The Marquette Tribune | Nov. 7, 2012 by Marquette Tribune

Since 1916

SPJ’s 2010 Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper

Volume 97, Number 21

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

www.marquettetribune.org

RE-ELECTED

Photo by Chris Carlson/Associated Press

US, Wisconsin rally around Obama for second term By Allison Kruschke

allison.kruschke@marquette.edu

After a long, brutal and expensive campaign, President Barack Obama defeated Republican challenger Mitt Romney to win his second term as president last night, taking 303 electoral votes to Romney’s 206. The victory marks the end of an election known for

negativity which has been called the most expensive election in U.S. history. The popular vote was hotly contested for most of the evening, with both candidates bringing in 49 percent of the vote until about 10 p.m. Obama was eventually able to take the popular vote in addition to the Electoral College when he beat Romney by about 1.5 million votes.

Obama won key swing states such as Ohio, which secured his lead late Tuesday evening. Obama also managed to snag Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes. Wisconsin was a battleground state throughout the campaign. Both candidates appeared in the state this past weekend to give their “closing arguments” before the polls opened Tuesday. Romney’s vice presidential pick of Wisconsin

Congressman and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan in August showed the high importance placed on the state. Obama’s narrow margin of 50 to 49 percent in Florida surprised commentators on both sides of the aisle. Various news outlets were wary of calling the state while returns were coming in most of the evening, and the winner was still not called as of press time. Obama’s

victory was significantly closer than his win in 2008, when he raked in 365 electoral votes to GOP challenger John McCain’s 173. Unlike 2008, Obama’s lead narrowed toward the end of the campaign. A CNN/ORC poll released Sunday projected Obama and Romney in a statistical tie at 49 percent. Late last night, the See Victory, page 2

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PAGEs 4-5

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Congressional Race

Talking Heads

Election Breakdown

Political Warriors

GOODMAN

Tammy Baldwin beats Tommy Thompson in race.

Professors weigh in on the election and politics as usual.

The Trib displays national and Wisconsin results.

Former Marquette students are making their mark nationally.

Which unconventional methods predicted the election accurately?

2 Tribune The Marquette Tribune Editorial Editor-in-Chief Andrew Phillips (414) 288-7246 Managing Editor Maria Tsikalas (414) 288-6969

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Continued from page 1:

Victory: Key Ohio win pushes Obama over the top

NEWS (414) 288-5610 News Editor Pat Simonaitis Projects Editor Allison Kruschke Assistant Editors Sarah Hauer, Joe Kaiser, Matt Gozun Investigative Reporter Jenny Zahn Administration Melanie Lawder Business Emily Fischer, Claudia Brokish College Life Elise Angelopulos Crime/DPS Nick Biggi Metro Monique Collins MUSG/Student Orgs. Ben Greene Politics Alexandra Whittaker Religion & Social Justice Seamus Doyle Science & Health Eric Oliver General Assignment Jacob Born VIEWPOINTS (414) 288-7940 Viewpoints Editor Tessa Fox Editorial Writers Katie Doherty, Tessa Fox Columnists Carlie Campbell, Brooke Goodman, Tony Manno MARQUEE (414) 288-3976 Marquee Editor Matt Mueller Assistant Editor Erin Heffernan Reporters Claire Nowak, Peter Setter, Eva Sotomayor SPORTS (414) 288-6964 Sports Editor Michael LoCicero Assistant Editor Trey Killian Reporters Chris Chavez, Kyle Doubrava, Patrick Leary, Matt Trebby Sports Columnists Mike LoCicero, Matt Trebby COPY Copy Chief Alec Brooks Copy Editors Jacob Born, Claudia Brokish, Patrick Leary, Ashley Nickel VISUAL CONTENT Visual Content Editor Rob Gebelhoff Photo Editor Rebecca Rebholz News Designer A. Martina Ibanez-Baldor Sports Designers Haley Fry, Taylor Lee Marquee Designer Maddy Kennedy Photographers Danny Alfonzo, Valeria Cardenas ----

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Director Erin Caughey Content Manager Alex Busbee Technical Manager Michael Andre Reporters Stephanie Graham, Victor Jacobo, Brynne Ramella, Eric Ricafrente, Ben Sheehan Designer Eric Ricafrente Programmer Jake Tarnow, Jon Gunter Study Abroad Blogger Andrea Anderson ----

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Photo by Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and his wife Ann walk off the stage after Romney conceded the race during his election night rally, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Boston.

president spoke to an enthusiastic crowd at the Obama campaign headquarters in Chicago after

multiple news organizations called the race in his favor. He thanked the American people

for their participation in the election. “I want to thank every

OVERVIEW OF OBAMA’S FIRST TERM Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign buzzword, “change,” has turned out at times to be not just a political prescription, but also a forecast. The last four years undoubtedly produced change in the American economy, politics and history – but how much of it can, or should be, attributed to the president? To sidestep a convoluted answer about the extent of the executive branch’s role in U.S. government, Obama influenced or presided over many projects and reforms during his term that contributed to the nation’s changing landscape. Outlined is a recap of some of the president’s most significant impacts:

vate sector started to generate positive job growth for a total of 3.7 million in 23 months, according to the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers. SEALs track down bin Laden A decade after the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden was killed when Obama commanded Navy SEALs to invade a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan where bin Laden was hiding out.

Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

As the most crippling recession since the Great Depression plagued the nation, Obama signed this $787 billion stimulus in 2009 with the intent of prompting economic growth. Unemployment began to dwindle within a month of the bill’s passage, and the pri-

After a century of attempts by several presidents to get the ball rolling toward universal health care in the U.S., Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Arguably the most substantial restructuring

of the U.S. health care system to date, the PPACA will cover 32 million uninsured citizens and aims to decrease health care costs through tax credits, subsidies and other mandates, according to HealthCare.gov. The law also requires insurance companies to cover all applicants at the same rate regardless of pre-existing conditions. Iraq War comes to an end On Dec. 18, 2o11, the remaining troops stationed in Iraq returned home, ending the war after Obama announced all troops would be withdrawn earlier that year. Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Following the fiscal goof-ups that initiated the “Great Recession,” Obama signed the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and

Consumer Protection Act to initiate a regulatory overhaul of the financial sector. Some of its notable provisions include requiring big banks to prepare “living wills” to prevent disastrous bankruptcies and creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which monitors and regulates consumer protection in the financial sector – credit unions, payday lenders, and securities firms, among others. But in spite of these and many other legislative changes, the nation still flounders in a state of economic languor with an unemployment rate of 7.9 percent.

Debt spirals upward by more than $5 trillion According to usdebtclock.org, the U.S. national debt is currently at more than $16 trillion – a 31 percent increase from the $11 trillion debt total from four years ago.

American who participated in this election, whether you voted for the first time, or waited in line for a long time. By the way, we need to fix that,” he said. “Whether you picked up the phone or walked the pavement, whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard.” He went on to thank Romney and his family for their choice to work in public service and expressed a desire to work with Romney in the coming years. “(The Romney family’s) legacy is one that we applaud tonight,” he said. “In the weeks ahead, I look forward to sitting down with the governor and talking about how we can work together to move this country forward.” Mitt Romney conceded the race just after midnight Wednesday. He told the crowd at his campaign headquarters in Boston that he had spoken with the president and congratulated him on his victory, and stressed the need for bipartisanship over the next four years, saying “at a time like this, we can’t risk political bickering and posturing,” he said. He went on to thank the millions of volunteers who had worked for his campaign during the season. “I want to thank Matt Rhodes and the dedicated campaign team he led,” Romney said. “And to you here tonight, and to the team across the county, I don’t believe that there’s ever been an effort in our party that can compare to what has been done. You gave deeply from yourselves and performed magnificently.” While both candidates discussed the need to be politically tolerant and willing to compromise, Obama highlighted the importance of intelligent debate in the political process. “Democracy in a country of more than 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated,” he said. “When we make big decisions, it stirs passion and controversy. That won’t change, and it shouldn’t. These are the marks of liberty.” By Jenny Zahn

jennifer.zahn@marquette.edu

Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Until Obama signed the Hate Crimes Protection Act into law, hate crime protection was limited to race, religion, national origin or color. Now, sexual orientation, disability and gender are included. Guantanamo Bay remains open Obama insisted on closing infamous detainment camp Guantanamo Bay after it was revealed that the U.S. was employing controversial techniques to interrogate detainees, but red tape and congressional disputes have hampered its closing, according to politifact.com. Continuing Bush tax cuts The president campaigned on repealing the Bush tax cuts for higher income Americans in 2008, but the White House Press Office reported that Obama signed off on continuing these tax cuts as recently as 2010.

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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Baldwin, Dems keep Senate; Ryan, GOP hold House Baldwin becomes first openly gay Senator, wins contentious race By Joe Kaiser

joseph.kaiser@marquette.edu

Democratic Representative and now Senator-elect Tammy Baldwin defeated Republican Tommy Thompson, former Wisconsin governor and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, in the race for Wisconsin’s open Senate seat by a margin of just over 100,000 votes last night. Baldwin, who has served in the House since 1999, was neck and neck with Thompson in all polls, including a tie in a Rasmussen poll just last week, but large leads for the Democrat in the major counties of Dane, Kenosha and Milwaukee helped carry her to a four point victory. The race received a lot of attention for being one of the most negative Senate races in the country, a point justified by data from Kantar Media CMAG that showed 99 percent of television ads from both campaigns being negative over a 30-day period in October. However, Baldwin was graceful in her acceptance speech. “Tommy and I didn’t agree on much in this campaign, but there can be no doubt that he shares my love for Wisconsin,” she said to supporters in Madison. “And even at the end

Photo by Andy Manis/Associated Press

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., make her victory speech Tuesday, in Madison. Baldwin beat former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson.

of a long and sometimes bitter campaign, I’m still grateful for his service to our state.” After congratulating Baldwin

and President Barack Obama on their victories, Thompson took time in his concession speech to say he would not be running for

Photo by Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press

U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Thompson concedes the election Tuesday in Pewaukee, Wis. Thompson ran against Democratic challenger Tammy Baldwin, who won the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Herb Kohl.

public office again and noted that he felt the need to run for Senate because he wanted to help the country recover in tough times. “I wanted to so much help lead back America,” Thompson said in his speech. “To be the country of growth and opportunity. To build America for future generations. I certainly didn’t need the job. And I guess I’m not going to get it.” In House races, Gwen Moore (D) easily won re-election in the Fourth Congressional District, capturing more than 70 percent of the vote for the fourth time in her congressional career. Paul Ryan (R) cruised to reelection in the House despite losing his bid on the presidential ticket, and Republican Jim Sensenbrenner walloped Democratic challenger Dave Heaster by nearly 40 percentage points. Democrat Mark Pocan also

won by a wide margin in the Second Congressional District, the state’s only open seat, as it was vacated by Baldwin. No congressional incumbents lost in their re-election hopes in the rest of the races as Reid Ribble (R-8), Sean Duffy (R-7), Tom Petri (R6) and Ron Kind (D-3) all won by at least 12 percentage points. Baldwin’s Senate victory also made her the first openly gay member of the U.S. Senate, but she made sure to note that that had little to do with her decision to run. “I didn’t run to make history,” Baldwin said. “I ran to make a difference.” Networks began calling the race for Baldwin in the middle of the evening, but Thompson did not concede and Baldwin did not give her acceptance speech until shortly before midnight.

MARQUETTE TALKING HEADS KAREN HOFFMAN

GERRY CANAVAN

NICHOLAS SANTOS

SEBASTIAN LUFT

Director of Undergraduate Studies and Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science

Assistant Professor of English

Jesuit Priest and Assistant Professor of Marketing

Associate Professor of Philosophy

“There is much to say about the election, but I guess one of the things that strikes me as I sit here on the morning of election day is that when this election cycle started, even before Romney was chosen as the Republican nominee, most experts predicted a very close election, which makes sense. The country was fairly polarized; people were already committed pretty strongly to one side or the other. Well, here we are on election day – billions of dollars later in campaign spending – and what do we have? Pretty much the same thing we started with!”

“The other day @pourmecoffee had a really striking tweet: ‘We just pinpoint landed a 2,000-pound SUV on Mars. I bet we could figure out how to let everyone quickly vote if we wanted.’ Whatever other complaints a person might want to make about American democracy – personally I’d start with the general inanity of mass media discourse, malapportionment in the Electoral College and the hopeless lesserevilism of the two-party system – the single most devastating thing about Election Day is the now-inevitable reports of active and passive voter suppression happening all across the country. Politics means there’ll always be disagreements, but attacks on the right to vote threaten the basic moral legitimacy of the system as such. Either we’re a democracy or we’re not.”

“It came as no surprise to me that a lead article in the New York Times on voting day dubbed this election as the most expensive one in American history. Over the last months I have been amazed at how closely the campaigns of both candidates were linked to their fundraising capabilities. Which of course made me wonder whether we need a president who can raise more money or one who can better lead this country in these troubling times.”

“From a European point of view, American elections are always a fascinating event. The amount of money spent, the attack ads, the debates, the contact-sport attitude – these are for the most part unthinkable in many European countries. Two things especially stand out: what is essentially a twoparty system and the low voter turnout. As for the latter, given that the results of entire states essentially come down to voters within a certain county, even within precincts, one can well ask to what extent such an electoral system is representative of the vast majority of the American people. Regarding the two-

party system, the debates that take place in, say, Germany between the major parties – the Christian Democrats, the Social Democrats, the Liberals, the Socialists, the Green Party – are very much public, whereas these debates in the U.S. play themselves out within a party, which accounts for the huge spectrum within, for instance, the Republican party, which even accommodates the Tea Party wing. Many Europeans think Americans are apolitical, but this is a mistake: it’s just that debates take place more behind closed doors rather than in the public. That being said, the fact that still so many people do not vote is due to what many Americans take to be public mud-slinging in attack ads, which they consider disgusting and off-putting. Hence, ‘politics’ gets in the way of actually becoming political.”

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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BY STATE

WA 12

AZ 11

WV VA 5 13

TN 11

AR 6

PA OH

IA 6

NE UT

WY 3

MS 6

AL 9

SC GA

VT MA CT

NJ MD

RI DE

POPULAR VOTE National

TOTAL ELECTORAL COUNT 303

206 OBAMA

ROMNEY

50% 48%

Wisconsin

OBAMA

ROMNEY

53% 46%

Infographics by Rob Gebelhoff/robert.gebelhoff@marquette.edu

11 7

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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN WISCONSIN BY COUNTY DOUGLAS

BAYFIELD IRON VILAS

ASHLAND

FLORENCE SAWYER

BURNETT

ONEIDA

PRICE

POLK

MARINETTE

RUSK

BARRON

LINCOLN LANGLADE

TAYLOR ST. CROIX

FOREST

CHIPPEWA DUNN

PIERCE PEPIN

OCONTO

MARATHON SHAWANO

CLARK

EAU CLAIRE

DOOR

KEWAUNEE

PORTAGE BROWN

WOOD

BUFALLO JACKSON

ADAMS LA CROSS

WAUSHARA

MONROE FOND DU LAC

JUNEAU VERNON

SHEBOYGAN WASHINGTON

SAUK

COLUMBIA

OZAUKEE

DODGE

WAUKESHA IOWA

MILWAUKEE

DANE

RACINE

GRANT LAFAYETTE

Wisconsin Senate Race Popular Vote

BALDWIN

THOMPSON

GREEN

KENOSHA

ROCK

Senate Results

51 Democrat 2 Independent

51.5% 45.9%

45 Republican

House Results

190 Democrat

232 Republican Source: The Associated Press All results are as of 6:00 a.m., Nov. 7, 2012.

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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Obama’s campaign platform Remain united after for a second term in office bitter campaign In debates, president COLUMN

laid out agenda for next four years

By Ben Greene

benjamin.greene@marquette.edu

Caroline Campbell It has been a very long election season. Maybe I feel this way because it is only the second presidential election I have voted in. More likely it is that we are in one of the most polarizing political climates our nation has seen in decades. Last Thursday, a public radio show “This American Life” featured a piece about how the current political climate has destroyed friendships, relationships and family ties. But now the election is over. President Barack Obama will remain in office for the next four years. As the last of the seemingly never-ending political ads trickle off the air, it is time for us, as a nation, to move out of the election mindset and forward together. But this is going to take understanding. This election was so brutal, not just on a presidential level, but for many places, also on a local level. People are still upset about how things turned out last night. It is going to take effort for America to heal from the wounds opened over the past few months. And that healing cannot happen if we are unable to learn how to put our differences aside and work together. There is no room for liberals to rub this win in their conservative friends’ faces or for conservatives to get caught up in the bitterness of the loss. That is not what America needs. We have elected a president. We have not fixed all the problems we need to fix. And it is not solely the responsibility of the president to settle all ills of the nation. Whether or not you agree with the policies of the president, there is still so much you can do to help your fellow citizens. Across the country today, there are

millions of people living below the poverty level, millions of students who are not receiving adequate education and millions of people whose voices are not being heard. There are Americans all across the nation who are suffering. It is downright ignorant to blame that on one person or political party. There is nothing productive about complaining, nothing productive about over-celebration. President Obama’s campaign was all about moving forward, and that is something we need to do – together. It will literally be impossible to get anything done if we remain divided. We are all citizens of the same country, and we have a responsibility to one another, no matter whom we voted for or what we believe. The bitter partisanship America has known in recent years needs to change. That does not mean people need to change their beliefs, but rather, change their opinions about their opponents. You have every right to hold whatever opinion you want, but there needs to be more effort to understand each other and find ways to accomplish things as a one nation, indivisible. In the words of the great Bruce Springsteen, “Wherever this flag’s flown, we take care of our own.” That means everybody, not just half of America. To take care of our own, we need to understand them. Reach out to someone whose beliefs do not match your own and learn something about her or his viewpoint. Find areas where you do agree. Respect that person as a human being and a fellow American, not just as an opposing opinion. Your rights do not change with your political leanings. caroline.campbell@marquette.edu

Beyond Big Bird, binders full of women and horses and bayonets, President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney actually laid out campaign platforms in their three debates this fall. Now that Obama has been elected to a second term, here are the key points of his platform. Job Creation President Obama identified five key areas that he said will help create more American jobs. “I think we’ve got to invest in education and training,” he said during the first presidential debate. “I think it’s important for us to develop new sources of energy here in America, that we change our tax code to make sure that we’re helping small businesses and companies that are investing here in the United States, that we take some of the money that we’re saving as we wind down two wars to rebuild America and that we reduce our deficit in a balanced way that allows us to make these critical investments.” Taxation Obama said, first and foremost, he wants to lower the corporate tax rate, particularly for manufacturing, to 25 percent. The president said he wants to reward companies that create American jobs. “I also want to close those loopholes that are giving incentives for companies that are shipping jobs overseas,” he said during the first presidential debate. “I want to provide tax breaks for companies that are investing here in the United States.” President Obama said he

believes in expanding the economy, starting in the middle class. “By giving (middle class families) those tax cuts, they had a little more money in their pocket, … which means they’re spending more money, businesses have more customers, businesses make more profits, and then hire more workers.” Finally, Obama said he will raise taxes on Americans with high incomes. “I have said that for incomes over $250,000 a year, that we should go back to the rates that we had when Bill Clinton was president, when we created 23 million new jobs, went from deficit to surplus, and created a whole lot of millionaires to boot,” he said. Energy President Obama said he plans to ramp up traditional energy sources, while investing in the sources of the future, as well. “We’ve got to boost American energy production, and oil and natural gas production are higher than they’ve been in years,” he said during the first presidential debate. “But I also believe that we’ve got to look at the energy sources of the future, like wind and solar and biofuels, and make those investments.” Education President Obama put forward a plan that he hopes will better prepare college students for the workplace. “So now I want to hire another 100,000 new math and science teachers, and create 2 million more slots in our community colleges so that people can get trained for the jobs that are out there right now,” he said during the first presidential debate. “And I want to make sure that we keep tuition low for our young people.” The Issue: National Debt The president’s plan for lowering the National Debt consists of

a combination of spending cuts and increased taxation. “I’ve put forward a specific $4 trillion deficit reduction plan,” he said during the first presidential debate. “And the way we do it is $2.50 for every cut, we ask for $1 of additional revenue, paid for, as I indicated earlier, by asking those of us who have done very well in this country to contribute a little bit more to reduce the deficit.” Immigration Obama highlighted four strategies that he already has put into effect and that he plans to implement regarding immigration. “The first thing we did was to streamline the legal immigration system, to reduce the backlog, make it easier, simpler and cheaper for people who are waiting in line, obeying the law to make sure that they can come here and contribute to our country and that’s good for our economic growth,” he said during the second presidential debate. “Number two, we do have to deal with our border so we put more border patrol on the -- any time in history and the flow of undocumented works across the border is actually lower than it’s been in 40 years.” President Obama’s second two points deal with immigrants who have already crossed the border. “What I’ve also said is if we’re going to go after folks who are here illegally, we should do it smartly and go after folks who are criminals, gang bangers, people who are hurting the community, not after students, not after folks who are here just because they’re trying to figure out how to feed their families,” he said. “And what I’ve also said is for young people who come here, brought here often times by their parents. Had gone to school here, pledged allegiance to the flag. Think of this as their country. Understand themselves as Americans in every way except having papers. And we should make sure that we give them a pathway to citizenship.”

Marquette-ians in Politics GWEN MOORE

RALPH METCALFE

JOSEPH MCCARTHY

SCOTT WALKER

Milwaukee native Gwen Moore is the congresswoman for Wisconsin’s 4th District, covering the city and some of its surrounding suburbs. After serving two terms in the State Assembly, Moore became the first African-American woman to be elected to the Wisconsin State Senate. In 2004, Moore became the second woman and first African-American to represent Wisconsin in Congress. Moore’s Marquette experience was different than most. A single mother at age 19, Moore was on welfare while in college and was a member of Marquette’s inaugural Educational Opportunity Program class for low-income students. Despite these challenges, Moore graduated in 1973 with a degree in political science.

Ralph Metcalfe served as an alderman for Chicago’s South Side and rose to president pro tempore of the Chicago Common Council. In 1970, he he won a seat in the House of Representatives, where he served Illinois’ 1st Congressional District until his death in 1978. As a congressman, he helped to found the Congressional Black Caucus and introduce a resolution establishing Black History Month. Metcalfe was senior class president at Marquette and graduated cum laude in 1936. Even before that, he was a world-famous runner, competing in two Olympics and winning four medals.

Joseph McCarthy entered Marquette in 1930 and spent his first two years studying electrical engineering before transferring to the Law School in 1932, from which he graduated in 1935. He served as a U.S. senator for Wisconsin from 1947 until his death 10 years later. During his tenure, he launched an infamous hunt for alleged communists, accusing numerous Americans of being communist infiltrators. His often baseless attacks drew condemnation from his fellow senators and on Dec. 2, 1954 he he became one of the few members of the Senate ever to be censured by the body.

Another former Marquette student is current Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Elected in 2010, Walker received some criticism after introducing legislation that cut most collective bargaining rights for state employees. Months of protests eventually led to a recall election on June 5, 2012, in which Walker defeated Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett 53 percent to 46 percent. Various parts of the legislation, Act 10, have now been overturned in multiple lawsuits. Walker left Marquette 36 credits shy of graduation in 1990, opting for a career in business.

GREG STANTON

Greg Stanton, a 1992 graduate, is the mayor of Phoenix. Stanton was actually one of three Marquette alumni running for the same office during the city’s 2011 election. Anna Brennan (1981) and Jennifer Wright (1996) joined Stanton and three other candidates before being eliminated in the August primary election. Stanton attended Marquette on a scholarship from the Harry S. Truman Foundation for students interested in public service, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Aug. 11, 2011. While on the City Council in Phoenix, he helped to organize Arizona State University’s downtown campus, which he said was in part inspired by Marquette’s urban campus.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Non-resident students hope to make voices heard in swing-state Wisconsin Local issues drive others to vote early, mail absentee ballots By Sarah Hauer

sarah.hauer@marquette.edu

Marquette students who voted in Wisconsin Tuesday not only got to feel the excitement of casting their presidential ballots but also got to vote in a major swing state. The youth vote played an important role in the 2008 election. About two million more young people ages 18 to 29 voted in 2008 than in 2004. Voter participation spiked to 51.1 percent in 2008 and 49 percent in 2004, according to a 2009 Pew Research Center Study. The youth vote was considered one of the major factors of Obama’s win in 2008. Katie Mills, a first-year law student, voted in Milwaukee this year. In 2008, she voted in Madison while she was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Mills said she hopes to see the same turnout of young voters this year but was not sure if that would happen. “There was such a strong movement (in 2008),” Mills said. “I haven’t seen that same effort this year. (Voting) is one of the only ways to be heard,” Mills said. Any eligible voter in the U.S. can vote in Wisconsin by showing proof of residency, such as a piece of mail with her or his name and address. Tatum Matlock, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, went to the polls in Milwaukee even though she calls Michigan home. “I wanted to vote in a swing state,” Matlock said. “Michigan will vote the way I would, so I wanted my vote to count more.” Maggie McClain, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, voted in Milwaukee instead of

her hometown in Illinois. “My vote counts more here,” McClain said. “Illinois is pretty much locked up. Since the last election, there have been dramatic changes in both parties. I know where both parties are heading, and I know where I want to put my vote.” Shana Sigmund, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, also voted in Milwaukee instead of her home state of Illinois. Sigmund said she couldn’t go home to vote, so she voted in the AMU yesterday. “It took about 15 minutes, and I wasn’t even registered,” Sigmund said. “As a first-time voter, I was really excited. It felt good to vote.” Kelly Taylor, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said she voted in the AMU because “it was more convenient.” David Fabris, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, voted in Milwaukee rather than in Illinois because he lives here. He watched all three of the presidential debates, which he said influenced his vote. “I feel like, being on a college campus, you see a lot more (political) action,” Fabris said. Eric Thompson, a senior in the College of Communication, voted in Milwaukee even though his family resides in Racine. Thompson said voting in Milwaukee is more convenient. Thompson said he thinks the youth voter turnout will increase again this year. “With social media booming, (the election) is all over TV and Twitter,” Thompson said. “This campaign is a lot closer (than in 2008), so there will be a lot larger of a turnout. Young people really want to have their voices heard.” Brogan O’Brien, a freshman in the College of Business Administration, voted absentee in Nebraska. “I wish I would have voted here because (Wisconsin) is more

of a swing state,” O’Brien said. He said he was eager to vote in his first presidential election. “It’s actually affecting me now, and I understand (politics) a lot more than when I was younger,” O’Brien said. According to a study performed by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, young people with at least some college experience were almost twice as likely to vote as those who had never been to college, 62.1 to 35.9 percent. Students who are attending college outside their home states are allowed to vote by absentee ballot in every state and the District of Columbia. Randy Neu, a junior in the College of Engineering, voted absentee in Racine County. “I wanted to vote where I actually live, not just where I go to school,” Neu said. He also voted in the recall and midterm elections in Racine. Neu said the negativity of the election this year will keep younger voters away from the polls. “Enthusiasm will drive action, and that isn’t what we have this year,” Neu said. Brennan Abrahamson, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said he went home to vote in Waukesha, Wis. “This is my first chance to vote in a presidential election, and I want to vote,” Abrahamson said. “It is amazing that every four years we have this peaceful way of exchanging power.” Tessa Danielson, a freshman in the College of Communication, voted absentee in her home state of Minnesota. She made the decision because of two particular amendments on the ballot — the definition of marriage and voter ID. “I really wanted to vote and wanted to have my say in (the election),” Danielson said. Studies have shown that people who are more educated

have higher rates of political participation. Despite this, voting behavior among students in college is unpredictable. According to a 2012 survey by the Institute of Politics at Harvard University, 67 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds said they were registered to vote, and 25 percent considered themselves to be politically engaged or active. In October, nine percent of likely voters were still undecided when asked for whom they would vote if the presidential election was held that day. When asked why they would not vote, 43 percent of respondents said Washington is broken and that it does not matter who is elected. Other popular responses were that none of the candidates represent her or his own views and that the parties are more or less the same. Lindsey Gosh, a sophomore in the College of Nursing, was undecided if she would vote in the election. “I’m kind of confused,” Gosh said. “On television, you just hear the candidates going back and forth. I have to do more research.” A survey by Generation Opportunity, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that engages and mobilizes young Americans, found that 38 percent of 18- to 29-year-old respondents believed today’s politicians effectively represent their generation’s best interest. Tori Erickson, a freshman in the College of Nursing, said she did not vote in the election. “I haven’t registered, and I don’t know anything about politics,” Erickson said. She thinks young people do not vote because they do not think that their vote will matter. Erickson said she plans to vote once she gets older. “When I have my own job, I will be more inclined to vote,” she said. “Then, (the results) will affect me more.”

Photo by Rebecca Rebholz/rebecca.rebholz@marquette.edu

A pair of Obama campaign buttons encourages young voters to vote early, advice many students from out of state had followed by voting absentee.

Tribune 7

COLUMN

Candidates hang up campaign costumes

Tony Manno All done, voters. Take a hot bath, chug a Vitamin Water, climb out of your caves or do whatever you need to do to bring that blood pressure down. And just be happy about one thing: the angry politician level has now dropped from “super freak” to “elevated.” Your candidates can take off their running-for-office masks, revealing slightly less deceptive faces beneath. Candidates get caught up in the hype during election time. Historically, Dems and Repubs alike will push toward the middle and grab the undecided vote, often ditching their track records and heading straight for the votes. But if they already have some moderate ideas – a la Mitt Romney or John McCain – the shift is often to please their party base instead. I give you Election Romney, ripping himself up from his roots to grab as many votes as possible. We saw this effect in 2008, when John McCain ran as a conservative crowd-pleasing Batman with a kooky Alaskan Robin. Closer to the Adam West version than the Christian Bale, McCain the candidate totally covered up McCain the “Maverick” politician of yesteryear – someone who was willing to cross party lines and fight for his constituents. With legislation like the McCain-Feingold Act to limit campaign finance and work with the late Ted Kennedy, McCain established some moderate talking points that attracted undecideds. And after his election escapades, McCain became more likeable. He’s since replanted himself on the right, but hey, nothing lasts forever. I can only hope to say the same about Mitt Romney in the next few months. The man who once claimed he’d be “better than Ted (Kennedy) for gay rights” has since been buried in the need to appeal to conservatives – in a so-called “Etch-A-Sketch” manner – during his campaign. Once they’re out of the limelight, previously presidential hopefuls have less to please and more wiggle room to speak. The election stovetop can now cool. Tagg Romney can keep his hands in his pockets, and maybe Mitt Romney can go back to acknowledging the fact that his Massachusetts health care reform and Obamacare are fraternal twins. … I think I just popped a blood vessel. Why am I still so worked up? Well, I guess these effects will take a few weeks to set in. I’m just happy the Romney mask can come off. Ironically, I feel like I can get to know him a little better. As can the mask for Obama – maybe to a lesser degree, as he’ll still be on the tube from time to time. And Joe Biden’s mask had a scary smile, so hopefully that’ll be gone, too. For now, let’s keep in mind Paul Ryan still has his day job and look forward to a couple election-free years. anthony.manno@marquette.edu

8 Tribune

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

COLUMN

Bizarre election predictions get it right sometimes

Brooke Goodman As a society, we don’t like uncertainty. It terrifies us. That’s why we search far and wide for any means of reassurance possible – no matter how silly – and hold on tight until the truth can be discerned. Reality Steve has already revealed the majority of the next season of The Bachelor. Paul the Octopus’ eating habits correctly predicted the winner of each of the German national team’s matches, including the final, in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. And one can argue against the fact that more albums are leaked online than those actually heard for the first time in record stores. If there’s a way to see what the future holds, you’d better believe society is going to make it happen. This is especially prominent in terms of the presidential election. Polls were continually updated for months. Political commentators, campaign ads and the candidates all seemed to know the outcome of yesterday’s election ... even if they contradicted each other in doing so. And everyone on social media was a political expert for the day. But there are more indicators than numbers or biased individuals spouting off charged claims. Let’s take a look at some of the more entertaining predictors and see if they pass or fail when it comes to this year’s election. Redskins Rule Since 1937, when the Redskins moved to Washington D.C., there have been 18 presidential elections. In every election since 1940 (except in 2004 when it got sticky due to the popular vs. electoral vote) the result of the team’s last home game before the election predicted whether the incumbent party would remain in office. If the Redskins win, the incumbent party wins. If they lose, the incumbent party loses. Last Sunday the Redskins lost to the Carolina Panthers by a score of 21-13. Prediction: Romney / Actual: Obama Kids Poll Let’s face it, little children have a creepy way of knowing things. Take, for instance, when it’s time to make brackets for March Madness and your little sister picks teams based on how “pretty” their

uniforms are ... and then wins the pool. For the last 40 years Scholastic Kids magazine has predicted the election results by a poll on who kids think will be the next president. Since this poll has existed it has only been wrong twice. This year, Obama won 51 percent to 45 percent. In other words, the kids have spoken. Prediction: Obama / Actual: Obama Halloween Masks There might have been a bit more meaning under those Obama and Romney masks last Wednesday. Since 1996, the presidential candidate whose mask accumulated the highest sales has won the election. According to The Huffington Post and Spirit Halloween, one of the largest Halloween seasonal stores in the country, there were more Obamas roaming around this year than Romneys – 60 percent to 40 percent. If this holds true, it looks like we’ll see those Obama masks again next Halloween. Prediction: Obama / Actual: Obama Family Circle Cookies make the world go around ... or at least I like to think so. In every presidential election since 1992, Family Circle magazine has had readers vote on which potential First Lady’s cookie recipe is better. The winner indicates who the next president of will be. Of those years, the only time this vote was wrong was in 2008, when Michelle Obama’s cookies weren’t as popular as Cindy McCain’s, yet Obama still won the election. This time around, Michelle made a comeback with her white and dark chocolate cookies, meaning her husband should retain his spot in the Oval Office. Prediction: Obama / Actual: Obama Nov. 6 Since 1845, when Abraham Lincoln was elected, every time the election has fallen on Nov. 6 the Republican candidate has won. This year is the seventh time this fateful date has hosted an election. It looked like Obama has history working against him. Prediction: Romney / Actual: Obama The truth is, we all know these predictors are silly. In fact, the varied outcomes merely prove that there is no way to predict the election results. Needless to say, Election Day was intense. On a day when half of Americans will be angry with the results, at least these slightly eccentric trends can be a reminder that regardless of the outcome, it’s OK to laugh. brooke.goodman@marquette.edu

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GOP ‘very disappointed’ in loss College Republicans look forward to 2016 after election defeat By Nick Biggi

nicholas.biggi@marquette.edu

There was no Supreme Court decision. There was no middle of the night winner. It was not the 2000 Presidential Election. At approximately 10:17 p.m. College Republicans who attended Tommy Thompson and Republicans’ victory party in Waukesha ended their night in disappointment when President Barack Obama was named victorious in the 2012 Presidential election. Many expected the night to end late, maybe even beyond Tuesday or Wednesday. Coming into the night, Republicans and Democrats alike knew that the big prize was Ohio. It was expected to be so close that it could take up to 10 days until America knew who their President would be due to the state’s recounting laws. John Paul Muessle, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences and a member of the College Republicans, explained the general attitude of the Republicans who attended the victory party. “Very disappointed,” Muessle

said. “Four years wasn’t enough to show that Obama’s plan wasn’t working. Reagan did it in less than four years and he inherited a worse crisis. As college students we should all be afraid of getting jobs out of college.” After the first debate and the “comeback” from Romney at the beginning of this fall, some polls had him ahead or closing in on Obama in numerous swing states, which gave him a chance at the election. Joshua Drevs, a junior in the College of Business Administration and chairman of Young Americans for Freedom, was one of many to blame Romney’s loss on the perception that many voters associated the Republican party with the Tea Party. “I thought Romney had a good chance of winning tonight,” Drevs said. “My honest reaction is that I don’t know if this was a referendum on Obama as much as it was on the Tea Party. I think the Tea Party outreached to this radical, conservative base, and people didn’t like that. The extreme right stances he had to take did not attract middle-line voters. It should have been all about the economy, but the far right made it more about the social issues in the primaries.” Alec Grych, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, explained the surprise

he felt as the results were coming in, especially in Wisconsin. “Coming into the election I thought more states would go Romney,” Grych said. “My initial expectations were higher. Honestly, I was surprised Wisconsin went Obama because the polls I read this morning had a 49-49 split, and I thought Ryan on the ticket would bring Romney over.” While Romney had a continuing decline in the Electoral College projections, he held a lead in the popular vote for almost the entire night. The presidential loss was not the only blow of the night for the College Republicans, who also had to deal with the defeat of former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson in the vacant Senate seat to Tammy Baldwin. Despite a rough night for the College Republicans, many also said there is a lot to look forward to in 2016. Throughout the election, there have been Republican stars that have emerged out of the campaign who will not be facing an incumbent president. These include Wisconsinites such as Romney’s running mate and congressman who held his seat last night, Paul Ryan, and Gov. Scott Walker. Others who have been indicated as possible candidates in 2016 are New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

Students come together for bipartisan viewing party Event sponsored by Les Aspin Center and political science dept.

By Seamus Doyle and Melanie Lawder

seamus.doyle@marquette.edu melanie.lawder@marquette.edu

Approximately fifty students and a small group of professors gathered in Haggerty Hall last night to view the results of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections. Marquette students supporting both ends of the political spectrum joined together in anticipation and suspense of the 2012 election results. Despite the tensions, spirits seemed to be high amongst the students in attendance with animated chatter filling in the long breaks between incoming results. Spread throughout three rooms and the Triangle Lounge in Haggerty Hall, the old engineering building, a diverse number of media outlets, including CNN, FOX, C-SPAN, and MSNBC, provided up to date election results to individuals in attendance. Though party affiliation varied, students shared common concerns about how the election will affect same issues. Like the general public, the economy and foreign policy were two issues that many students held a significant amount of anxiety about. “Obviously the economy is a really important issue, but I think after the third presiden-

tial debate it became really obvious that you couldn’t take foreign policy for granted,” said Kelly Mitchell, a graduate student studying political science and a supporter of President Barack Obama. For some students, the candidates’ stances on social issues were just as pertinent as the economy. “It’s sad that we let religious groups influence how we’re going to vote on certain issues such as abortion and gay marriage,” said Joshua Hill, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. By the end of the night, the crowd had drastically dispersed and only 15 to 20 students and a few professors were around as the majority of swing states came in. Of these few students, there seemed to be a decidedly liberal bent as cheers and whistles filled the room as Iowa was announced in the Obama column. Later, as Ohio was called for Obama, almost everyone in the room jumped to their feet, including some professors, and the screaming was earsplitting. Few students stayed after Ohio was called in favor of Obama. “I’m so excited that all our hard work paid off,” Natasha Hansen, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences said. “The future of women’s health, gay rights, our economy, our foreign relations, and our student loans are in good hands.” One of the largest questions of the night, one repeated by students and professors alike, was how the media could call states

with so few votes counted. “I think they shouldn’t have called Wisconsin so early,” Evan Umpir, a sophomore in the college of Arts & Sciences, said. “It’s going be close. It’s going to be real close. The media needs to tread lightly.” Umpir was not the only individual confused as to why states were being called with sometimes less than 10 percent of the vote having been counted. “I don’t know what they’re calling that on,” Julia Azari, an assistant professor of political science, said at one point as states were being called by the media. It seems that individuals at the election viewing party, sponsored by the Les Aspin Center for Government and the Department of Political Science, called the election in favor of Obama early, with everyone, including professors, dispersing immediately after Ohio was called in favor of Obama around 10:20pm. Yet, the Marquette viewing party was not the only thing that leaned Democratic. According to the Journal Sentinel, of the Marquette community that voted on campus, wards 190, 191, and 192, leaned Democratic in both the presidential and senate races. “President Barack Obama outpolled former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 2,009 to 1,500, and Democratic Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin outpolled Republican Tommy Thompson 2,073 to 1,500,” Jenifer Zahn said in an article published on JS Online.