Tag: George Mason University

Mason Votes Will Live Stream Hillary at Mason

Hillary Clinton Coming to Mason on Sunday

Senator Hillary Clinton, D-NY, will be at George Mason University on Sunday, Nov. 2. The event, which begins at 3:30 p.m., will be held at the North Plaza and is open to the public. Her speech, sponsored by Senator Barack Obama’s, D-Illi, presidential campaign will compare Obama to Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., regarding issues such as affordable health care, middle-class taxes, clean energy technology and the creation of new jobs.

Recently, there has been much talk about the possible role Clinton could have in an Obama presidential administration. Cabinet positions such as Secretary of Defense or Secretary of State have been alluded to by several media outlets but have yet to be commented on by either Obama or Clinton.

Both Clinton and her husband, former President William Clinton have been campaigning heavily for Obama in the past weeks and, like the rest of his campaign, they have increased their visibility in swing states like Virginia.

Student Survey

Ralph Nader Addresses Mason on the Election

Roundtable Podcast with Women and Gender Studies

Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader Coming Sunday

Do Students Support the Wall Street Bail Out?

Last Day to Register to Vote

Today, the last day to register to vote, over 100 students have registered or updated their registration on campus. Registration volunteers from Presidential Nominee Barack Obama’s campaign have been on campus everyday for weeks. According to those volunteers, students have been surrounding their registration table all morning; some have been experiencing problems contacting the Virginia State Board of Elections and came to the Obama volunteers instead.

Registered residential students who do not want to travel to their home polling center have the option of reregistering with their campus address or applying for an absentee ballot. Both application forms must be submitted by today.

“I knew that today was the last day to register. I had been contemplating whether to vote absentee ballot or reregister,” said freshman Ed Bennett. After discussing the options with his Father, Bennett decided to reregister today using his on campus address.

All voter registration forms must be postmarked today. Registration volunteers will be outside the Johnson Center until 4:30 p.m.

Johnson Center Full for VP Debate Watch

The Johnson Center Atrium was full Thursday night as students closely watched the live vice-presidential debate. Senator Joe Biden of Delaware and Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska crossed swords on issues such as the economy, international affairs, the role of the vice president and their readiness to lead.

Going into the debate, both candidates needed to overcome negative public perceptions. The bar had been set low for Palin due to recent interview gaffs and Biden needed to overcome an image of being condescending and rash.

“I expected Palin to make an a** of herself and she delivered,” sophomore Nicole MacCracken said.

Josh St. Louis, the second vice-chair of the College Republicans, agreed that Palin’s abilities had been in question. “I was really nervous coming into this debate especially because of the recent ABC, CBS interviews and the fact that Joe Biden is a beast.” But immediately after closing statements were made, St. Louis said, “I saw two things. . .Vice President Palin and Citizen Biden.”

During the debate, the crowed of almost 200, commented constantly on the debating politicians, cheering and clapping when agreeable comments where made. “I’m definitely reassured that John McCain made the right decision in picking her. You can tell by her closing remarks where she quoted Ronald Reagan, she’s ready to lead,” said freshman Vinny Prinzivalli.

Whether students liked or disliked Palin, after the debate most discussions revolved around her. “Honestly, I had a hard time focusing on [Biden] anytime [Palin] was on the screen,” said Tierney Kaine, a senior English major and Mason Votes official Blogger.

This was the first and only vice-presidential debate. The next presidential debate will be next Tuesday, Oct. 7.

Mason Helps Students Foster Political Interest

UPI: By Katie Zohorsky, Voice of Young Voters

Many adults have a sense that young people don’t care about politics or that they don’t believe voting is important. Two young women at George Mason University have a very deep passion for politics and what they believe is right for America. Though these women have drastically different views, they are both actively participating in this election process.

Valerie Bachelor, 23, is a 2007 George Mason graduate, and now she is involved in a completely different scene. “My classes at Mason gave me the historical and theoretical foundation I needed to put my work in politics into perspective,” Bachelor said. “Before college all I thought was that the Democratic Party was right and the Republican Party was wrong. As a college student, I discovered the pros and cons of both. This allowed me to solidify my Democratic beliefs and guide my career in politics.”

Shannen Cleveland, 19, a sophomore at George Mason, came to college with her political beliefs already firmly in place. “I have been a Republican, or had Republican ideals for as long as I can remember because that was the way I was brought up, but I started to identify strongly with the Republican Party about four years ago,” said Cleveland. “That’s also when I began researching candidates for elections.”

While Cleveland researched Republican beliefs and candidates on her own, Bachelor opted to get involved on campus. “The political activities I took part in, such as being on the executive board of the GMU College Democrats and working on a gubernatorial race in 2005, have shaped the networks I am a part of as a professional in D.C.,” said Bachelor.

Bachelor’s passion for politics recently took her to Denver for the Democratic National Convention. She attended as part of the Women’s Information Network, a networking organization for progressive, pro-choice women. “I knew I would have many more opportunities to be involved if I went to Denver. So I took a chance and booked my flight,” she said.

Cleveland attended the McCain-Palin rally on Sept. 8 in Fairfax, Va. “I skipped class to go to this rally because I thought that it was very important to be there,” she said. “After all, it’s history!

“The rally itself was an amazing experience,” she said excitedly. “First, they had a couple speakers tell the audience that they were Democrats, but because of McCain’s plans for when he’s in office, they are now going to vote for a Republican candidate in this election.” When Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin took the stage, she said, their speeches were just shortened versions of the speeches they gave at the Republican National Convention. “I thought that they did an excellent job at boosting the audiences’ confidence in the Republican candidates even more than it already was.”

Bachelor’s trip to Denver also made a big impact on her. As a former Hillary Clinton supporter, Bachelor is now supportive of Barack Obama. “I was really mesmerized by his speech,” she said. “I really think I needed to be there to realize that Obama is the guy.”

Bachelor also explained that the convention made her feel even more strongly that the country is ready for change. “We need a leader that understands how hard it is for working families these days,” she said. “He represents the change that is brewing in America as a whole whether you talk about healthcare, the economy, the environment or foreign policy. America needs a change after eight years of President Bush’s policies.”

While Bachelor seems to be mainly concerned with the economy, Cleveland has a different concern. “I believe that this election is extremely important with the country in war,” Cleveland said. “We are electing into office a new commander in chief who is ultimately responsible for making decisions that could be good or detrimental to this country.

“I am very glad I was able to see them speak, and the rally was very exciting to me,” Cleveland concluded. “I cannot wait for the election coming up in November!”

“For the first time ever in American political history a female and a minority have come out on top during the primary of a major political party,” said Bachelor. “This election has already changed American history.”

From: The Voice of Young Voters