editor Christian Yingling hosts a roundtable of Republican and Democrat student commentators to give their reaction to Obama’s acceptance speech.

President George Bush was in Washington to oversee the federal government’s response to Hurricane Gustav along the Gulf Coast. That did not stop the president, however, from speaking via satellite to the audience at the Republican National Convention, which is being held in the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Prior to introducing the president, Laura Bush listed the strong Republican women that had held leadership. Among the mentioned were former first lady, Barbara Bush, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In her introduction, Laura Bush praised President Bush’s steadfastness, delivery of drugs to Africa, faith based educational initiatives, and the rise in minority standardized test scores, as some of the highlights of his leadership.

President George Bush opened with a warm thank you to all of those that were helping along the Gulf Coast to insure that there was no repeat of the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
Before he began his thoughts and reflections on Presidential nominee John McCain, President Bush insisted on recognizing two persons in the RNC crowd. “I could have no finer examples of character, decency, and integrity than my mom and dad. I love you.”

Bush then launched into the heart of his address. He emphasized that there is no greater knowledge than experience and no greater sacrifice than one’s life. “I know the hard choices that fall to a president…” claimed Bush. “If the Hanoi Hilton could not break John McCain’s resolve to do what is best for his country, you can be sure the angry left never will.”

John McCain suffered over five years of beatings as a POW during the Vietnam War. All the speakers at the RNC continually emphasized Senator McCain’s unwavering resolve under torture and refusal to relinquish any military information.

President Bush recounted the integrity that McCain showed in not retracting his call for more troops in Iraq and Afghanistan even after advisors told him it could hurt his presidential campaign. “He told them he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war,” said Bush.

Reiterating the sentiments expressed after 9/11, Bush explained that, “ we live in a dangerous world. And we need a president who understands…that to protect America, we must stay on the offense, stop attacks before they happen, and not wait to be hit again.”

Though a short address, the president’s message was clear: “The man we need is John McCain.”

The Republican National Convention began in St. Paul, MN yesterday, September 01. Convention business was shortened because of Hurricane Gustav’s landing on the Gulf Coast. After video appeals for assistance from Gulf Coast governors Laura Bush and Cindy McCain addressed the need to put away political differences in a time of national crises and contribute to Americans in need. The slogan “Country First” hung behind them during their speech.

“I would ask that each one of us commit to join together to aid those in need as quickly as possible. As John has been saying for the last several days, this is a time when we take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats,” stated Cindy McCain during the address.

Officials stated that the convention will resume on a full schedule today. President Bush, who was scheduled to deliver his address on Monday at 9:00 P.M. will deliver his message tonight, Tuesday September 2, at 9:30 P.M. via satellite.

Those individuals or organizations interested in donating to hurricane relief should visit www.causegreater.com.

Senator John McCain’s vice presidential pick answers Obama’s challenge that change must go to Washington, not come from it.

Sarah Palin, the 44-year-old Governor of Alaska, made her national political debut today with her acceptance speech at Dayton, OH. In the gubernatorial race of 2006 Palin defeated former democratic Tony Knowles on a clean government platform and became Alaska’s first female governor. Palin is the first woman to receive a Republican vice presidential nomination. A member of Feminists for Life, Palin emphasized in her acceptance speech that if Hillary Clinton had cracked the glass ceiling then with McCain’s election they could shatter it.

McCain’s selection will appeal to two important demographics in the 2008 presidential election: women voters disappointed in Senator Barrack Obama’s vice presidential selection and Republican voters disillusioned with insider politics in Washington, D.C.

Both McCain and Palin have earned reputations as scrupled politicians willing to dissent from their party line if principled otherwise. McCain emphatically stated, “She’s got the grit, integrity, good sense and fierce devotion to the common good that is exactly what we need in Washington today.”

Matt DeLeon, 1st vice chairman of the college republicans, expressed, “I really think its good for a couple of reasons: one, her conservatism is in no way questionable. She’s been a conservatist from the very beginning. That’s going to help unify the ticket at the very end. I think her being a woman will come into play, especially with the undecided and Hillary Clinton voters and I also think her and Senator McCain are going to work well together. They both have a history of tackling the party when they thought it was necessary.”

Palin began her political career as a city council member in Wasilla, Alaska. After serving on the city council for four years from 1992 – 1996 Palin ran for ,and was elected, mayor of Wasilla.

Upon entering gubernatorial office, Sarah Palin spearheaded a governmental ethics reform, her administration immediately passed a state ethics law overhaul.

Sarah Palin is fiercely pro-life and refused to terminate a pregnancy after discovering that her child would have Down Syndrome. During her second term as city council member Palin supported the teaching of Intelligent Design alongside Evolution in public schools. She is opposed to same-sex marriage.

Governor Palin is a lifelong member of NRA, hunts moose and is a candid defender of 2nd Amendment rights. Palin’s official website claims that she is a supporter of privatizing the healthcare system in order to drive down health costs and reduce government healthcare subsidies.

Though experienced in state and national politics, many pundits have expressed worry over her lack of foreign policy experience. Concerning McCain’s choice, Grant Herring, president of the college democrats at George Mason University, said, “I don’t think she has any experience in foreign policy and obviously McCain is not concerned with experience in the vice presidency. John McCain needed to find someone who is ideologically like George Bush so it’s a good fit for him.”

Some Republicans were confident in Senator McCain’s nomination. Joshua St. Louis, second vice chairman of the college republicans, said, “it’s a very strong choice. I think it surprised people and I think she’ll be ready to take on Joe Biden in the vice presidential debate.”

Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska has been confirmed as McCain’s running mate. Republicans are standing by in Dayton, Ohio, along with reporters, as Palin is expected to join McCain on stage as his campaign officially confirms the selection of the 44-year-old. She will be the first female Vice Presidential nominee by the Republicans and the second by a major American political party.

According to CNN: “Palin made her name in part by backing tough ethical standards for politicians. During the first legislative session after her election, her administration passed a state ethics law overhaul.”

Palin’s experience outside of her state includes chairing the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, which is a group “that promotes the conservation and efficient recovery of domestic oil and natural gas resources while protecting health, safety and the environment,” according to her biography. She is also the chair of the National Governors Association’s Natural Resources Committee.

Born in Idaho, Palin has an 18 year-old son in the army who is slotted to go to Iraq September, and chose to give birth to a son with Down syndrome, saying “I’m looking at him right now, and I see perfection…Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?”

Palin is pro-life and belongs to the group Feminists for Life. She opposes same-sex marriage but has stated that she is concerned about discrimination against the homosexual community. Her first veto was used to, effectively, grant Alaska state benefits to same-sex couples, but she did support a constitutional ban on gay marriage. She is on record saying that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

She supports opening up ANWR and has often talked about energy policy, initiating a number of significant reforms in her state.

McCain called Palin “a tough executive who has demonstrated during her time in office that she is ready to be president.” He also released a statement saying “She leads a state that matters to every one of us – Alaska has significant energy resources and she has been a leader in the fight to make America energy independent.”

She is considered the nation’s most popular governor. This “hockey mom” was also declared to be” America’s Hottest Governor” by the magazine Alaska.

In the aftermath of Obama’s rousing acceptance speech, the next big question on everyone’s mind is who will be McCain’s Vice Presidential pick. A number of candidates who were thought to be high in the running have said that they are not McCain’s pick and the press has been crossing names off the top of the list one at a time. In the last hour a candidate has emerged unexpectedly. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has been in her position since December 4, 2006, has been leaked as McCain’s choice of VP. The rumors were confirmed only minutes ago on CNN.

George Mason University students gathered in the Johnson Center Atrium on August 28 to watch the final evening of the Democratic National Convention. The night culminated in Senator Barack Obama’s acceptance of the Democratic Nomination for President.

Tim Kaine kicked off the night in Denver, CO followed by former Vice President Al Gore and his denunciation of the exhausted politics of the past. Gore likened both Obama’s legislative experience and his third way politics to those of his fellow Illinois forefather, Abraham Lincoln. His message: Obama is the future of American politics. Response amongst the youth to Obama’s message is proof that the bi-partisan divide will fall.

Following Al Gore’s speech, in the JC, Gerry Connolly, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and and Democratic contender for Congress, took the stage in support of Barack Obama’s presidential run. “What was improbable six months ago is on the horizon today,” said congressman Connolly. He called upon Mason students to support the Democratic ticket in Virginia: Barack Obama, Mark Warner, and Gerry Connolly. Connolly stressed the importance that the youth should be active in the change they want to see.

Back in Denver, Senator Joseph Biden followed Obama’s presidential endorsement by top military officials. Biden did not introduce the presidential nominee, but rather, introduced the everyday supporters of Obama. Biden claimed, “These are the people who will elect Mr. Obama…and when we are in the White House, we will make sure that their voices are always heard.”

Anticipation mounted for Obama’s appearance as “Power to the People!” blasted in the background and spotlights danced across Mile High Stadium like the halftime show at the Superbowl. Music, flag waving, dancing, and lip syncing ensued in Denver in the minutes before the Illinois Senator Dick Durbin took the stage.

Durbin spoke to Obama’s political integrity. “He built,” he said, “his political career from anonymity to the presidential nomination on his belief that we could live in a better nation.”

The JC atrium was sparsely populated at 8:30pm but by 10:00pm there wasn’t an empty seat to be found. Obama arrived on the Denver stage to overwhelming applause—applause so loud it delayed his speech. He was spurred on by Mason Democrats, sending him their support through cheers and whistles.

After thanking his wife, children and running mate, Obama quickly launched into an attack of Senator John McCain’s policies. “What does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right over 90% of the time?” asked Obama of McCain. “We cannot afford a 10% chance of change.”

Obama launched into an attack of McCain’s promotion of stoic individualism and called it a policy of “on your own.” McCain might call Americans a nation of whiners but privatization under McCain, claimed Obama, would really result in the revocation of governmental responsibility for the basic necessities of its citizens. “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, even if you don’t have boots,” quipped Obama about McCain’s economic vision.

Obama asserted that he does not want to feed into the cynicism that people have about politics and admitted that he does not have the typical pedigree of a presidential candidate. But, he said, “what the naysayers have never understood is that this election is not about me, it is about YOU.”

“The government should help us, not hurt us…that is the promise of America. That is the change we can believe in.”

Photo by Christian Yingling

Mason Votes has completed their LiveBlog for Obama’s acceptance of the Democratic nomination! Check out the replay for comments.