Students React to Final Presidential Debate

By Broadside Staff Writer David Pierce.

Over 200 students attended the Debate Watch Party in the Johnson Center to see the final presidential debate. The 2008 presidential nominees met Wednesday, Oct. 15, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. for the final debate before Election Day.

Student reactions were mixed at the conclusion of the debate. Freshman Asya Rojas believed Obama won the debate. She also had some concern about McCain’s behavior.

“McCain was way too negative [in the debate]; Obama was more respectful,” said Rojas. Freshman Samantha Aviles, psychology major, believed McCain won and referred back to McCain’s criticism of Ayers as her reasoning.

“I agree with McCain that we need to know the full extent of the relationship between Obama and Ayers,” said Aviles.

Mason Votes, the African American Research and Resource Center and the Peer Empowerment Program were sponsors of the Debate Watch Party. Ruthledge Dennis, professor of sociology and anthropology, and Bassam Haddad, assistant professor and Director of the Middle East Studies program, offered commentary prior to the debate in the JC.
Dennis spoke about Obama’s historic nomination.

“Never did I imagine, in my lifetime and at my age, that I would see an African-American as a serious candidate for the presidency of the United States,” said Dennis. He also talked briefly about the current economic issues and hoped that the candidates would continue to address their opinions to the public in the remaining weeks of the presidential race.

Haddad said that Mason students’ excitement and involvement in the election process was promising and was at an unprecedented level. He felt, though, that the foreign policy issues debated in this year’s election were narrow and almost embarrassing. Haddad believed that one of the candidates wanted more troops in Iraq, while the other wanted more troops in Afghanistan.

“[It’s as though] the rest of the problems that are taking place in the Middle East and in the rest of the world are somehow less important.”

The crisis on Wall Street took center stage early in the debate. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Il, expressed his concern with the economy, calling it the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Even after supporting the $700 billion financial rescue plan, Obama still believed more could be done.

“We haven’t [seen a] rescue package for the middle class,” said Obama. He also believed Sen. John McCain’s, R-Ariz., tax breaks would benefit wealthy corporations and oil companies, but not the average American. McCain claimed that Obama would raise taxes.

Obama believed America could reduce its dependence on foreign oil within 10 years. He also said that the country should look at offshore drilling, but it would not be the answer.

“We can’t drill our way out of the problem,” said Obama. McCain said we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil by building 45 new nuclear power plants, as well as drill offshore for oil.

“We will reduce the cost of a barrel of oil because [we will] have a supply of our own,” said McCain. Party allegiances were questioned by both candidates. McCain claimed that unlike himself, Obama did not stand up to fellow party members on certain issues. “I’ve fought against spending [and] special interests,” said McCain.

Obama disagreed with these asertions citing issues such as clean coal technology and school vouchers about which he disagrees with his party. He felt that McCain was a vigorous supporter of President Bush.

“I am not President Bush,” McCain told Obama. “If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago.” This exchange resulted in gasps and laughter from the Debate Watch Party audience.

“I’ve got the scars to prove it,” McCain said, in regards to disagreeing with his own party leaders as well as the Bush administration.

Lemma Ibrahim, a senior government and international politics major, criticized McCain’s voting record.

“McCain votes with President Bush on everything,” Ibrahim said.

The candidates were asked to address their campaign’s behavior in light of negative advertising.

The candidates were asked if their viewpoint on the Roe v. Wade case, which legalized abortions, would affects their possible Supreme Court Justice nominations. McCain believed Roe v. Wade was a bad decision; however, he wanted abortion laws to be handled at the state level. With the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned depending on future justice nominations, McCain did not think the nomination of new justices should be based on their beliefs.

“I would consider anyone in their qualifications; [I] would not impose any litmus test,” said McCain. Obama said he prefers that women, in consultation with their doctors, religious advisers and their families, should decide abortions.

“[Abortion laws] shouldn’t be subject to state referendum, any more than our First Amendment rights are subject to state referendum,” said Obama, adding that he, if elected, would look for justice nominees who have an outstanding judicial record, and a good sense of issues that affect the real world.

Both candidates also talked about issues raised at the previous debates, including healthcare and education.
Senior Lara Ek, English major, felt that the repeated mentioning of Joe the Plumber in the debate was absurd.

“I disliked the phrase; it was annoying to hear it fifteen times,” said Ek. Even with her objection of the phrase, Ek did not believe either candidate’s repeated use hurt their credibility.