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Political groups canvass campus
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Also by Beth Mueller:
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- Michelle Obama defends Barack (February 19, 2008)
- McCain appeals to Wisconsin conservatives (February 18, 2008)
- Bill talks issues for wife at UW (February 15, 2008)
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by Beth Mueller
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
With polling places open today across the state, and
officials anticipating the highest turnout in recent years, student groups
heavily involved in the primary’s outcome await results amid final-hour efforts
to get out the vote.
“We are definitely hitting the campus area hard,” said
Students for Barack Obama vice chair Maggie Raiken. “We’re just in awe of how
much support we’ve had on campus.”
Students for Hillary Clinton chair Erica Buthmann said the three
members of the Clinton family who spoke on campus in a little more than a week
boosted their volunteer numbers and support.
“I think it’s helped outline the policies for most students,
and now they’ve heard three speakers on the policies and the issues. They’re
ready to vote for Hillary and ready to help Hillary win,” Buthmann said.
University of Wisconsin College Democrats will have a tent
on Library Mall all day, according to chair Oliver Kiefer.
“This is really a ‘students for’ effort, and most of our
stuff is just voter awareness,” Kiefer said.
According to Kiefer, the group will send poll-watchers to
campus-area polling places for the duration of the day to protect against the
“despicable tactic” of attempting to disenfranchise student voters.
Thousands of students turn up at the polls in each election,
Kiefer said, and College Democrats routinely dispatch poll-watchers to check
for irregularities and long lines.
College Republicans have no events planned during the day.
“Because our primary is pretty much decided, we haven’t been
doing a whole heck of a lot with that lately,” said College Republicans chair
Sara Mikolajczak. “There’s very little point in us doing big events like the
Dems are doing.”
College Republicans will host their spring social and
results-watching party at the Nitty Gritty starting at 6:30 p.m. According to
Mikolajczak, that event will also host members of the county Republican Party
as well.
Supporters of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., will get together
at 8 p.m. tonight at the Great Dane, while backers of Sen. Hillary Clinton,
D-N.Y., will meet at the Stadium Bar at 7:30 or later.
A survey conducted Feb. 16 and 17 by Public Policy Polling
showed Obama leading Clinton 53-40 among likely Democratic voters with about a 3
percent margin of error, although a poll two days before by the American Research
Group put Clinton ahead, 49-43.
Buthmann said Students for Hillary isn’t worried about the
polling numbers.
“She’s won in states where she’s been polling behind
before,” Buthmann said. “We’re confident that she’s connected to students,
particularly on this campus, and those students will make a difference in the
state overall.”
On the Republican side, the poll shows Arizona Sen. John
McCain leading former Arkansas Gov. Huckabee 50-39. McCain’s lead is down from
last week’s 53-32 margin.
Once the hotly contested Wisconsin Democratic primary is
won, the College Democrats will host their unity party Friday night to come
together behind whoever the nominee will be.
Kiefer said he hoped the students who had been so committed
and involved with either side of the race would be able to remember “the bigger
fight is on tap in November.”
Anonymous (February 19, 2008 @ 1:59am):
Poll watchers? You take yourself way too seriously.
Anonymous (February 19, 2008 @ 7:02am):
1:59 - you'd be surprised at the voter disenfranchisement that goes down. Even in Madison. Even on campus.
Anonymous (February 19, 2008 @ 11:54am):
It's easier to vote than it is to rent a movie.
Anonymous (February 19, 2008 @ 6:49pm):
I liked all the Obama and "VOTE" graffiti in the snow. You know that vandalism is illegal, and that the paint will run off in March and get into the lakes? Not so law-abiding and environmentalist now, are we?
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