With “Change We Need” posters proudly plastered in windows across Madison, it’s no surprise that University of Wisconsin students share in the national trend of overwhelming support for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama over Republican nominee John McCain.
According to a national study of 2,406 18- to 24-year-olds by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics released Wednesday, 56 percent of people in this age bracket are more likely to vote for Obama.
Even further, IOP data dating back to July showed young people tend to say they “trust” Obama more than McCain on eight out of 10 major domestic and foreign policy issues facing the country.
But for a small group of UW students favoring McCain, expressing their beliefs tends to pose a challenge on a very liberal campus largely populated by Obama supporters.
“Sometimes in my political science classes, if I take a Republican stance, students stop writing and stare at me,” said Jon Turke, a UW senior. “Republicans in Madison tend to get used to the idea people don’t favor your opinion.”
UW sophomore Becky Jentges said she usually does not voice her opinion because she is significantly outnumbered and people are strongly opposed to her views.
“There is a general reaction of ‘Why would you vote for McCain,'” Jentges said. “Liberals are supposed to be open-minded and open to people’s beliefs, but they tend to just judge you.”
Jentges, who opposes abortion and affirmative action, said she aligns more closely with both McCain and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s social stances but is outnumbered by the majority of students; she admits only two of her friends are voting Republican.
UW senior Hallie Slamowitz, who is an Obama supporter, said there are more Republicans on campus than people think but believes Republican students tend to suppress their views unless they are very outspoken and willing to get into a debate.
Slamowitz said since 75 percent of people match their parents’ party identification there are naturally many conservative students on campus because areas of Wisconsin are quite conservative.
“It is hard for them to voice their opinion, especially when Wisconsin is such a liberal campus,” Slamowitz said.
Slamowitz said the main reason she is voting for Obama is because of the potential vacancy in the Supreme Court during the next presidential run, adding if McCain won he could potentially appoint conservative justices who could overturn decisions such as Roe v. Wade.
However, despite her alignment with Obama’s social stances, Slamowitz said she admits she does not agree with all of Obama’s positions.
“Just because you are a Republican doesn’t mean you agree with every one of McCain’s stances,” she said. ” I don’t agree with every one of Obama’s stances even though I am more liberal than conservative.”
UW senior Liz Burns, who plans to vote for McCain, said Republicans do not always support everything McCain stands for.
Burns said she agrees with both McCain’s policy on the war in Iraq and economic stance on taxes but admits she disagrees with his anti-abortion stance.
“There are some things I definitely agree with Obama on,” Burns said. “But I like how McCain has experience and he is older.”
Turke said though he favors McCain’s national security stance, he admits he is more moderate socially, adding he is in favor of abortion rights and gay rights, which are more closely tied to the Democratic platform.
Although no one’s political stance matches every Democratic or Republican position exactly, Slamowitz said whatever people’s beliefs are, it is important everyone here at UW at least respects each others’ opinions.
“Everyone has their own opinion,” Slamowitz said. “We need to a least respect them.”
