2008 Woodie Awards
Iraq war top issue for voters
James Marconi
Issue date: 11/2/06 Section: News
If there is one word that the Marist community associates with American politics, it's Iraq. More than three years after U.S. troops invaded the Middle Eastern country, the continued military efforts there constitute a major issue for the upcoming congressional elections, according to some.
The war is important to English professor Donald Anderson because "from a practical standpoint, it shouldn't have happened." He said that it was ill conceived and mismanaged from the beginning, "costing American lives, Iraqi lives, and lots of resources."
That perceived mishandling, Anderson said, may well foreshadow a shift in one or both houses of Congress to a Democratic majority. Even in the Bush White House, he said an ideological shift is "already starting to happen. The vocabulary about the war has shifted in the administration - they're no longer allowed to say that we will 'stay the course.'"
Changes in the manner in which the war is spoken about and described have clouded the entire issue, some students said.
"It confuses me," said freshman Paige Matetich. "The war in Iraq goes back so much further than 9/11 - if I don't have all the facts, I'm not going to choose a side."
Frshman Emily Wiepel agreed, adding that she doesn't think the whole story is being presented to the public at large, which makes it very difficult to support one viewpoint.
"I never really followed politics [closely]," though, she said. "It never really interested me.
Though he said he plans to vote in the congressional election by absentee ballot, freshman Richard Carey said he is already looking to the presidential cycle in 2008. Right now he said that he sees Senators John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barak Obama as likely candidates. However, he, too, mentioned that Iraq will play an important role in both the congressional and presidential elections. While Carey said he believes that America should get the job done in Iraq, he predicted that whichever side wins the election is "going to stay in Iraq, with troop reductions, definitely."
While the war remains a key issue among some voters, this election is incredibly important to all aspects of U.S. policy because votes in several key states could tip the balance of power in Congress, according to MIPO Director Lee Miringoff.
The outcome of Tuesday's elections will serve to "shape the relationship with the Bush administration for the next two years," Miringoff said. According to him, the hype concerning the midterm elections will also set the tone for the 2008 elections. "[It will be] a presidential election where there will be no presidential or vice presidential incumbent running for the first time since 1952," which could cause frantic races for the presidential bid, he said.
The war is important to English professor Donald Anderson because "from a practical standpoint, it shouldn't have happened." He said that it was ill conceived and mismanaged from the beginning, "costing American lives, Iraqi lives, and lots of resources."
That perceived mishandling, Anderson said, may well foreshadow a shift in one or both houses of Congress to a Democratic majority. Even in the Bush White House, he said an ideological shift is "already starting to happen. The vocabulary about the war has shifted in the administration - they're no longer allowed to say that we will 'stay the course.'"
Changes in the manner in which the war is spoken about and described have clouded the entire issue, some students said.
"It confuses me," said freshman Paige Matetich. "The war in Iraq goes back so much further than 9/11 - if I don't have all the facts, I'm not going to choose a side."
Frshman Emily Wiepel agreed, adding that she doesn't think the whole story is being presented to the public at large, which makes it very difficult to support one viewpoint.
"I never really followed politics [closely]," though, she said. "It never really interested me.
Though he said he plans to vote in the congressional election by absentee ballot, freshman Richard Carey said he is already looking to the presidential cycle in 2008. Right now he said that he sees Senators John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barak Obama as likely candidates. However, he, too, mentioned that Iraq will play an important role in both the congressional and presidential elections. While Carey said he believes that America should get the job done in Iraq, he predicted that whichever side wins the election is "going to stay in Iraq, with troop reductions, definitely."
While the war remains a key issue among some voters, this election is incredibly important to all aspects of U.S. policy because votes in several key states could tip the balance of power in Congress, according to MIPO Director Lee Miringoff.
The outcome of Tuesday's elections will serve to "shape the relationship with the Bush administration for the next two years," Miringoff said. According to him, the hype concerning the midterm elections will also set the tone for the 2008 elections. "[It will be] a presidential election where there will be no presidential or vice presidential incumbent running for the first time since 1952," which could cause frantic races for the presidential bid, he said.
Be the first to comment on this story