Straw Poll

My colleague, Frosty Levy, suggested that we do some political work with our large honors colloquium group—composed of over 100 University Honors Scholars, Midway Honors Scholars (transfers) and Fine & Performing Arts Honors Scholars. I divided them into six groups, to reflect the main six candidates represented on the presidential ballot in Tennessee. The groups had an online discussion board to use, and last Tuesday (the 21st) the students met in their groups to put together presentations on the six candidates and their parties. The presentations took place yesterday evening (the 28th), and afterwards a straw vote was taken. Frosty moderated the presentation and composed the following summary comments.

The Honors College Colloquium held a Presidential Candidates Forum that was followed by a straw vote. Students, divided into six groups representing the full range of candidates on the Tennessee ballot, spend two weeks examining the positions of the candidates on the Economy, the War on Terror, and the Environment. They learned that the vice Presidential candidate for the Constitution Party is a Kingsport native and an ETSU graduate.

Poll results were:

Chuck Baldwin (Constitution) 3 (2.9%)
Bob Barr (Libertarian) 2 (1.9%)
John McCain (Republican) 43 (41.0%)
Cynthia McKinney (Green) 1 (1.0%)
Ralph Nader (Independent) 7 (6.7%)
Barak Obama (Democratic) 49 (46.7%)
In addition, 11% of voters changed their mind after having learned more about all of the candidates.


Frosty Levy
Professor of Biology
and
Director, Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities
Honors College

Flight to San Antonio

Last Wednesday, the 22nd of October, I flew for the first time since October 2000--also, of course, for the first time since 9/11. I'd done relatively little flying even before October 2000--roundtrips to New York City (from NC or TN when I lived in Nashville), to Europe, California, the Bahamas, Las Vegas. Some of these trips--New York and California and Las Vegas--I made more than once. But I've never liked flying. I can't say that I've had any bad experiences, but that still doesn't make me like it any better. A handful of things got me in the air again for this San Antonio trip: 1) last year when this same conference was held in Denver, Colorado, I drove while I was coming off the flu--a crappy experience; 2) my wife had a wonderful trip to England in May and wants to go back in a couple of years and I want to go with her; 3) I have a conference coming up in Bermuda in March 2009, and I'm pretty sure I'll have to fly to get there (unless I take a ship of some kind). So, San Antonio came up, and I flew there and back. A good trip for the most part.

San Antonio was a great place--the only negative about it was that I was there by myself (mostly). The conference was held at the San Antonion Marriott Rivercenter, and my room had a nice view of the city. I walked a lot. I ate a lot and then walked it off (mostly). I even went to a few of the conference sessions. San Antonio's Riverwalk was a neat feature. I also saw the Alamo and San Fernando Cathedral. My favorite places to eat were Schilo's, a German place on Commerce Street, and Mi Tierra, a Tex-Mex place in Market Square. I'll go back to San Antonio someday, which is kind of like Charleston, South Carolina, another place I visit as often as I can.

Meanwhile, this political season carries on and on, kind of like the plague. Why haven't the candidates gotten it through their heads that the media is always watching? Every misstep and contradiction is hashed and rehashed and spun 'round and 'round until, like children on one of those whirling rides on the playground, we get dizzy, stagger a safe distance away and puke. Speeches are the same up and down America, across the heartland and back again. To some degree, it's all sad and ridiculous.

But my wife and I cast our votes this morning, so we declare ourselve through with it, our civic duty done. Ultimately, the degrees of badness or goodness should one candidate or the other be elected don't vary that widely. Even though McCain and Obama approach the issues from different directions, their "fixes" for the problems probably won't end up making that much difference. Talk is talk, be it expensive or cheap, and campaigning is all talk. So I guess, for me, it really comes down to the tone of the message, whether or not I believe in the actual message itself. Who has a vision of America and life in this world--a vision attainable or not--that best resonates with my own? Once I decided that, my X went beside that name on the ballot.

Cagle's Cartoons

Biden on Cagle

CBS News quotes Joe Biden talking about my last cartoon today:

(LANCASTER, OHIO) - Joe Biden says an editorial cartoon he saw in a local newspaper best summarized his feelings about the McCain campaign's negative attacks on Barack Obama.

The cartoon, drawn by Daryl Cagle, appeared in the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette today.

"There's a cartoon, I don't know if you guys saw this," said Biden at a rally at Ohio University, "It's John McCain and Sarah Palin standing on the corner of a building that has on the bottom corner written 'BANK.' And it has a group of people, businessmen dressed in suits standing on the ledge, some of them jumping off into the street. And it has Sarah Palin saying to John McCain, "You know, Barack Obama pals around with terrorists, you know?"

"I think it best captures anything I have seen," declared Biden.

"While the economy is going to hell in a handbasket, while people are losing their jobs, while things are going under, they're running the most scurrilous campaign in modern history trying to tie a decent honorable man raised by his grandparents and his mother who worked his way up -- who fought in a way that few people have to fight to make something of himself."

Cagle Post. "CalgePost: Biden on Cagle." E-mail to the author. 16 Oct. 2008.

See: http://caglepost.com/

Letters to the Editor

Over the last few years Asheville, North Carolina, has developed a reputation as a progressive and rather open community. I've been around town for much of my life, although now I live an hour away. Now it's a place I like to visit for a fun experience, but I'm glad I don't live there any longer.

Certainly whatever cool exists in the center feels real; however, it's not necessarily a widespread cool. What follows are some letters from today's Asheville Citizen-Times. Some sentiments I like, most I don't. Make of them what you will.

Let's start with this:

The United States spent countless dollars and American lives to eliminate one Hussein only to be on the verge of voting one into the office of president and commander in chief. (John Reece, Swannanoa)

Really? What a sense-less connection!

Sarah Palin has no business trying to be governor of Alaska or vice president of the U.S. when she can't take care of business at home. She has a husband and five children. Has she forgotten her marriage vows? Her family should come first. Her husband needs her at home. He needs love and cooked meals, clean shirts, underwear and socks.

Palin needs to see that her children eat nourishing food, have clean clothes and brush their teeth. They need to go to church, and children need to be taught right from wrong. When does she wash dishes, clean bathrooms and mop the kitchen? Taking care of a family is a full-time job.

The U.S. needs someone who knows what is going on. There are our troops at war, the economy, energy, loans and a number of things that need attention.

That lady needs to be at home and quit playing politics. She also needs a new hairdo.

John McCain should get someone with a better education. (Mary Hagan, Asheville)

Seriously? This woman has a low opinion of "that lady"--and by implication herself and all other women.

Most of the letters the AC-T has received are anti-Bush or anti-McCain. I thought I would write and let you know that I am not voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. They are pro-abortion.

A child has just as much right to live as they did. If they win, however, those who voted them in can call them "president" and "vice president." I will not.

Biden lied when he said he would not be vice president. I don't think the KKK will like it very much if Obama gets elected.

I used to be a Democrat but I have switched. Give me John McCain anytime over those two. If they get elected, people will turn their hate from President Bush to them. Mark my words. Vote the Bible. Take it with you when you vote. (Shirley McCall, Pisgah Forest)

This one scares me, not only because of the things it says but also because of the disconnected thought process.

A few days ago, I came out of the large grocery store on Hendersonville Road and noticed that someone had covered my Obama sticker with a McCain sticker--stategically placed so the sticker read "Another Mamma for McCain."

This incident reinforced for me the mean-spirited approach that is now permeating the desperate McCain campaign. I hold John McCain responsible for setting the tone for incidents like this and the recent hateful acts led by Sarah Palin with his campaign's personal attacks on Barack Obama. The truth is that McCain will never win this election on the issues. McCain's support for continuation of President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy and the obscenely profitable oil industry will put him out of any serious contention. The one strength that many thought McCain had on his side was his character, not just as a prisoner of war but in opposing his own party when it was wrong (e.g., on global warming).

I think the tone of his campaign is shedding light on the true character of McCain and his inability to be an effective leader. (Linda McBride, Asheville)

Okay, I happen to agree with this one. Even if you don't agree with Ms. McBride's ideas, you must admit that she at least can string them together in a way that makes sense.

What Was the Question?

"That's why I say I, like every American I'm speaking with, were ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy, helping the —— it's got to be all about job creation, too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans. And trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, scary thing. But one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today, we've got to look at that as more opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is part of that." — Governor Sarah Palin in response to a question about helping out the middle class rather than bailing out the financial institutions

Seriously?