The Observer, February 8, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 16
Case students vote McCain, Obama in straw poll
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If 288 Case students controlled the outcome of the primaries, the country would be choosing between John McCain and Barack Obama in November's election.
In a straw poll conducted this past Tuesday, also called "Super Tuesday" in election circles, 191 Democratic and 97 Republican voters selected their ideal candidates. Those who participated in the poll were also asked which issue was most important to them for this election and what they looked for in a candidate.
Of the two frontrunning Democratic candidates, 160 voters chose Obama, while 37 supported Hillary Clinton. Those who chose Obama were looking at policies and values in a candidate; Clinton supporters were looking at policies and experience. All Democratic voters cared about the issues of economy and health care.
Republicans chose from four candidates: Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and McCain. Economy was the first issue of importance considered for all candidates; the 14 Huckabee supporters also valued education, 25 Paul fans were concerned with the war in Iraq, and Romney's 23 and McCain's 29 voters cared about national security. For all voters, values and policies were important factors in candidate selection.
Although Ohio's primary isn't until March 4, the Case Democrats and the College Republicans felt that "Super Tuesday" was an appropriate day to hold this straw poll – a mock primary – so they could size up the political preferences of CWRU students and draw attention to the importance of voting.
With voting stations at Nord and KSL Oval, and the promise of free cookies, students were encouraged to voice their opinions on the presidential candidates and the issues. According to Aaron Gordner, a member of the College Republicans, the objective of this event was to "get people interested in voting, because we all know young people don't vote, but [they] really should."
"Students in general do not realize the effect that politics have on their lives, and so it's easy not to care," said Nadia Zaiem, membership director of Case Democrats. With the mutual goal of raising political awareness and encouraging political participation, the Case Democrats and College Republicans worked together to ensure that the message about voting got out to as many people as possible.
From 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. the volunteers at the voting stations called out to groups of Case students asking them to participate in the mock primary.
"A lot of people don't think about it [voting] because they don't see it. It helped to see something," said junior Alan Jones.
Many of the students who voted in the straw poll claimed that they would be voting in the Ohio primary (or other official primary) come March 4.
"We're getting to that age where we realize it [elections] affects us and we can make a difference," said sophomore Karen Gioia.
