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Monday, December 3, 2018 - Vol. 119 Issue 41
AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY. SERVING MACOMB SINCE 1905.
Professors organize Discussion on election results By Juan Casas courier staff
Last Thursday, the Department of Political Science held a three-panel discussion event at Western Illinois University. The panel consisted of three political science professors at Western: Dr. Keith Boeckelman, Dr. Jonathon Day and Dr. Jongo Lee. The discussion took place in Morgan Hall 101. The panel is a tradition in the political science program, and it’s where the department has analyzed mid-term election results and their implications for the past decade. Lee began his presentation
by declaring that there were only two possible outcomes from the election that could have been foreseen. The first is what he calls “conventional wisdom.” In this scenario, the president’s political party would win or lose seats based primarily on the president’s national approval rating. Lee stated that this system is almost always certain, in that if the president’s approval ratings were low then they could expect his party to lose seats, and if they were high, we would expect to see a gain. Historically and traditionally, this is true. The second possible outcome is what Lee named the “Lib-
eral, Democratic and media allies” scenario. This is where the presumption was of the total objection of the president’s views. In other words, a blue wave, in which most elections would go to the Democratic emblem. This was the popular expectation amongst Democrats and Independents. Yet, it appears that what happened closely resembled the traditional, conventional wisdom scenario instead of the blue wave theme because it was not a total republican wipeout. Instead, Lee called the election results a “blue tied, if not a wave, met with a Republican wall, producing a split decision or a nor-
mal mid-term correction.” The president was not completely defeated (albeit he did not lose the house) and that his message still holds strong in the minds of Conservatives. Overall, Lee’s analysis is that the American voter remains moderate. Day was the second professor to present his analysis. He asked the audience what we should have expected from the results. He then introduced what the Department of Political Science uses: a formula for predicting midterm election results that are based on various variables, like the president’s approval rating or the state of the
economy. Day explained how to use this method which allows him to successfully come within proximity to the actual results. This further cements the importance of the equation. Boeckelman gave the final presentation, where he detailed the historical context of the midterm elections of the past decade. For example, he illustrated how, in the midterm elections in 2010, the then-Democratic President, Barack Obama, lost more than 900 seats across the country to Republicans.
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Morris named October Advisor of the Month By Marc Ramirez news editor
devon greene/editor-in-chief
Kelly Morris (middle), Office of Academic Services Advisor, was awarded the October Advisor of the Month Award by her students for continuous support.
Kelly Morris, Office of Academic Services Statistician and Academic Advisor, was awarded the October Advisor of the Month award. Morris advises students who are enrolled through the Office of Academic Services. She, alongside the other advisors, guides students who show academic potential but don’t meet regular admission requirements upon applying. “Advisors within the program not only serve as mentors and advocates but also
offer students encouragement and join with them in celebrating their many successes,” the philosophy of the Office of Academic Services reads. Morris attended the University of Northern Iowa where she received her bachelors in elementary education and masters in math education. She went on to begin her teaching career as an elementary teacher in Aurora, Colo.
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