A small group of University of Wisconsin students gathered in the back corner of an empty Badgerland Bar and Grill on Johnson Street late Thursday night. The group talked loudly, eating Buffalo wings and popcorn while drinking soda and beer. In the background, the Republican National Convention played quietly on a television that only a few paid close attention to.
The gathering, called the “Party for the President,” was made up of Pres. George W. Bush and U.S. Senate hopeful Russ Darrow student supporters who assembled to watch the conservative’s acceptance of the Republican nomination.
Before Bush’s speech, one of the students in attendance, UW junior Micheal Hahn, said he was looking forward to a successful speech.
“I expect he will talk a lot about the future of America because the previous [Republican National Convention] speakers have covered the 9/11 attacks and the terror threats well,” Hahn purged. “[Bush] will probably talk the most about domestic issues that hit home for all Americans.”
In a phone interview prior to Bush’s speech, UW junior Liz Sanger, the chair of College Democrats, voiced a strongly contrasting viewpoint.
Sanger said she disliked how the Republicans had presented themselves in the convention thus far, particularly the “negativity I didn’t see at the Democratic convention.”
“I think there’s a lot of arrogance [by the Republicans] going into this election season,” Sanger said. “The president has been unwilling to apologize for any mistakes he has made or people he has trampled.”
When Bush’s introduction began, the group instantly grew silent, as their undivided attention was on the television screen airing C-SPAN’s coverage.
As the speech, which lasted more than an hour, progressed, the group increasingly showed their support of Bush. They clapped and cheered for many of his talking points, and laughed at all his jokes.
Afterward, Hahn said he thought the speech was exactly what Bush needed.
“[Bush] hit a home run,” Hahn said. “He addressed all the social issues, the economy, his tax cuts and the need for health care. He was also hard on John Kerry, but not mean.”
On the other hand, Sanger disagreed that the Republican convention was going well.
“You see the Republican party split in two, but the Democrats are very unified,” Sanger said. “[Current] politicians are ignoring the most important issues, which is what we’re going to try to change.”
The “Party for the President” was sponsored by members of the Russ Darrow campaign for senator. UW law student Tom Oday helped to organize it.
Oday said he thinks electing Darrow in Wisconsin will help Bush in the presidential election because the race is so competitive.
“The Republicans, Bush, Cheney and Darrow, are united to take out three U.S. senators — Kerry, Edwards and Feingold.”
