Thursday, February 25, 2016
The Auburn Plainsman
Political Guide
PAGE PAGE
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Political ideology of students and faculty revealed through survey
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Look at the Democratic and Republican (pg.12) outlooks for the presidential primary
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Inside look with Mike Hubbard: from DJ to speaker
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The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
The Auburn Plainsman
Table of Contents 4
Read one-on-one profiles with U.S. Senate candidates for Alabama
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The Plainsman performed a political ideology survey. See the breakdown.
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Editor-in-Chief - Jim Little
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Third Congressional District of Alabama candidates share goals
Lee County district attorney candidates face off
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15
See the 2016 presidential candidates communicate through tweets
Go behind the scenes with Mike Hubbard
Managing Editor - Emily Esleck
NEWSROOM CAMPUS Editor - Corey Williams Reporter - Andria Moore Writer - Claire Tully Writer - Ameera Steward Writer - Rachel Sprouse Writer - Jake LeGrone
COMMUNITY
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Thursday, February 25, 2016
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SPORTS
OPINION
Editor - Sam Butler Asst. Editor - Evan McCullers Reporter - Emily Shoffit Reporter - C.J. Holmes Writer - Nathan Deal Writer - Bailey Rogers Writer - Andrew Monson Writer - Jonathan Hefner
Editor - Weston Sims
MULTIMEDIA Editor - Kris Sims Reporter - Parker Aultman Reporter - John Lee
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INTRIGUE
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Letter from the editor: Politics is our story Jim Little EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A lot of people think politics is dirty, boring and all about power. Politics can be those things, but in the United States, politics is more than who has power. Politics is the way we work with people with whom we share a common cause, but disagree with on the course of that cause. It’s the story we tell about ourselves and whom we think we are. This year, politics has come to a presidential election year, so more attention than normal is focused on the political world. Lost in the breaking news alerts about the latest presidential hopeful’s Snapchat snafu is the political contest that will actually make a difference in your life.
Local government, state government and your representative in Congress have a great day-to-day influence on your life. From traffic regulations to Medicaid expansions, your city and state government can find a number of ways to ruin your day. For these reasons, The Auburn Plainsman has put together this political guide. We’re taking our focus away from the presidential competitions and putting it on the races that will have the biggest influences on Auburn students and our community. If you’ve registered to vote on Tuesday, March 1, you will have the chance to vote in the Republican or Democratic primaries. The reason you’ll probably go will be to “feel the Bern” or “make America great again,” but you may wonder about the other names you’ll see. We’ve reached out to almost every politician running for an office in Alabama whom a student registered to vote in Auburn will have a chance to vote for. Not all got back to us, but
PUBLICDOMAINPICTURES.NET
most did. And we get into a little of the national races with a look at the Democratic and Republican primaries. We also talked to one politician who isn’t up for election but still has an interesting story to tell — although he couldn’t comment on the felony ethics charges against him.
So take some time to read these pages to learn about the other names on the ballot. To know their story is to learn their politics. Hopefully it will help you decide what story you want to tell about yourself. Jim can be reached at editor@ThePlainsman.com.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
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The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
2016 U.S. Senate candidates for Alabama
Democratic
Ron Crumpton
Charles Nana
• Invest in replacing,
• Increase minimum wage to at least $15 per hour • Make state community colleges free to serve as retooling centers for ex-felons and transitioning workers • Support veterans
expanding and repairing schools • Focus on primary education equality • Increase minimum wage and enforce equal pay for women and minorities
Republican
Marcus Bowman
John Martin
• Focus on growing • Enforce current economy, ensuring laws to stop illegal there are quality jobs immigration and money flowing to • Persuade other small businesses members of the Sen• Protect gun rights and ate to improve the enforce immigration health care system with strict border security • Take better care of • Review spending veterans
Jonathan McConnell • Support veterans’ mental health, giving them resources they need and reform the treatment of veterans in the claim system • Protect and defend Second Amendment rights • Simplify tax code
Shadrack McGill
Richard Shelby
• Oppose Common Core and feels it binds public schools to inappropriate federal standards • Abolish or amend the 1954 Johnson Amendment • Stress God in government
• Preserve life of unborn children • Amend Constitution with a Balanced Budget Amendment • Have a limited government that allows for jobs and businesses to flourish
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY RESPECTIVE CANDIDATES AND INFORMATION COMPILED FROM CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS AND CAMPAIGN WEBSITES
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The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Richard Shelby Jim Little
Editor-in-chief
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby has been in Alabama politics for a long time, and he says that’s his biggest selling point. Shelby, 81, got involved in politics in 1970 when he was elected to the Alabama State Legislature. In 1978, Shelby was elected as a Democrat for U.S. Congress for the 7th District of Alabama, now occupied by Democrat Rep. Terri Sewell. Shelby moved to the U.S. Senate in 1987 and switched to the Republican Party in 1994. Twenty-eight years in the Senate puts Shelby in a powerful position in an institution where committee assignments are determined by seniority. “I’m a senior citizen and a senior senator, but I feel good,” Shelby said during a campaign stop in Auburn on Jan. 6. “I’ve been blessed, and I’m going to work hard for Alabama. I’m run-
ning because I think I can make a difference.” Shelby said putting in a new senator with no seniority would hurt Alabama. “I’ve got four young people running against me, and I wish them well — not too well,” Shelby said to laughter. “One of them said the other day he was going to run for two terms and that was it. Well, in two terms, they wouldn’t know who he was in the Senate. In about three terms, he’d be able to represent his people well, and by about the fourth term, he might be running the Senate.” Shelby had a message for deciding whether to vote for him or his four opponents in the March 1 primary. “Tell them to look at my record and then look at the other four’s record,” Shelby said. “And then let them make up their own minds on who they want to represent them in the United States Senate.”
Dakota Sumpter / Photo Editor
Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., speaks about the recent changes in gun control legislation and the Second Amendment enacted by President Barak Obama during a campaign stop at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce.
VERSUS Jonathan McConnell Jim Little
Editor-in-chief
contributed by jonathan mcconnell
Jonathan McConnell is running for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate for Alabama.
Jonathan McConnell is challenging one of the most experienced Alabama politicians, Sen. Richard Shelby, but McConnell got his start in politics in Auburn University’s SGA. McConnell ran against the establishment Greek and Spades candidate when he was elected SGA president in 2003. “I was not a Greek, so I didn’t have the Greeks behind me,” McConnell said. “I was the anti-Spade candidate. The Spades were 100 percent against me and did a lot to topple that. So I guess I’ve got a history of going against the establishment, but I’ve got a
history of winning against the establishment.” Since then, McConnell went to law school, fought in Iraq as a U.S. Marine officer and founded a company that provides security against pirates to shipping companies moving goods off of the coast of Somalia. McConnell said he believes Alabamians are hearing his message, despite Shelby spending $11 million to his $700,000. “I’ve seen a lot of things to be afraid of, and an 81-year-old Richard Shelby is not one of them,” McConnell said. McConnell said Shelby’s attack ads against him increase his name recognition, but he still has
to combat their negative messages. One negative ad uses a quote from a 2003 issue of the The Auburn Plainsman about complaints filed against McConnell’s campaign in the SGA presidential campaign. Those were cleared. “It’s extremely desperate,” McConnell said. “(Shelby) will say anything in order to keep his seat, and it reeks of desperation.” McConnell said he believes in term limits and signed a pledge to only serve 12 years in office. “(Shelby) needs to lead, or he needs to get out of the way,” Shelby said. “I know he’s fighting Obama everyday, but last time I checked, he hasn’t won a single time.”
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Charles Nana seeks the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate Emily Esleck
schools. They don’t have the fear and the hate that we see from others.” Nana said he has helped strugCharles Nana, 2016 Democratic candidate to represent Alabama gling businesses turn themselves in the U.S. Senate, came to the Unit- around for the past 25 years as a projed States from the western African ect manager. He came to Alabama for business country of Cameroon, with only but said he saw injustice in the gov$428 in his pocket. However, that did not stop him ernment, which sparked his passion from getting an education from one to run for the U.S. Senate to change what he saw. of the top business Nana wants schools in the counto raise the minitry. mum wage from Along with receiv$7.25 per hour ing his Internationto $15 per hour al Master of Business in the next five Administration deyears. gree in analytical fi“Increasing nance and strategic minimum wage nana management from the is good for everyUniversity of Chicago Booth School of Business, Nana one,” Nana said. “The employees are also obtained his bachelor’s degree happy, so they’re more productive ... in mechanical engineering from It saves the companies lots of money Howard University and his master’s that they used to retrain employees.” Nana also advocates veteran in biomedical engineering from the rights. He said he believes no vetCatholic University of America. Nana said he is passionate about eran should be unemployed, and the education reform, since he was for- state should be giving more resourctunate enough to attend multiple es to them. “Veterans need to live the Ameruniversities. He said Alabama places 49th out of 50 states in college ican dream that they help protect,” Nana said. preparation standard evaluations. Nana said he plans to fight unfair “Every child deserves a chance in life,” Nana said. “Every child trade practices that cause damage to should be given an opportunity to go American businesses, especially in to school and become something in the coal, steel and commodity industries. life.” Nana advocates for minorities and In a primarily conservative state, Nana said it is a challenge to run as a diversity in the United States. “We are a nation of immigrants, Democratic candidate. “I think we can win, especially if and our strength is our diversity, and we focus on the young generation, that is why we’re admired by the if we focus on students,” Nana said. world,” Nana said. “America is the “Young students, they have the op- land of opportunity, [it] is the land of portunity to relate and to go to mixed immigrants.” Managing Editor
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The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
Contributed by Ron Crumpton
Ron Crumpton speaks to people at the Bernie Sanders Rally in Birmingham on Jan. 18.
Ron Crumpton runs against Nana Emily Esleck
Managing Editor
After a life-changing injury, Ron Crumpton realized he wanted to get involved in government. A Pelham, Alabama, native, Crumpton sustained a back injury as a landscaper for a local bowling alley. After going through the healthcare system, he said he became perturbed at the way things operated. In 2008, he wrote an article on
the legalization of marijuana, kickstarting his political career. From there he became involved in multiple legislative campaigns ranging from women’s rights to minimum wage. Two years ago, when candidate qualifying closed and no one qualified to run against Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, Crumpton said he decided something needed to be done. “I have, I guess what you call a
warrior’s heart,” Crumpton said. “If somebody is not fighting for what’s important to me, then I’ll just do it myself.” Crumpton said his main focus is education and plans to invest $90 billion per year — $65 billion to repairing, replacing and expanding schools. He also wants to increase increase the minimum wage and ensure equal pay among women and minorities.
A Message From
Let Your Voice Be He ard
Vote on March 1st Visit AlabamaVotes.gov for more information Auburn University Student Government Association External Affairs
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The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Shadrack McGill campaigns on faith for U.S. Senate Lily Jackson
Community Writer
In 2010, a businessman with no political background, Shadrack McGill, was “politically convicted” by his God to run for Alabama Senate and was elected into office. Shadrack is currently running against four other candidates, including incumbent Sen. Richard Shelby, in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. After submitting a letter to his local newspaper, Jackson County’s The Daily Sentinel, Shadrack said he was asked to run for a seat in the Alabama Senate. Shadrack defeated seven-term Democratic incumbent Lowell Barron. While working a typical job and raising his six kids with the help of his wife, Heather McGill, God came to him and pointed out changes that needed to be made in Alabama and the U.S., according to Shadrack. “The Lord sat me down and showed me that the church had backed out of the government, and we’ve allowed this nation to become what it has become,” Shadrack said. “I don’t want my children to look at me one day and ask me why I didn’t do anything.” Shadrack served one term and returned home as he promised he would during his campaign. Good men of integrity leave their homes to serve their constituents, and after multiple terms, they become soft on issues and fall into corruption, according to Shadrack. It is difficult to find willing and well-rounded men to serve in office in today’s secular so-
ciety, Shadrack said. “There is a need for men of integrity in office,” Shadrack said. “All of a sudden, in my third and fourth year in Montgomery, the guys that I went in with, the guys that went in with backbones and my same mindset, started to soften up.” The biggest problem in government today is the continued effort to kick God out of the country, on all levels, but specifically organized religion and education, according to Shadrack. Shadrack compared the stifling of the religious voice to when King Henry VIII persecuted those who refused to worship as directed in England. Shadrack believes the 1954 Johnson Amendment was the first step in taking away the church’s right to the First Amendment. If elected to office, Shadrack plans on abolishing or amending the Johnson Amendment. The Johnson Amendment was a change in the U.S. tax code that prohibited tax exempt organizations from issuing political endorsements and opposing political candidates, according to Shadrack. Shadrack has a platform based primarily on his faith in God. The age-old question of the separation of church and state, and to what extent to honor it, comes in to play. “Ultimately, I don’t think you can separate the two — church and state,” Shadrack said. “You don’t lay your faith down at the door step when you go in a public place.” Despite Shadrack’s conflict with that portion of the Constitution, Shadrack said the
Chip Brownlee / community reporter
Shadrack McGill sits with his wife and three daughters at Hoover Tactical Firearms on Thursday, Feb. 18.
Constitution must be honored, and those who are appointed should respect it. “Either we have a constitution, or we don’t,” Shadrack said. “Either we have laws, and we follow them, and we elect people to follow them, or we don’t.” Shadrack has also put much of his focus on the public school system. According to Shadrack, the federal government should leave decisions concerning public education to state legislatures. He feels Common Core binds public schools to inappropriate federal standards and a one-size-fitsall curriculum. Common Core is a federally instituted education curriculum that covers mathematics and English, according to corestandards.
org. The curriculum has been accepted by 42 states and the District of Columbia. The program’s goal is to ensure all students finish the school year with the same knowledge. There have been many arguments concerning whether Christianity and Islam should be taught in the public sector. While serving in the Alabama Senate, Shadrack said he voted against charter schools after finding out more than 50 percent of charter schools were owned by a Muslim. “Do not teach Muslim religion without teaching Christianity,” Shadrack said. “There is such a push to Muslimize our nation. Most of them [Muslims] are really good people, but it is a religion that breeds radicals to the cruelest degree.”
2016 Alabama Congressional district candidate goals Republican
Democratic
Jesse Smith
• Strengthen the middle class by rebuilding the state’s infrastructure • Cut “massive waste” in military spending not affecting troops or veterans • Require background checks to purchase guns
• Eliminate taxes and Common
• Rebuild the military by spend-
Core, cut spending and balance
ing more time and resources
the budget
than in the past
• Defund Planned Parenthood
• Support family farms and Ala-
and push for tougher laws
bama’s agriculture industry
• Repeal ObamaCare, protect
Larry DiChiara
the Second Amendment and serve veterans
• Repeal ObamaCare and cut
Mike Rogers
spending
photos contributed by the respective candidates and information gathered from interviews and campaign websites
Thursday, February 25, 2016
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The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
Seniority with Rogers Anne Dawson Intrigue Editor
File photo
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers speaks with Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie Adkins, a Medal of Honor recipient, after the 3rd Congressional District Veterans Advisory Council meeting.
Congressman Mike Rogers knew since he was an early teenager he wanted to be involved in politics. He started off by getting involved in campaigns such as those of President Richard Nixon and others. To act on his ambitions, Rogers received an undergraduate degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration, both from Jacksonville State University. He then attended the Birmingham School of Law. Rogers said his education helped qualify him for future positions in government. He first dipped his toes into politics when he ran for county commission in Calhoun County, becoming the youngest member of the commission and the first Republican, according to his website. To continue working his way up, he became a state representative for eight years before he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. After serving 14 years as the U.S. representative for Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District, he is now up for re-election.
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Besides ample experience, Rogers said he has obtained seniority, which is crucial in Congress. He said he has more power and influence than ever before, and it is in the district’s best interest to re-elect him into office. Serving on the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Homeland Security, Rogers said the Armed Services takes up most of his time. Serving as a subcommittee chairman, he said this task is the most demanding and has prepared him for a variety of policies. Rogers said one of the most important issues people face is the repercussions from the Great Recession. Because of this, he said the military was severely cut, causing the U.S. to face more safety issues. According to Rogers, the military cannot be cut anymore because it is at its weakest, and especially because of recent threats of attacks such as the terrorist attacks in Paris and California. Rogers said it will be his first priority to rebuild the military. He will spend more time and resources on the military than in the past to ensure safety.
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The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
Rise from poverty leads to campaign for office Evan McCullers
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Growing up in public housing in southwest Georgia, Jesse Smith experienced life in the clutches of poverty. Nearly 24 years after he made it out of the projects, he still remembers his early years, and they are the driving force behind his campaign to represent Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. “It gave me a perspective from the inside looking out,” Smith said. “You think about poverty, and a lot of times, stereotype. We think about people who don’t want to work, don’t want to do anything, just want to lay around and collect a check. That wasn’t the case in my household.” Smith’s grandparents taught him the importance of helping others escape the same circumstances he grew up in. “There are people who meet the stereotype of not wanting to work,” Smith said. “I believe [in] being firm, but also being understanding that opportunities don’t come by everyone the exact same.” After 14 years of active duty mili-
tary service, Smith decided to run for Congress because he doesn’t feel the will of Alabamians is being represented in Washington, D.C., by Rep. Mike Rogers. Smith said he never intended to run for office, but after multiple letters to Rogers went ignored, he mounted a campaign in 2014. “I just find it hard to swallow that if he ignored me — and I’m willing to stand up and fight back — how many people has he already ignored that aren’t willing to stand up and fight back?” Smith said. Rogers defeated Smith in the 2014 election, but Smith is back for another run. One of his main goals is to strengthen the middle class and Alabama’s small businesses. Smith wants to start by rebuilding the state’s infrastructure, which CNBC ranked 27th in the nation in 2013. According to Smith, communities would see job growth as workers are hired to work on construction sites, and those workers would pour the money into local small businesses. Smith said funding would come from tax breaks for large corpora-
tions such as Hyundai, General Electric and Airbus, which have built factories in Alabama and use the state’s infrastructure for business, but often pay few or no taxes. “If we want to attract businesses, I believe we have to let the business understand, ‘We need you to come in and be part of the solution to the problem,’” Smith said. “What value is that to the people when you have a corporation that is not paying their fair share?” Smith also advocates cutting military spending, but not in the areas where troops and veterans would be affected. He said he saw “massive waste” during his time in the military, primarily at the hands of civilian contractors. Smith said these contractors often raise prices when dealing with the government, and eliminating the middle man would provide money needed for the progressive policies he and Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., whom Smith supports in the presidential campaign, have proposed. As a former Army officer who is married to an Army captain and also has two children in the military, Smith is a proud gun owner. While
Thursday, February 25, 2016
CONTRIBUTED BY JESSE SMITH
Jesse Smith speaks to the Lee County Democratic Club in Auburn.
he does not support a ban on assault weapons, he does believe universal background checks and training should be required before purchasing a firearm. “I believe that’s an appropriate step forward,” Smith said. “I don’t think it would be infringing on anyone’s constitutional rights. I don’t think it would infringe on my rights.” Just as Sanders has cast himself as a grassroots candidate against the political establishment on the national level, Smith said he is running a local campaign fueled by ideas, not money or political prowess. He raised more than $9,000 in the 2014 election and said he has spent
less than $500 on this year’s campaign. Despite limited resources, Smith believes the ideals instilled in him as a child living in poverty and as a military officer make him the best choice to represent the people of East Alabama, whom he feels have been abandoned by their current representative in Washington. “What I bring to the table is not only leadership, but an individual who’s willing to be held accountable and answer those hard questions,” Smith said. “To not run from the responsibilities that come with the duty of representing people of many demographics.”
A look at candidate goals for Lee County district attorney Republican
Brandon Hughes
• Change attitude in the district attorney’s office
• Reduce crime by educating young people
Republican Robbie Treese
• Find ways to be more efficient • Continue to serve the people of Lee County
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY THE RESPECTIVE CANDIDATES AND INFORMATION GATHERED FROM INTERVIEWS AND CAMPAIGN WEBSITES
Thursday, February 25, 2016
The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
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Hoping to help: Hughes vies for district attorney Maria McIlwain COMMUNITY EDITOR
Brandon Hughes said he saw a need for change in the Lee County District Attorney’s Office, so he decided to take matters into his own hands by running for office. “We’re going to create a culture of service in that office,” Hughes said. “Before you resolve a case, you talk to your victim, you talk to your law enforcement officer. You’ve got to keep them involved the entire time through the process, and that’s not going on right now.” An Alabama native his whole life, Hughes graduated from Auburn University at Montgomery before attending law school at Jones Law School at Faulkner University. He has lived in Auburn since 2007. Safety and crime prevention is important to Hughes, especially because he is raising his two 16-year-old daughters and a 14-year-old son. “I’m not leaving,” Hughes said. “Regardless of what happens, this is where we’re retiring.” Hughes started his legal career with the
Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office in 2002. He prosecuted a variety of cases, from misdemeanors to homicides, until 2006, when he took a job with prosecution litigation. He said that involves training law enforcement, prosecutors and judges in criminal law, and he also helped with complicated cases or conflicts of interest throughout the state. In 2014, he prosecuted one case in Lee County, and the person charged with the crime pleaded guilty. “At the end of the day, that’s what the victim wanted to have happen,” Hughes said. “She was just ready for the case to be over with.” Hughes said helping people is his favorite part of the job, and finding solutions the victims want is essential to him. “We have got to put crime victims and law enforcement first when we are prosecuting these cases,” Hughes said. “That is absolutely not going on right now, and that’s going to be fixed.” He also said being involved in the commu-
CONTRIBUTED BY BRANDON HUGHES
Brandon Hughes poses with his family.
nity is also important to him if he is elected district attorney. “There is zero involvement in the community by the current district attorney,” Hughes said. “He is of the opinion that you should only see him if something bad happens to you.” Hughes said he thinks being heavily involved in the community will help with crime reduction. He said he wants to bring educational programs to children in fifth grade all the way through high school. He said he wants to bring Project LEAD, which teaches about the
Treese aims to keep innovating Maria McIlwain COMMUNITY EDITOR
Robbie Treese has served as the Lee County district attorney for 16 years and is always looking for ways to improve. Treese is an Auburn alumnus who earned his law degree from the Jones School of Law at Faulkner University in 1996, according to his website. He worked his way through school, leaving without debt, and was elected district attorney for a six-year term in 2010. He has been a prosecutor for 16 years — all of them in Lee County. He said he is the only person who has tried capital murder in the county during those 16 years. He also said he has tried more felonies than anyone else in that time. “Sadly, unfortunately, there’s nothing I haven’t seen,” Treese said. He said his experience is what makes him an invaluable member of
the district attorney’s office. However, being district attorney goes beyond the courtroom. He manages a staff of 20 people and goes out to crime scenes. “Literally sometimes you have to be in multiple places at once,” Treese said. Treese works with the Opelika Police Department, the Auburn Police Division and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. He said he often works with each agency’s investigative division and is called to every unattended death to determine whether actions such as performing an autopsy, need to be taken. Treese said he is involved with cases such as a stabbing a few years ago. “I was right there with detective Hillyer helping out with a search warrant,” Treese said. Treese said he is always looking for ways to be more innovative.
He said he has started treatment programs for first-time drug offenders, increased victim services and increased perjury charges by using multicount indictments. He is especially proud of a space in T.K. Davis Justice Center designed specifically for child victims. “That has been one of the best things we have done,” Treese said. He also said he likes to develop potential future prosecutors through internships. “We try to give back to that student community here,” Treese said. He wants to be district attorney for a long time and hopes to make an impact in the lives of everyone who interacts with the district attorney’s office. “One of them said in an email to me, ‘Thank you for giving me my life back,’” Treese said. There are no Democratic candidates on the ballot.
criminal justice system, to elementary schools. He said he wants to bring impaired driving and distracted driving simulators to high school students. He said he also wants to improve Lee County’s pretrial diversion program for first-offense, nonviolent felonies. “The DA, if they’re not interested in trying to make a difference, if they’re not interested in being involved in the community, if they’re not interested about doing something about the crime rate, then my question to them is, ‘Why do you have the job?’” Hughes said.
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The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Auburn, most conservative student body?
Andria Moore CAMPUS REPORTER
Chip Brownlee
COMMUNITY REPORTER
Auburn University is associated with many traditions, values and aspects of Southern culture. Conservatism is often paired with Southern values, and many consider Auburn to be conservative — perhaps even the most conservative in the country. In 2013, The Princeton Review ranked Auburn University as the most conservative student body of any university. In 2015, that ranking dropped to No. 7. It based its student life rankings on surveys in which it asked participants to rank their university’s student life on 62 topics, according to its website. Topics ranged from political environment to food quality. Students were not asked if they identified as conservative. Instead, they were asked to rate their perception of the school’s environment from one to five — one being the least conservative and five being the most conservative. The Auburn Plainsman conducted a survey intended to test The Princeton Review’s claim, not to disprove it. The survey was designed to gauge the student body’s opinion on a variety of political and social issues through a series of multiple-choice questions. Eight faculty members and employees and 192 students from all degree levels took part in the survey. Only 26 percent of those surveyed identified as conservative when asked to select the political ideology with which they most identified. Seventeen percent chose Democratic Socialism, and 13 percent chose Libertarianism. Eleven percent said they identified with no political ideology. The remaining 33 percent identified with other options including socialism, communism, liberalism, nationalism, progressivism, environmentalism and theism. Wesley Stone, president of the Young Americans for Liberty, a libertarian-leaning student organization, said he believes The Princeton Review’s designation is undeserved. “I feel that the whole campus is more neutral, and people just don’t get as politically involved so their natural inclination is to conservatism,” Stone said. “This is the South, so
CHIP BROWNLEE / COMMUNITY REPORTER
it is more natural to have people that come from traditionally conservative backgrounds but also aren’t opposed to things like gay marriage.” Jackson Miller, former executive director of Auburn University’s chapter of College Republicans, said he personally feels there is a more organized voice for liberal student organizations. “I would say traditionally the left-wing values have been more proactive in making students aware,” Miller said. “They’ve done a good job of dispersing their messages as well.” Tyler Knapp, president of Students for Concealed Carry, said he enjoys the conservative atmosphere he perceives at Auburn, but didn’t agree with The Princeton Review’s claim. “I think we are very conservative, but I don’t know how I feel about the most conservative,” Knapp said. “I think we’ve got a lot of students on both extremities. It seems like there are more conservative clubs.” Chris Horn, a transgender senior in psychology, said he chose Auburn because he
feels included and protected. “I’ve seen, more than once, a very (conservative) person stand up at a football game for an LGBT kid,” Horn said. “When put to the test, AU does stand up for its own.” Sixty-six percent of students agreed with the Supreme Court’s ruling to legalize samesex marriage, according to The Plainsman’s survey, but it wasn’t until late 2014 that the SGA senate voted to include unisex restrooms in future campus buildings. The conservative stereotype often extends to the faculty and administration as well. However, Alinne Pereira, second-year doctoral student in microbiology and international student from Brasília, Brazil, said she was overwhelmed with the amount of conservatism she experienced on campus. “It’s very different from where I came from,” Pereira said. “There are all of these organizations that advertise as serving a purpose, like for an animal shelter, but then you join and they start pushing conservative values on you. Most of the conservative values
are closely related to religion.” The majority of people, 50 percent, chose Protestant Christianity as their religion, but a combined total of 18.5 percent chose atheism/ agnosticism, 13.5 percent chose unsure and 16.5 percent chose Roman Catholicism. When asked to declare their political affiliation, 37 percent of students identified with the Democratic Party, 33 percent chose the Republican Party, 10 percent chose Libertarian and 16 percent chose none. Auburn’s College Democrats, College Republicans and the Young Americans for Liberty often work together on political initiatives such as the voter registration drive held during the first two weeks of February, with support from SGA. “I think it’s silly to be that close-minded [to hearing other’s beliefs, because if you don’t speak to your counterparts, you’ll never come up with good ideas,” Miller said. “Saying you wouldn’t be willing to collaborate with another group is silly because you can’t come up with any solutions without talking.”
Thursday, February 25, 2016
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The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
JIM LITTLE / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
JORDAN HAYS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Hillary Clinton visits Montgomery on the 60th anniversary of the Montgomery bus boycott.
Bernie Sanders speaks during his rally at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham on Jan. 18.
Evan McCullers
own among Latino voters, as Clinton has a 50– 39 advantage, but Hispanics only make up 3.9 percent of Alabama’s population, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. To stay competitive in Alabama, Sanders will need support from African-American voters, who make up 26.8 percent of the state’s population. In the poll referenced above, 67 percent of likely African-American voters support Clinton, while Sanders holds only 22 percent. Clinton also has the endorsements of the Alabama New South Coalition and the Alabama Democratic Conference, a group founded in 1960 to unify African-American voters in the state. Though Clinton and Sanders are not the only two candidates on the ballot, they will likely be the only two to qualify for delegates under Democratic Party nominee selection rules. Those rules, which were adopted in 2006, state a candidate must carry 15 percent of the popular vote to receive delegates. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, and Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente has failed to gain traction on the national stage.
A vote that matters in state Democratic primary
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Though Alabama has gone to Republicans in every presidential election since 1976 and is likely to do so again this November, the state’s place on the primary calendar gives it clout in deciding the Democratic nominee for president. For the second consecutive Democratic primary cycle, Alabama will vote on Super Tuesday, when people of 11 states, American Samoa and Democrats abroad will cast their ballots. In three of the four Democratic primaries dating back to 1992, Alabama voted during the first week of June. In each of those three primaries, the presumptive nominee was already determined by the time Alabamians cast their votes. Alabama’s voting date was moved to February in the 2008 primary, and the Yellowhammer State saw record voter turnout that year. More than 535,000 ballots were cast in the contest featuring then-Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, which was more than a 60 percent increase in turnout from the 2004 primary.
Nearly half of the turnout in the 2008 Alabama primary was made up of African-American voters, and Obama defeated Clinton by a wide margin in that demographic to win the popular vote by more than 75,000. However, Alabama’s 52 delegates are split proportionally, so Obama carried only 27 delegates to Clinton’s 25. Many of the same voters who propelled Obama to victory in 2008 appear primed to carry the former secretary of state to a win in Alabama next month. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., Clinton’s only viable challenger, has built a campaign that appeals to a great number of young voters, and he has also made inroads with Latino voters in recent weeks. But the one demographic Sanders has struggled to reach — African-Americans — constitutes a significant portion of the electorate throughout the Deep South, including Alabama. According to a Feb. 17 survey of likely primary voters by Public Policy Polling, Clinton leads at 59 percent, Sanders has 31 percent and 10 percent are undecided. Among caucasian voters, only 1 percentage point separates the two. Sanders holds his
There will also, as always, be an uncommitted option on the ballot. An uncommitted vote simply counts as a vote for the Democratic Party, not a particular candidate. In the off chance there are more than 15,000 uncommitted votes (there were only 2,663 in 2008), an undecided delegate will be sent to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia from July 25–28. So often in politics, timing is everything. With Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, the first three states to hold Democratic primaries and caucuses, totaling only 102 delegates, Clinton and Sanders — who are nearly tied at 52-51 apiece — have a long road ahead to the nomination. Even after South Carolina voters cast their ballots on Saturday, Feb. 27, more than 90 percent of the 2,383 delegates needed to win the party’s nomination will be up for grabs. The candidates will vie for 1,034 delegates, more than 40 percent of those needed for nomination, on Super Tuesday, including Alabama’s 52 pledged and eight unpledged delegates. So in 2016, unlike some primaries past, a vote for the Democratic nominee for president cast in Alabama is a vote that matters.
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The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
Thursday, February 25, 2016
wikimedia commons
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Neurosurgeon Ben Carson,Texas Sen.Ted Cruz, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and businessman Donald Trump are running for the 2016 presidential Republican nomination.
Republican outlook for Alabama in the 2016 presidential election Chip Brownlee
Community Reporter
All of remaining Republican presidential candidates and both Democrats have visited the Yellowhammer State, and most have visited several times. After years of being basically ignored by presidential candidates, the Alabama Republican primary is important this year. Leading Republican candidate Donald Trump has visited twice thus far and plans to visit again in Huntsville on Sunday, Feb. 28, for a rally. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio visited Guntersville in December 2015 for a small gathering and two fundraisers, and neurosurgeon Ben Carson visited Mobile for a campaign stop. Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz have confirmed that they will be attending a candidates’ forum at Samford University in Birmingham on Saturday, Feb. 27. Trump, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who also visited the state last year, and Carson have also been invited to the event, which will be moderated by Yellowhammer News, but they have yet to confirm. Gov. Robert Bentley endorsed Ohio Gov. John Kasich last year, perhaps handing him
some support among the state’s establishment Republicans. Despite holding the highest position in Alabama, Bentley’s support has not been the most heavily courted this cycle. Though he has not yet endorsed Trump, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions has been seen campaigning with the New York real estate mogul. The 69-year-old senator is the chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Refugees. In August 2015, thousands of Trump enthusiasts, and millions more following cable news coverage, watched as Sessions donned a “Make America Great Again” cap at Trump’s rally at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium. According to an AL.com article, Sessions assisted Trump in writing his immigration plan, and he later called it “exactly the plan America needs.” Sessions is largely regarded as one of most outspoken supporters of tough immigration reform in the Senate. Cruz has mentioned Sessions several times in debates in reference to immigration policies as he attempts to gain support his own. “I don’t have any plans,” Sessions said in an interview with Politico. “I have no agenda
“
I don’t have any plans. I have no agenda to make any annoucement any time soon. I don’t know if I can help or might hurt a candidate. But fundamentally I think Trump and Cruz are at the top of the heap. ” —Jeff Sessions
Alabama senator
to make any announcement any time soon. I don’t know if I can help or might hurt a candidate. But fundamentally I think Trump and Cruz are at the top of the heap.” Sessions declined Rubio as a possible endorsee in the interview and didn’t mention Kasich or Carson. The candidates’ efforts to win over the support of Alabama voters is no surprise, considering the state chose to move its primary elections to March 1 — this year’s iteration of Super Tuesday — for the third time in its history.
Super Tuesday is taking on another nickname this year, though. The majority of states in the South will be participating in what is being dubbed the “SEC Primary.” Super Tuesday has always been an important day in terms of consolidating the Republican field, but this year is perhaps is even more important than usual, as several more states, including Alabama, Georgia and Texas, have decided to host their primaries on that day. In the past, Alabama has supported the winner of the Iowa caucuses, such as Mike Huckabee in 2008 and Rick Santorum in 2012. But this year it does not seem likely, as Trump has large leads in most Southern states, according to recent polling. Polling from last year showed Trump with leads exceeding 10 percentage points in Alabama. However, with many of the Republican candidates having dropped out since the Iowa caucuses, it is likely that number has increased. A larger number of delegates will be awarded on March 1 — almost half of the delegates for the Republicans. It will be an important day in determining if anyone will be able to stop Trump’s momentum.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
13
Tweet talk: Presidential candidates campaign through social media
Graphic by Sterling Waits / Graphic Designer Tweets compiled by lily jackson / community writer
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The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
Five pieces of Alabama legislation to watch Chip Brownlee
community reporter
The Alabama Republican Party is wasting no time in taking advantage of its super-majority in both houses of the Alabama Legislature. Staying informed and up to date with elections and national politics is hard enough to grapple with. Many of us may forget about the state government in Montgomery and all of the work it does. Compiled below are five important bills you should watch during the regular session on Goat Hill this spring.
1. Uniform Minimum Wage and Right to Work Act — House Bill 174: This bill, sponsored by Mountain Brook Republican Rep. David Faulkner, would prevent cities and counties, among other localities, from raising the minimum wage above the federal wage of $7.25 per hour within their jurisdiction. Faulkner introduced the bill in response to an ordinance passed by the city of Birmingham raising its minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2017. The bill also prohibits localities from requiring any other benefit or collective bargaining rights not already mandated by the state or federal governments. HB174 has passed the House of Representatives and is headed to the Senate. 2. Small Business Act — House Bill 36: Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, has been supportive of this bill, which is perhaps why it passed the House quickly. Rep. Kyle South, R-Fayette, introduced this bill early in the session. It will provide a $1,500 one-time income tax or excise tax credit to small businesses for each new job they create. Each job
must pay more than $40,000 per year and exist for more than one year. This bill is headed to the Senate.
3. Unborn Infants Dignity of Life Act — House Bill 45: In light of recent allegations against Planned Parenthood claiming the women’s health organization took part in the sale of fetal remains, Rep. April Weaver, R-Brierfield, proposed this bill to the Alabama House of Representatives. It is already impossible to sell fetal remains for research because of the requirements for disposal mandated by the Alabama Department of Health. However, if passed, this bill will ensure it is illegal for anyone to sell fetal body parts. This bill is also headed to the Senate. 4. WIRED Act — House Bill 227: This bill, proposed by Rep. Bill Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, would use more than $12 million in funding from the Education Trust Fund from fiscal year 2016 to provide Wi-Fi infrastructure in all of Alabama’s public schools. Alabama would be the first state in the nation to accomplish such a feat. This bill has had its second reading in the House and is expected to go to a vote within the next several weeks. 5. Campus Carry — House Bill 12: Though the bill hasn’t made its way through committee, it would amend the Alabama Constitution to allow for concealed carry on college campuses in Alabama. Individuals who hold a concealed-carry permit issued by the state would be legally allowed to carry those concealed firearms on campus. The bill was introduced by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
How to register to vote If you are a native of Alabama: 1. Go online to www.alabamavotes.gov. 2. Click “Register to Vote” on the main page. 3. Download the “State of Alabama Mail-In Voter Registration Form.” 4. Print it out. 5. Fill it out. 6. Sign it. 7. Mail it to your local board of registrars.
Out of state: 6. Follow directions. 1. Go to your state 7. Through this link, election site. you may also request 2. Click “Absentee Vot- an “Absentee Ballot.” ing” under “Quick 8.You can choose how Links” on the main to receive the ballot. If page. you choose to down3. If you are not a reg- load it, you must print istered voter in your it off and mark it in home state, click “How No. 2 pencil. to Register to Vote.” 9. Following comple4.You must have a valid tion, mail the ballot driver’s license or ID to your local board of from your home state. election, which is de5. Click the Online Vot- termined by the couner Registration System ty you reside in. link. compiled by bailey rogers / sports writer
Thursday, February 25, 2016
The Auburn Plainsman: Political Guide
From DJ to Alabama speaker Who is Mike Hubbard? Chip Brownlee
Community Reporter
According to Mike Hubbard, he had no idea when he first became a disk jockey at the age of 13 in Hartwell, Georgia, he would work for several football players’ Heisman campaigns and become the speaker of Alabama’s House of Representatives. Mike became the first Republican speaker in 136 years in 2010 after leading the state’s GOP to retake both houses of Congress for the first time since shortly after the Civil War. The Auburn Republican has retained that position, despite facing 23 counts of felony corruption charges and calls from his caucus to step down. His trial is tentatively set to begin in March. “I can’t talk about the specifics of it, but I can say that I’m not going to allow anything to be a distraction,” Mike said. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out.” Mike has been serving in the Alabama House of Representatives since 1998 when he took the seat of former representative Pete Turnham, one of Alabama’s longest-serving congressmen. According to Mike, while he developed a passion for politics later in life, he has always loved media and sports. After visiting a radio station near his hometown, Mike became enamored with radio broadcasting. Mike said he then began covering sports for his junior high and high school newspapers soon thereafter. “I loved sports, but I was not an athlete,” Mike said. “I had a very wise football coach who said, ‘I don’t think you need to be an athlete.
I think you need to use your talents over (at the school newspaper).’” He later received a scholarship for his work in sports journalism at his high school, among other things, he said. “I ended up getting a scholarship to the University of Georgia to do (journalism),” Mike said. “I worked in media relations, or sports information back then. I lived in the athletic dormitories right next door to Herschel Walker. Terry Hoage was my college roommate.” Mike then worked for both Hoage and Walker’s Heisman Trophy campaigns. Walker’s was a successful one, and Hoage was named to the College Football Hall of Fame years later. “I came here [to Auburn University] two weeks after graduation and worked for Bo Jackson’s Heisman campaign,” Mike said. “So I’ve been really fortunate to have worked for two successful Heisman campaigns — two really good athletes, worldclass athletes.” His time working in the Auburn athletics department was also when he fell in love with Susan Hubbard. Susan was the president of the Tigerettes, the athletic recruiting group, when they met and fell in love. “Our first date was the Cotton Bowl Ball at the Cotton Bowl that year,” Susan said. “It’s really funny now. I got to know him, and we dated for a year and a half.” Susan and Mike were married in August 1987. Susan is now the assistant dean of the College of Human Sciences at Auburn. “We have a lot in common,” Susan said. “We’re both from small towns, our roots were very similar
“
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Dakota Sumpter / Photo Editor
Alabama Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, is photographed in his office.
What I enjoy the most is I’m the disk jockey on Saturday mornings on Wings 94.3. From six until noon, I’m the DJ, and I’m playing the same music I played when I was in college: the greatest music ever made — Led Zeppelin, the Doobie Brothers, Aerosmith, Pat Benatar and The Cars.” —Mike Hubbard
Alabama Speaker of the House
and our values and what we believed were very similar. He’s a wonderful person.” Mike has been an Auburn resident since he moved to town for Jack-
son’s campaign. He went on to produce Pat Dye’s television show and founded his own company, the Auburn Network Inc., in 1990.
The company won the rights to broadcast Auburn’s sporting events, but later sold those rights to International Sports Properties in 2003. Hubbard still owns and operates the Auburn Network, which runs three local radio stations: NewsTalk WANI, Wings 94.3 and ESPN 106.5. Auburn Network also has an advertising subsidiary, among other components. “What I enjoy the most is I’m the disk jockey on Saturday mornings on Wings 94.3,” Mike said. “From six until noon, I’m the DJ, and I’m playing the same music I played when I was in college: the greatest music ever made — Led Zeppelin, the Doobie Brothers, Aerosmith, Pat Benatar and The Cars.”
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