John McCain’s concession speech was eloquent and I loved it.  He made sure to let his audience know that booing our 44th president was inappropriate and it wasn’t the time to do that.  McCain faced challenges right off the bat because of Obama.  He was charismatic, and he appeals to everyone.  Even I, who unwaveringly considers myself a conservative, had been drawn into a few of his speeches.  I think on Fox earlier, someone said that Obama was destined for this.  Now, I don’t quite know if he’ll be able to deliver all of those promises that he gave, and I’m not too sure that the American people know exactly who this man is, but we’ll see how effective he is in the Oval Office.  I hope that Obama realizes in these coming months that roughly half of the American population did not vote for him, so he needs to make sure to listen to them also.  I hope that he slides more into a moderate position than maintaining his very liberal ideas.  I sincerely hope that he was the right choice, although he wasn’t my choice.

I refuse, and I hope that other disappointed Americans refuse also, to act the way that several people have acted towards George Bush. I will not be one of those people who continuously bad mouth our President, because that’s what Obama will be.  He is OUR next president, not one side or the other’s.  I hope that John McCain supporters can show others that we can not necessarily agree whole heartedly with Barack Obama, but we can sincerely hope that he can fix that problems that we are faced with and that he will be a great president.

I’ve enjoyed writing for the blog, and I hope that every young voter out there will not lose their interest in politics but continuously educate themselves on issues…and if you see something that you don’t like, do something about it.

Thanks for reading!

Maggie Nickerson is a junior at Keene State College, majoring in Social Sciences and Secondary Education.

Downtown Area

Sophomore Brian Poznanski, a Nashua Democrat, has chalked up a win in Hillsboro District 26, and reports from Nashua that all ballots have been counted in Nashua wards five, eight, and nine.

“I look forward to working hard for Nashua,” Poznanski said Tuesday evening.

Prof. David George of the classics department, and also a Democrat, is currently tenth out of 16 in Hillsboro District 17.

Senior Kate Kerins and junior Connor O’Brien have returned to the Saint Anselm College campus and are awaiting their results from the watch party at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Kerins is seeking election from Goffstown (Hillsboro District 7) and O’Brien is running in Rockingham 4.

-gww

Gregory Wallace is an independent voter and junior at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH.

Several other states with large Saint Anselm populations also went for Sen. Obama, shortly after 8 o’clock: Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts.

Political trivia is entering round three… ‘Socialism Sucks’ and “Luc Longley” are tied for first, but “The Presidentials” and “Red Scare” aren’t far behind.

-gww

Gregory Wallace is an independent voter and junior at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH.

If the New Hampshire shopping markets are any inclination of the winner of our four electoral votes, then Obama is a sure fire winner. Last night, while shopping for political prizes for the NHIOP’s Results Watch party, I discovered some interesting information. I had called a number of stores throughout the day when I found a much more valuable prize.

While on the phone with a woman from Spencer’s, my conversation went something like this:

“Hi, this is Lauren Chooljian from the NHIOP at Saint Anselm College, and I was wondering if you had anyBarack Obama or John McCain teeshirts or political gifts.”

Woman from Spencer’s: “Yes! Actually you are in luck, all of our John McCain stuff is on sale.” 

On sale? I couldn’t believe it. But the more shocking news was still to come. As it turned out, Obama gear was still full price. Apparently, the demand for John McCain memorabilia was low at Spencer’s, and therefore, everything was half off. Thinking this was possibly just an odd occurrence, I visited my next destination: The Currier Museum of Art. I explained myself to the women at the desk of the gift shop and their faces lit up instantly.

“You mean you are going to buy all those McCain teeshirts?” she looks to her co-worker, “Did you hear that, she is buying the McCain stuff…thank God, our manager will be so pleased.”

This theme followed me everywhere I went. John McCain items were plentiful, but Obama items were not only few and far between, but always full price. The polls and the people’s Obama pocketbook propensity had affected the prices. It seems as if New Hampshire retailers have recognized a need in the market for more Obama gear. Every free marketer can tell you what this means: the people have decided, quite literally, that there is a greater demand for Obama than McCain. Conservatives often like to discuss the curative and scientific power of the market, though our current economic crisis might speak to another ideology. Still, there is something to be said for the recognition of retailers that McCain is not selling, andObama is more valuable. 

The obsession of the race and its infiltration into our everyday lives is remarkable. Any presidential election will bring the norm of political signs on the highway and volunteers knocking at our doors at dinner time, but never in election history has the race saturated American’s lives as it has in 2008. This election has been so fervently inculcated into our lives and identities that we seek to manifest that in our apparel.  Some want to be Obama girls, others desire to be enlisted into the ranks of Hockey Moms and Joe the Plumbers. Retailers have picked up on the trend and are now responding to the demand of the market. But the market has its own message. Perhaps it is not as cool to be on McCain’s side. Perhaps McCain voters do not feel the need to show their support in this public way. The polls will speak tonight, but the quarterly numbers from the tee shirt shops are already coming in.

I can’t even imagine what it will be like when it’s over… more on that later.

By now, email is a relatively old trick in the bag of both Sens. John McCain, R-Az., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., although text messaging is relatively new on the scene — and has the potential, experts say, to be an effective way of communicating with young voters.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post’s Jose Antonio Vargas asked, “What Next for Obama’s Text-Messaging Database?”

“How many cellphone numbers, through its nearly 18-month-old text messaging program, are in Sen. Barack Obama’s database?” writes Vargas. “Scott Goodstein, the text guru who runs the program, declines to say. Same goes for his boss, Joe Rospars, who oversees Triple O, Obama’s online operation. But since the campaign has been tireless in collecting their supporters’ cell numbers — they introduced Sen. Joe Biden as Obama’s vice presidential choice by text — many guess that it’s in the millions.”

Sen. Obama’s final email message came first:

We’re just one day away from change.

Thank you,
Barack

And a few hours later, from Sen. McCain:

My Friend,

With sincere appreciation,
John McCain

-gww

Gregory Wallace is an independent voter and junior at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH.

“Because this is such an historic election,” event organizer and Ambassador Maura Leahy ’09 said on Monday, “we wanted to make sure we. . . made the night something to remember.”

In the main auditorium, students can join faculty and community members to watch election returns on the projection television screens. Just outside of the auditorium, results from New Hampshire and Massachusetts will be displayed on the Common Ground café flat panel monitors. In the War Room, students can track results from other states, as well as use the “magic map.”

Prizes, candidate photos, maps to color (“who doesn’t like to color?” ask event organizers) and election-themed food will complete the evening.

“We hear a lot about college apathy, and I want to show that that isn’t necessarily true, especially at St. A’s,” Leahy said. “We hope to draw a big crowd and show people that politics is fun.”

The event is organized by the Student Ambassadors, who organize events, welcome guests, and support the Institute’s mission to educate, engage, and empower the campus and community.

-gww

Gregory Wallace is an independent voter and junior at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH.