CONTENTS
5
Op-Eds
Students write guest opinions about the election
8 How Did We Get Here
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A look at the build-up to this yearʼs election.
Breakdown: Where They Stand
staff ∆ Editors Aly Shakoor ‘17 – Editor in Chief Erin Edwards ‘17 – Editor in Chief Maddie Ledet ‘18 – Design Editor ∆ Staff Members Erin Harris ‘17 Nija Packer ‘18 Lizzy Levine ‘18 Tanvi Reddy ‘18 ∆ Staff Artist Julia Du ‘19
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∆ Contributors Sydney Graves ‘20 Zoe Gelber ‘20 Linda Shi ‘19 Kyndall Dunn ‘19 Isha Darshane ‘19 Kendall Heggie ‘18 Niha Shavele ‘19 Jayden Khatib ‘19
A look at Trump and Clintonʼs positions on the issues
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To Vote or not to Vote Competing faculty perspectives on the importance of voting
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Purple on my Mind
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Will Georgia be a swing state in 2016?
We the People
Humans of New York-style interviews about the election
The Blade is the student news publication of Woodward Academy. Volume 114 Issue 1 Woodward Academy 1662 Rugby Ave College Park, GA 30337
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EDITOR’S WORD Two issues in two weeks? That certainly doesn’t seem right. But we knew we couldn’t let this crazy election pass by without some coverage, so we set out to create this special “mini” issue of The Blade. With all the events of the last 18 months, we view the election as less of a serious process and more of a theatrical show, such as the one the clown on the cover might put on with his string puppets. That being said, we aim to be as thorough as possible.
“Despite the controversy and uproar of this election we put our thoughts aside to come together and represent the schools opinion on the matter,” said Tanvi Reddy ‘18. In this issue, we summarize the main events of this election season. We give you a view of the candidates’ stances on the various issues, a topic lost in the tabloid coverage of the election. We explore the changing political leanings of Georgia, with special interviews with the state Democratic and Republican party offices. We also have two sections devoted to representing the students’ views with their own words. The “We the People” section
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depicts various students giving general comments on the election and their political ideologies, while the Op-Eds feature opinions written by five students who had something to say about this election. As the final minutes of the madness that is this election tick by, we hope you can take a break from the frantic pollsters and endless pundit commentary to read through student perspectives of the election. Cheers, Aly Shakoor P.S. Don’t forget to stay up-to-date with more recent school news in the Butterknife, our new biweekly newsletter delivered straight to your email.
Social Media Twitter: @wastpress Email: wastpress@gmail.com Youtube: wastpress
How to send a
LETTER
to THE EDITOR One of the missions of The Blade is to cover pressing issues confronting our community. We try our best to include a diverse array of perspectives in our coverage. However, we realize that as a staff of only seven people, it is impossible for us to represent the voice of every student and faculty member. We have decided to introduce a Letter to the Editor section in each of our issues. A Letter to the Editor is a letter that a student or faculty member sends in stating any additions, issues or concerns they have with an article or general opinions about a school-related issue. If the letter follows the established guidelines, it may be published in the next issue of the magazine. Letters will not be rejected based on editorial preference, only if guidelines are not met or too many letters are received. Guidelines: ∆ Limit to 200 words ∆ If applicable, state the article of concern, and keep the focus on your concern/issue/addition with the article ∆ End the letter with your name and grade level. Note: Anonymous letters cannot and will not be published. ∆ If relevant, introduce any background information about you or your issue in the letter. ∆ Check your school email for a verification email. If you would like, leave a phone number for verification instead. Methods: ∆ Google Form (tinyurl.com/ BladeLetter) ∆ Drop off in Room W113 ∆ Email to wastpress@gmail.com
OFFICIAL GENERAL ELECTION OP-ED Precinct WOODWARD ACADEMY
President and Vice President of the United States
Hillary Clinton Tim Kaine DEMOCRAT
Donald Trump Mike Pence REPUBLICAN
Gary Johnson William Weld LIBERTARIAN
Jill Stein Ajamu Baraka GREEN
media awareness Write-in
2016 +
In today’s world, the media plays a crucial role in how we view the world around us. Social media, television, and the internet are all forms of media that influence us on a daily basis. Media impacts our life to such an extent that what we hear alters our opinions. In an election year, what the media reports to us has a greater impact than ever because it could influence our voice in the U.S. government. Ever since the advent of radio and television, the media possessed the power to sway an election. An example of this lies in the events of the 1960 presidential debates. Televisions allowed many Americans to see how calm and collected Senator John F. Kennedy was compared to his opponent Governor Richard Nixon. In the following days, media outlets added to this commonly held belief by constantly reporting on how unprepared Nixon was for the presidency based off of his demeanor, thus helping John F. Kennedy secure the presidential nomination. In this year’s presidential election, there has been a significant change in the media’s portrayal of the election for a wide variety of reasons. The first is the celebrity of the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Clinton, through her stints as First Lady and Secretary of State, and Trump, through his successful real estate career and role on NBC’s The Apprentice, have household name status that would exist regardless of if they ran for president. Such popularity is a blessing and a hindrance. Since both candidates are so significant to the American public, the media has already touched upon their various prior flaws and gaffes that occurred prior to the election, thus making them all the more significant. As a result, anything they say or do on the campaign trail is greater than ever because the media has such great access to sound bites and recordings of them because of their celebrity. In addition to the candidates celebrity, many relatively significant websites have had greater impacts than ever before. The world we live in today is one that is defined by the hashtag, and that is evident through the fact that following any significant current event, there is a hashtag associated with what has just occurred. In years past, many people would have to rely on television, newspapers, or websites to find out about what is going on at a certain point of the election. However, now people do not need to rely on those devices to discover the ongoing election’s events. If there is a popular hashtag associated with the election, all one needs to do is click on it and within seconds, they learn about what has happened in the election cycle. As a result, they are more informed, and thus more likely to place a vote based off what they know. Ultimately, media has always played an important role in elections, but with the household names of Clinton and Trump and the popularity of the hashtag, voters are more influenced than ever before. – Prasanth Gudur ‘18
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President and Vice President of the United States
Hillary Clinton Tim Kaine DEMOCRAT
Donald Trump Mike Pence REPUBLICAN
Gary Johnson William Weld LIBERTARIAN
Jill Stein Ajamu Baraka GREEN
frustrated Write-in
President and Vice President of the United States
Hillary Clinton Tim Kaine DEMOCRAT
Donald Trump Mike Pence REPUBLICAN
Gary Johnson William Weld LIBERTARIAN
Jill Stein Ajamu Baraka GREEN
unity Write-in
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History. We learn about it in school. We use it to further our knowledge about what to do and what not to do. Sometimes it’s bloody and gruesome, and sometimes it’s just downright boring. But, the history that has been made during this year’s election is far from boring. It’s arguably one of the most ridiculous elections ever. It started with candidates calling each other names like “crooked,” “rotten” and “ugly.” Then things got worse. Way worse. The candidates began to constantly fight over social media. They used sites like Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook as “battlegrounds” to pick fights about immature things, like what the other opponent wore or how they did their hair that day. I never thought it would be embarrassing to watch a presidential debate. Now we have a losing candidate claiming that the whole election is “rigged.” It’s time to wake up America. Is this what our nation has come to? Candidates caring more about their own jobs than for the well-being of this nation? Is this election focusing on making a change for the better or just gaining more publicity? We are the next generation. Do we really look up to these candidates? The young people of America are the backbone and the future of this country, and we need to speak up. People want change. People want answers. People are fed up with political groups like Congress declining new reforms and ideas simply because they “don’t affiliate” with the party that creates these ideas. We need elected officials that are more concerned with solving this nation’s problems than with keeping their own jobs. America has hit rock bottom because of this election, but I believe we can only go up from here. It’s time to rise up and make a comeback. I can’t vote yet. Most of the students in this school can’t vote yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make a difference. If we care about our future, we need to bring attention to the issues that we care about, while also embracing the good opportunities America has to offer. We need to make changes in an admirable, mature and knowledgeable way that won’t result in fighting or ignorance. America doesn’t need more drama. We need more solutions. – Mia Green ‘18
This year’s presidential election has caused an ideological rift among the citizens of this nation never before seen in modern times. Our forefathers who worked to establish this great nation would be appalled by the quality of presidential candidates that our nation of 300 million deems fit to elect. Our “presidential debates” have been reduced to simple name-calling and accusations that have little factual evidence. Particularly concerning is the radicalization of the major party candidates. What worries me the most is that Americans will continue to take increasingly different sides and become a fractured people. What I want most is to see an end to political parties where a nation can finally focus on the policies of a candidate versus how he or she appeals to the small percentage of party members who actually vote. We as Americans need to acknowledge the opinions of others as perhaps rational instead of dismissing them entirely, and we need to have the patience to listen to their arguments, no matter how radical they may seem. You have to remember, the American Revolution was perhaps the most radical event of its day, and yet it led to creation of our nation. You see, we are all Americans. Black, White, Latino, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Indian – we are all Americans first. We need to stop trying to label ourselves, which makes discrimination and prejudice easier, and instead we need to work on becoming one, united people. That is, in fact, our national motto, e pluribus Unum (out of many, one). Those who have made something of themselves through hard work and dedication need to be lauded as examples of the principles that our country was founded on. We need to take to heart what John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you … ask what you can do for your country.” It’s time to bring back the American Dream. – Wyatt Johnson ‘19
President and Vice President of the United States
Hillary Clinton Tim Kaine DEMOCRAT
Donald Trump Mike Pence REPUBLICAN
Gary Johnson William Weld LIBERTARIAN
Jill Stein Ajamu Baraka GREEN
annoyed Write-in
President and Vice President of the United States
Hillary Clinton Tim Kaine DEMOCRAT
Donald Trump Mike Pence REPUBLICAN
Gary Johnson William Weld LIBERTARIAN
Jill Stein Ajamu Baraka GREEN
Write-in
I’m a Republican, and while not all of the beliefs common to Republicans are mine, I’m pretty firm in my affiliation. Throughout the primaries, I constantly had to make compromises. I started off supporting Rand Paul, only to quickly accept the fact that he had no chance of winning the nomination. After that, I decided that even though I thought Marco Rubio was a little weak and unprepared, I agreed with him on a lot of topics. He seemed to be one of the better choices for a Republican nominee who could win the election. Once again, I was forced to watch him embarrass himself at the debates and drop out of the race, leaving me with the options of “Lyin’” Ted Cruz, “1 for 38” John Kasich or Donald J. Trump. Until now, I had been skeptical that Trump could come anywhere near the Oval Office, and simply enjoyed the entertainment that he provided at the debates and on Twitter. I agreed with Kasich on a lot of things, but as “the Donald” made clear, he had only won one state out of 38, and that was his home state of Ohio. Again, I accepted that Kasich was not going to win the election, and was forced to choose between Trump and Cruz. Throughout the primaries, I enjoyed Trump’s scathing comments in the debates, and didn’t really take any of his comments as seriously as some people did. I read some of his policies and decided that while some of them were extreme, they went along with a lot of the things that I believed in. I began to support him for the nomination, enjoying the entertainment he provided daily. However, as Trump has continued his rampage through America, my support has wavered to the point that I wouldn’t vote for him if I could. He’s simply too vulgar, crude and offensive to a lot of people. I don’t get offended easily, and while I recognize some of the things that he has said are terrible, they haven’t offended me personally. However, I’ve come to the realization that the childish, 5th gradeesque fights between Trump and Clinton, both in the debates and on the Internet, are entertaining. That is not what our two candidates for the future Commander-In-Chief of our country should be doing. A President is someone who should lead, not entertain. This election has gotten to the point where the antics don’t entertain me anymore, they just annoy me. I didn’t watch the debates because I didn’t want to see two candidates for the leader of the free world talking over each other and trading crude insults. I’m a Republican and will support a Republican in the 2020 election. However, I think Trump’s best fit in the Oval Office is as a week-long practical joke for America’s entertainment. I’ve realized that I care about the future of our country too much to allow a practical joke to become our President, and can only hope that we receive better candidates four years from now. – Jacob Crofford ‘18 I am a registered voter, and I do not like any of the Presidential Candidates this year. I was a strong supporter of the Sander’s Campaign even though I never believed it would succeed. The candidates this year have several things that bother me. Hillary Clinton is untrustworthy due to her use of a private email server and flip flopping her opinions on gay marriage (being opposed to it in 2000), the War in Iraq (voting for it in 2002), and the Transatlantic Trade Agreement (supporting it while secretary of state), to name a few. She has dealings with Wall Street groups such as Goldman Sachs, which would lead us to believe that she will run the government in a way that would benefit those groups. Donald Trump is untrustworthy due to his tax evasion, charity fraud, and the blatant lies that have been said by his campaign. He is distasteful because of his near racist to racist remarks, history of blatant sexism, xenophobic policy proposals, and excessive uninformed political jargon which continues to offend the world. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Presidential Nominee, has proposed a combined tax program that would eliminate income tax, but would greatly deplete the wealth of the middle class. The core of Green Party nominee Jill Stein’s campaign is bailing out students in debt by using quantitative easing, which is a very complicated economic strategy that was used to assist in the bailout of Wall Street. Unfortunately, the president does not have that, but the Federal Reserve System does not take orders from the president, so Stein’s plan is not possible. With the unpalatable group of people to choose from this election year, I will be supporting Hillary Clinton only because the other option is repugnant. – Payton Scott ‘17
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HOW DID WE GET HERE? By Nija Packer
Many describe the 2016 presidential election as the most antagonistic election ever. Donald Trump’s attentiongrabbing antics, the possibility of the first woman elected president and the unprecedented element of social media have turned the election cycle upside down. Here are some of the most memorable moments from the campaign.
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Feb 3 During a campaign stop in New Hampshire, Jeb Bush gave a speech about the kind of president that America needs. “I think the next president needs to be a lot quieter, but send a signal that we’re prepared to act in the national security interests of this country to get back in the business of creating a more peaceful world,” he said. His statements were met with silence, prompting Bush to ask the audience to clap. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Jan 28 A few days before the Republican debate, Trump tweeted, “Based on @MegynKelly’s conflict of interest and bias she should not be allowed to be a moderator of the next debate.” Fox, the network airing the debate, responded by saying Kelly didn’t have a conflict of interest, and that Trump’s statements were meant to attract viewers. In spite of that, Trump reiterated his previous statements and threatened to boycott the debate entirely if Kelly wasn’t removed. Fox decided to keep Kelly as the moderator. When the debate rolled around, Trump didn’t attend. He later bragged that while the other Republican candidates debated, his foundation raised $6 million for different organizations helping veterans.
Feb 18
Jeb Bush asks audience to “Please clap”
Trump skips Republican debate
When reporters asked Pope Francis about Trump’s vow to build a wall, he responded, “A person who only thinks about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. That is not in the Gospel.” Trump fired back at the Pope, saying, “If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which, as everyone knows, is ISIS’ ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president.”
(Luca Zennaro/ Pool Photo via AP)
Trump bickers with Pope Francis
ROUND 1:
HE SAID, SHE SAID:
The first presidential debate quickly devolved from each candidate addressing pressing policy issues, such as their stances on the war in Iraq and race relations, to both candidates attacking each other, specifically about Trump’s unreported tax returns and Clinton’s email controversy. They questioned each other’s fitness for the presidential office –– Trump saying Clinton doesn’t have the “look” or “stamina” to negotiate trade deals, and Clinton saying that Trump’s “cavalier attitude” would be hazardous if he controlled nuclear weapons.
“I have a feeling that by the end of this evening I’m going to be blamed for everything that’s ever happened.” – Hillary Clinton
by Nija Packer
“I think my strongest asset may be by far is my temperament. I have a winning temperament.” – Donald Trump “And you know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be a good president, and I think that’s a good thing.” – Hillary Clinton in response to Trump’s criticisms about taking days off from the campaign trail to prepare for the debate. 9
Apr 10
Mar 30 On an episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” host Jimmy Kimmel asked Ted Cruz if he liked Obama or Trump better. Cruz said he disliked Obama’s policies more, but also said, “If I were in my car and getting ready to reverse, and I saw Donald in the backup camera, I’m not confident which pedal I’d push.” The comment fueled memes comparing Cruz to the Zodiac killer, a well-known Californian serial killer from the ‘60s and ‘70s who had never been identified.
Hillary Clinton joined mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio and “Hamilton” star Leslie Odom Jr. on stage at the Inner Circle Dinner, an annual New York event for the media and politicians. Hillary began by saying, “Thanks for the endorsement, Bill. Took you long enough,” and Blasio responded with, “Sorry Hillary. I was running on CP time.” Shortly after, Clinton clarified that “CP” stood for “cautious politician,” as opposed to “colored people,” which refers to the stereotype of black people always being late. The joke received a weak response from the audience, many not understanding the joke. President Obama took a jab at Clinton’s misstep during the White House Correspondents dinner when he said that CP time stood for “jokes that white people should not make.”
Hillary Clinton and Bill de Blasio make joke about “CP” time
Ted Cruz jokes about running Trump over
ROUND 2:
by Lizzy Levine The town hall format of the second debate allowed undecided and uncommitted voters to ask the candidates questions. This debate started when the candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump avoided shaking each other’s hand, a customary courtesy opening most debates. Trump and Clinton often times went off topic. Clinton attacked Trump over his surfaced video with Billy Bush, in which he makes lewd, sexual remarks about groping women, and Trump argued about Clinton’s recent WikiLeaks releases concerning her thousands of confidential emails that she illegally sent to a private server and her trials with the FBI. At the finale of the debate, Clinton complimented Trump on his children, and Trump complimented Clinton on her drive and determination. 10
Apr 17 Bernie Sanders held the largest rally of all the candidates in the New York presidential primary in his hometown of Prospect Park, Brooklyn, drawing in over 28,000 people. Sanders, 75, was the oldest candidate in the running, yet the majority of his supporters were millennials.
(AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
Bernie attracts record crowd in Brooklyn
WHO WON THE DEBATE: Hannah Chastain ‘17: “Donald Trump. He was sharing his opinions, and Hillary was just trying to bash him the whole time. If you looked at it on both standpoints, that’s my opinion how it was.” Jackson Verheyden ‘18 : I think Hillary just due to the fact that she was given more of an opportunity to completely say what she wanted to say, whereas Trump’s time was seemingly cut short in some areas. Hillary was allowed to go over in the two minutes she was given. In one case, she went 23 seconds over, and afterwards Trump was complaining, “So she gets go over? I’d like to respond in additional time.”
July 24
Jun 13 Trump’s campaign revoked the Washington Post’s press credentials after one of their headlines upset him. Trump’s announcement came after the mass shooting in Orlando, when the newspaper posted an article entitled, “Donald Trump seems to connect President Obama to Orlando shooting.” The statement in question is from a CBS interview in which he said, “What happened yesterday will happen many times over with a president like Obama that doesn’t even want to use the term ‘radical Islamic terrorism.’” Trump said he revoked the Post’s credentials because of their “incredibly inaccurate coverage and reporting of the record setting Trump campaign.” The Washington Post was just one among a lengthy list of news organizations who had their press credentials revoked.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned her position as chairwoman of the Democratic National Convention after emails between her and fellow DNC members showed them mocking Bernie Sanders and his campaign. One member called it “a mess,” and talked about how it was run ineptly. Another said, “I think I read he is an atheist,” and suggested pushing that narrative to drive voters away from Sanders. Schultz faced accusations of favoring Clinton and acting unfairly towards Sanders multiple times – even by Sanders himself – and faced several calls to resign. The emails were included in the 20,000 posted by WikiLeaks, which has caused ongoing controversy in the Clinton campaign since the race began.
DNC Chairwoman resigns due to leaked emails
Trump blacklists Washington Post
Oct 7 A leaked 2005 video recording captured a conversation between Billy Bush and Donald Trump, in which both uttered vulgar comments about women. Trump described grabbing women by their genitals and also said, “I just start kissing [women]. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.” Republican majority senate leader Mitch McConnell said Trump’s comments were “repugnant and unacceptable in any circumstance.” Trump has since apologized, calling his conversation “locker-room talk” and claimed to have a great respect for women.
Vulgar Trump tape leaks (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
ROUND 3:
HE SAID, SHE SAID:
The third presidential debate pulled in 71.5 million viewers, and many described it as the most exciting debate of the election cycle. Trump stirred up controversy by suggesting that he would not accept the election’s results. “I will look at it at the time,” he said. Hillary reacted to his statement by saying, “That’s horrifying.” He sparked more conversation when he called Hillary Clinton a “nasty woman” while she was talking, and made a comment about the “bad hombres” in the country. A heated discussion about abortion took place, and while Trump took the pro-life stance, Hillary Clinton said, “The government has no business in the decisions women make with their families, in accordance with their faith, with medical advice.” Clinton also attacked Trump’s relationship with Putin after Trump said Putin would rather deal with him than her. “Well that’s because he’d rather have a puppet as president of the United States,” Hillary shot back.
“We have some bad hombres here, and we’re going to get them out.” – Donald Trump
by Nija Packer
“I’d be happy to compare what we do with the Trump foundation, which took money from other people and bought a six-foot portrait of Donald. I mean, who does that?” – Hillary Clinton “Nobody has more respect for women than I do. Nobody.” – Donald Trump
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Dr. Merrill, Assistant Principal and government teacher. and Mr. Bryant, microeconomics and political economy teacher, express their differing opinions on the importance of voting. Dr. Merrill discusses why he is in favor of voting, and Mr. Bryant expresses why he is against voting.
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that tax money is going and how the government is spending what is ultimately your money. Q:What would you say to people that think their vote won’t make a difference? Statistically speaking, that’s true. The chance that I’m going to cast the decisive ballot when there’s 150 million people voting in this presidential election isn’t likely, but I do think that there’s just this element of civic engagement. It is what we make out of it, and if we decide it’s not important, then that’s not going to make it better. Q: Do you condone or encourage uninformed people to vote? M: Everyone does have the right to vote even if they’re uninformed. On the flip side, research shows that with very little information, people can make informed voting decisions. Meaning, it doesn’t take people much information to know which candidate better fits their personal preferences. I think that’s problematic when their personal preferences are based on ignorance or lack of information. I can’t say that I would support anything that would deny someone the right to vote based on lack of information. As long as you know what you believe in, it’s not very hard to figure out which candidate best matches what you believe in. Q: What do you think about the media’s effect on the way people vote in past and present elections? M: The media is increasingly slanted in their coverage of the news. Someone that’s conservative is going to want to watch Fox and become less willing to listen to the liberal perspective, and someone that’s liberal is going to watch CNN and become less willing to listen to the conservative perspective. I think it’s really unfortunate that it’s just dividing us further, and it’s really making it harder to find any kind of
THAN MERRIL A N O L
J
Q:Do you vote? Dr.Merrill: I do vote. I’ve never missed a presidential election since 1988, which was the first time I was able to vote when I was 18. Rationally, I understand that my vote is not going to be the one that’s going to change the election, but I think it’s important as a citizen to voice my opinion. I think it’s a great privilege to be able to say that I selected the leaders, and even when I’m not selecting the leaders, if I vote for the candidate that I know that’s not going to win, I still feel like that’s sending a message as well. Q:Why do you think that voting is important? M: First of all, you can’t really have a democracy without people voting, and the whole concept of our government is for citizens to participate. I understand that there’s a lot of arguments against voting, but at the end of the day, I really do believe that when voters vote, things can change and elected officials can pay attention. I don’t think things always change as quickly as we would like them, but I do think that over time, history would suggest that when voters get really interested in something, the politicians do pay attention and how [voters’] vote can make a difference. Q: Why is it important for young people to vote, and why do you think that many young people do not vote? M: I totally get it. My political views and the way that I vote have changed as I’ve gotten older. Certainly having a job, paying taxes, paying for health care, paying for all of the expenses all of sudden makes the government seem to be a whole lot more relevant. I think when you’re in college and you’re not necessarily paying as many bills, it may not seem as relevant to you then, but once you’re out in the working world and once you’re paying taxes and you see how much of your income is going towards the taxes, you get really interested in where
Maddie Ledet’18
middle ground or compromise on anything. Q: Do you think the stakes are higher for whoever wins this election as opposed to previous elections? M: What I keep hearing from both candidates in this election is, “The stakes in this campaign are higher than ever. Never before has it been more important to pick a leader.” I just think that that’s not really true. Yes, there are a lot of problems facing our country, but you think back to when there were elections in the midst of war, elections in the midst of depression, elections in the midst of all sorts of tumultuous times, and I don’t know that we’re necessarily at one of those times. I don’t think the world will end either way. History has shown that whoever wins the presidency, the United States survives, and I hope that’s the case with this election too.
NOT to By Lizzy Levine and Tanvi Reddy
LES BRYA R A H N C
T Tanvi Reddy’18
Q: Why are you against voting? Mr.Bryant: My argument against voting is a two-pronged argument. First, your vote mathematically doesn’t matter. It is insignificant. If I had voted in every election that I didn’t vote in, the same person would’ve won. So mathematically, my voting is statistically indistinguishable from zero. But we don’t want you to vote. What we want you to do is vote well, and that’s the second problem with voting. Q: What’s the difference between voting and voting well? B: When you vote well, you know about the issues, you know about the candidates and you’ve analyzed the policy platforms for things like that. The problem with voting well is that takes a lot of time to read newspapers, listen to talk-radio, watch the TV, think about the issues, and people are not willing to devote the time it takes to
THAT IS THE QUESTION
know how to vote well. And so, given the time it takes to vote well with the fact that your vote doesn’t mathematically matter, voting doesn’t matter. Q: Do you think there is strength in numbers? B: As a collective, but individually, your vote is meaningless. It is meaningless because it does not matter, and then the benefits don’t exceed the costs. The cost of learning how to vote well is extraordinary. It takes a lot of time to read newspapers, and you not only have to know what Hillary Clinton thinks, but what Donald Trump thinks as well. People just aren’t willing to devote that time, and so they don’t vote, and that is rational. I don’t vote because my vote doesn’t matter. And then the argument is “well if everyone thought like that” –– well, if everyone thought like that then I would vote because my vote matters. I don’t vote not because I’m anti-American or anything like that. I don’t vote because my vote doesn’t matter. Q: In general, how do you think Americans vote? B: I think a large number of Americans just vote, and they don’t vote well. They walk in and they make their mind up a second before they make their choice. It is because they are rationally ignorant. Q: What factors influence voters’ mentalities before going to vote? B: The economy is the singular most important thing in determining how people vote. And then it’s the economy at election time. They only focus on how things are right now. And right now the economy is doing better, and that bodes very well for the democrats. People vote their pocketbooks, what is going to serve their economic self interest. Q: Do you think news or social media affects their decision? B: I think people are swayed by what they
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see on entertainment TV, and that’s why they don’t vote well. Q: Do you think the seniors who are turning 18 should vote? B: Yeah, I think if the country is able to send you off to war, you should have a vote. Q: Why do you think that younger people don’t vote as much as older people? B: I think again the benefits don’t exceed the cost. They have too many other things going on in their lives and just don’t have time to think about macroeconomic and macro-political policy. Q: What advice would you give to rising 18-year olds for whom it will be their first time voting? B: Learn about the issues. If you vote, you have a moral obligation to vote well because you are imposing your decision onto me and other people who don’t vote your way. You have a moral obligation not to impose undue costs onto me because it affects me. You are immoral if you don’t vote well. Q: Do you think the risks and importance of voting well are more important especially in this election as opposed to previous elections? B: It’s always important. This election is not really different from any other election in my opinion. We’re consumed with the image of the candidates as opposed to the substance of the candidates. And it has been that way for a long time. Elections are being driven more and more by image and less by substance. Look at how many TV shows Obama appears on –– because he knows image is important. Q: What would you say to people who think their vote matters? B: They’re deluded.
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Purple On My Mind
Georgia Democratic and Republican Party officials debate Georgia’s potential to turn purple. by Erin Edwards ‘17 and Maddie Ledet ‘18 Since the late ‘60s, Georgia has been a reliably republican state in presidential elections, the only exceptions being southern democrats Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Bill Clinton in 1992. However, with two presidential candidates who cannot seem to garner a substantial edge over the other, many Georgians say the state may turn purple yet again.
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ince the late ‘60s, Georgia has been a reliably Republican state in presidential elections, the only exceptions being southern democrats Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Bill Clinton in 1992. However, with two presidential candidates who cannot seem to garner a substantial edge over the other, many Georgians say the state may turn purple yet again. While some politicians denote flipping the state as impossible, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia Rebecca DeHart makes it her living. “We are a swing state. The definition of a swing state is frankly a state that could swing either way,” DeHart said. “It was named for competitiveness, and Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are running neck and neck in Georgia.” The cause of all the hubbub derives from a new generation of voters in Georgia. According to DeHart, recent demographic studies show an influx of young people and people of color pouring into Atlanta. DeHart said these new groups have a big role to play in the election. The Georgia Republican Party’s minority engagement director, Leo Smith, argues that Georgia will not be a swing
state. The Georgia GOP aims to combat the assumption that the new Georgian millennials and people of color will vote Democrat by appealing to more minority voters and by involving them in the campaign’s decision making. “We’ve committed as the Republican Party of Georgia, who sits in all the Constitutional seats around the state, to having more voices at the table,” Smith said. “That means we look to include people across race and class at the tables of power through lobbying, through professional consulting, through media punditry – and becoming journalists – and then dealing with politics. We now have more people of color involved than we’ve ever had. That’s an intentional thing, and that’s what’s pushing back this idea that brown-skinned people are only interested in being Democrats.” With this new electorate, DeHart says the Democratic Party’s main goal is to find people who would typically abstain from voting and try to convince them to journey to the polls. According to FiveThirtyEight, a website dedicated to analyzing data like poll results, Hillary’s popular vote in
Georgia is projected to be 45.2 percent by November 8th. “In Georgia, we have a lot of Democratic voters, but they do not regularly vote,” DeHart said. “So our challenge is to find those folks and to make sure that they vote.” The Democratic Party accomplishes these goals through fundraising and grassroots programs. A grassroots program called New Day Georgia goes door to door registering people to vote. These programs are typically used in swing states, but have made their way to Georgia. “In states that are your traditional battleground states, like North Carolina or Florida, there are hundreds and hundreds of people on the ground with millions and millions of dollars to turn these voters out,” DeHart said. “I mean it is definitely a tactic that has always been around for campaigning, but this is the largest program that the state party has done in well over a decade or more.” While New Day Georgia surveyors relentlessly try to find voters in Georgia, many claim voter turnout will decrease this year since many people despise both candidates. Smith said neither candidate meets the ethical or moral standards that are ideal in America. However, DeHart still says the votership will increase. “We are expecting 75 to 76 percent turnout [of people who registered to vote],” said DeHart.
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Congressman John Lewis speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington Thursday, June 23, 2016. Lewis led young Democrats on a march from the Nelson Street Bridge to the Fulton County Government Center where the first day of early voting had begun on October 17. (AP Photo/Caroline Kaster) Even with a high percentage of voters, many people have speculated that Bernie Sanders’ supporters will not vote for Clinton. “We have over 13 million people who supported my candidacy. And I have no doubt that there are some of those people who will not vote for Hillary Clinton,” said Sanders during an interview with CNN. DeHart said she does not believe that this is a problem. After the Democratic National Committee announced Sanders’ endorsement during the Democratic National Convention, more Sanders supporters backed Clinton. “We are a very consolidated party now – close to 90 percent consolidation – so we are in pretty good shape,” DeHart said. “And Bernie Sanders himself has been out there campaigning hard for Hillary Clinton.” Smith said the percentage of AfricanAmericans who vote will decrease since there is less support for Clinton. He said in 2008 and 2012, Barack Obama garnered 95 to 98 percent of the black vote, but in a poll by Quinnipiac University, Clinton 18
“We are a very consolidated party now – close to 90 percent consolidation – so we are in pretty good shape.” earned an estimated 77 percent of the black vote. “She’s failing to capture the interest of black voters,” Smith said. “She was a part of the Clinton movement that incarcerated more black males in the history of any presidency. She, herself, gave speeches calling black people super predators. She treated us like we were dogs. She stood in
Arkansas and was delivering speeches with the Confederate flag at her back. I’m 52 years old. I remember those speeches.” DeHart’s polls have not indicated that this shift will occur. “Hillary ranks among black voters really strongly,” said DeHart. “In Georgia during the presidential primary, our state was third for most support of Hillary Clinton.” Although Smith argues that Clinton will not capture the black vote, Donald Trump will not either. He said many media outlets depict Trump as Islamophobic and racist, the Chicago Tribune calling Trump’s rhetoric towards the African-American community in Chicago an example of “garden-variety racism.” “Donald Trump is not a racist so much as he is horrible at managing his career for the sake of a presidency,” Smith said. Smith said there would be no conversation about whether or not Georgia will be purple if the Republican Party nominee was less controversial. Throughout his campaign, Trump has been criticized as sexist – famed for rating women, including
“We now have more people of color involved than we’ve ever had. That’s an intentional thing, and that’s what’s pushing back this idea that brownskinned people are only interested in being Democrats.” his daughter Ivanka. Smith credits this to the “bad boy” image Trump developed in the entertainment industry prior to his run. “There’s a certain brand of the bad boy that Donald Trump was playing up to 11 years ago,” said Smith. “Donald Trump is a figure that was pulled from the Hollywood, entertainment consumerism that is America’s culture right now. We’re more into being entertained than we are into being educated. He didn’t create the problem that people are more interested in tweets than they are in policy statements.” After the The Washington Post released an audio clip of Trump objectifying a woman 11 years ago, Trump lost a considerable amount of support from Republican Party leaders. “The idea of anyone objectifying a person as a sexual conquest is a horrible idea, and every Republican I talk to, from Paul Ryan to our chairman of the Republican party, is horrified by these comments,” Smith said. “But we also know that these things happen. The discussion is about what we are and what he’ll do as president. The discussion is less about what he was. Because if we only have discussion about what was done, then I, as a black person in America, should hate every white person. We are a redemptive society, and we allow people to improve themselves.” While Smith acknowledges the faults in Trump’s rhetoric towards women, he also said Clinton’s rhetoric towards Trump
Georgia Republican Party’s Minority Engagement coordinator Leo Smith encourages people to register to vote. (Photo courtesy of Smith) supporters is equally offensive, noting how she called them “deplorables” and “irredeemable” during a fundraiser. “I’m black man,” Smith said. “I’ve been president of the NAACP. I’ve worked in equal opportunity and affirmative action. My community considers me as a person who does good things in my community. So does Hillary have disdain for me? We have to make these decisions fairly.” Georgians have the opportunity to make their final decisions about the candidates early with early voting. This early polling helps to shape voting trends earlier, and will be key for how each party designs the rest of their campaigns. “Early voting start[ed] on October 17, and we actually have a vote-by-mail ballot request program. They are what make or break elections,” said DeHart. Former Political Director for the state Democratic Party and Ledet’s aunt, Karen Anderson, worked for the Georgia Democratic Party in 1991 and 1992. “The voters in Georgia had not elected a Republican governor since reconstruction, so you always had a very strong Democrat governor serving as the head of the party,” said Anderson.
Anderson attributes this shift to Sonny Perdue winning Governor of Georgia in 2002 and defeating Roy Barnes. After this election, the strong Democratic backing of governors and senators dilapidated, and Republicans dominated the party. “You still have strong leaders such as John Lewis, but it is not the same leadership we had when more Democrats were in state positions,” said Anderson. This year marks the possible return of a blue Georgia, but Anderson said this outcome is unlikely. The election boils down to which candidate’s supporters go to the polls. “I think, in a state like Georgia, it all comes down to voting. How well do the Trump supporters turnout versus how well the Clinton supporters turnout,” said Anderson. With two candidates who have both proved to be unconventional and controversial, the outcome remains uncertain. “I always tell people to vote on their values,” said DeHart. “Look at what your values are. If people genuinely agree with [this statement] then there is really no question of who they should vote for in this election.” 19
WE What
the
PEOPLE
issues are most important to you and why? Hannah Watkoske Junior
I would say issues dealing with ISIS and other countries are probably the biggest deal. It’s important how other countries see us.
Myles Ramos Junior
I think the most important political issue is definitely the economy. I think aside from the economy, the next issue is definitely immigration. Both of them have a huge effect. Currently we’re 18 trillion dollars in debt. We need to fix that, and with so many different people in the world and the world becoming such a melting pot, it’s important that we find a good reform for immigration.
Maddi Riddick-Seals Freshman
“I think the biggest one for me would be human rights, and that includes LGTBQ , Black Lives Matter, immigrants and everything.”
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Destiny Goldsmith Sophomore
“Well, I definitely want to support all races, and I want to support everybody. At the same time, there need to be stricter rules within our nation because our nation is heading towards chaos in certain areas. I feel like taxes could be lower, definitely in the middle class, and that the higher class should be taxed more to help the middle class. Too much money is being put towards the government when they’re not doing as much as they say they do. I just want a president who can help the little person but at the same time help the big man too.”
Dasani Barrow Sophomore
“I’m all about women’s rights. One candidate does not support it at all. [Trump] says he does, but he doesn’t really. The other candidate, [Clinton’s] a lady, so she has to support in a way. I’m pretty sure those issues won’t be solved with any of the candidates.”
Hannah Dendy Freshman
“The issues they talk about to make sure that they follow through with everything in the presidency. Probably abortion, the war on terror, and the war in Iraq.”
Arya Joshi Sophomore
“The fear of how Trump could possibly win and how his policies could definitely change our view on the rest of the world. I think the problems with gun control is a big issue – how he doesn’t want lots of gun control. Also a big issue is how he wants to go to war with other countries very easily without thinking what to do first, and that could spark lots of terrorism and domestic terrorism here. That’s pretty bad.“
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Do
you afflilate yourself with a political party? If so, why? Taylin Morris Senior
I believe I have a political ideology because I associate myself with one group, and I have an understanding of what that means.
Sultaan Shabazz Senior
I’m independent because I don’t feel it’s necessary to stick with one party loyalty. Because your opinions and views can change day-today, if you focus on sticking to party loyalty, you’re focused on what everybody in that party has to say rather than what you think yourself. You’re not really thinking for yourself, you’re just following what other people think.
Emanuel Abdul-Salem Sophomore
“I don’t care about presidents, or the presidential elections or a democracy.”
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Alex Hurley Junior
I guess I’m a liberal. I have very liberal views, more government, open borders. On the other side, at least the healthcare side of it, I believe everyone should have free health care.
Avinash Chugani Sophomore
“I’m neither. I think when it comes to the election, it is more important to pick the best President, the best candidate, versus if you’re a conservative or whatever. I think it’s more important to choose [whoever] best fits the role of the presidency rather than pick a stance.”
Griffin Leadbetter Freshman
More Republican because I think Trump would do a much better job, and I think the past presidents have been better as Republicans more than Democrats.”
Kathryn Lee Freshman
“I’m Republican. I don’t really like Donald Trump that much, but I like some of the things he says.”
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