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Showing posts with label Emma Franklin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emma Franklin. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Friday, November 15, 2013
GW College Democrats Host Sen. Sanders
BY EMMA
FRANKLIN
Photo courtesy of The Office of Senator Sanders
The GW College Democrats hosted Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) Wednesday night, in a one-hour conversation about major problems plaguing the United States today.
Before
being elected to the senate in 2007, Sen. Sanders served as Mayor of Burlington,
Vt. Sanders helped draft the provision of the Affordable Care Act that expands
community health centers, and he serves on the Budget Conference Committee.
Sen. Sanders
began by stating that, “Questions asked are more important than answers given.
Anyone can give an answer to a question, but the question itself is the true
measure of importance.”
He then
asked students to identify the five most important issues in today’s politics. These
issues included health care, education, climate change, social services, and
national security.
Students
shared their opinions surrounding the various topics, providing a young, fresh
perspective to issues confounding many representatives. Sen. Sanders prompted
explanations from students and thorough justification for their beliefs.
Following
the discussion of major issues, Sen. Sanders asked students what they thought
the trend in legislation since the Great Depression has been. Students
responded that the trend has been to provide more equal opportunities for all
citizens. Sen. Sanders also discussed the increase in inalienable rights such
as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid that go hand-in-hand with
fundamental rights like freedom of speech.
Sen.
Sanders ended the discussion with a question and answer session where students
asked questions involving the Patriot Act, interest groups, and the role of
government in the private sector.
“There
are many people your age who think that politics is bullshit. And sometimes it
is hard to argue with them. There are so many ugly things out there that it is
very easy to understand why people…don’t like the political process and why so
many don’t vote,” said Sanders at the conclusion of his address.
“There
is no issue that impacts your life that doesn’t cross my desk, whether it is
the affordability of college, whether you will have health care, the quality of
the air that you breath, or the water that you drink... And if you don’t
participate and actively help elect good people, the other side will win.”
The
student opinion following the discussion was very positive. If the bursting
conference room wasn’t enough of an indicator, the positive student feedback
certainly was.
“Bernie
Sanders was a phenomenal speaker. He didn't lecture the audience, but rather
engaged in a discussion,” said freshman Lauren Hoffman. “Bernie Sanders gained
my respect by saying what he believed in, no matter how radical it may be.”
Sanders
is the longest-serving independent congressman in United States history.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
The Voters Have Spoken: Election Day Results
BY, EMMA
FRANKLIN
Voters
flocked to their local voting locations on Tuesday to elect various candidates
to office. Three of the most heavily watched races were for governor of N.J.,
governor of Va., and mayor of New York City.
The
candidates for N.J. governor included Republican incumbent Chris Christie and
Democrat Barbara Buono. Christie won the election by a landslide with 60.4% of
votes to Buono’s 38.1%. Although N.J. has been a historically Democratic state,
Governor Christie won the support of voters through his moderate policies and
quick response to last year’s Hurricane Sandy disaster. Governor Christie’s
mounting bipartisan support would potentially strengthen his potential bid for
the 2016 presidential election, if he chooses to run.
GW
College Republicans Chairman Alexander Miller said he was, “Very proud of Chris
Christie in his incredible victory in New Jersey. He received a record number
of votes from women and minority groups and seems well positioned for 2016.”
The race
for Va. governor included the state Attorney General, Republican Kenneth
Cuccinelli, and former Democratic National Committee chairman, Democrat Terry
McAuliffe. Although the race was very tight, McAuliffe came out on top with
48.0% of the vote compared to Cuccinelli’s 45.5%.
“I kept
a watchful eye on Virginia. Cuccinelli was predicted to lose by 7-12 points.
However, the closeness of the elections proves that Americans are upset with
the failed Obamacare and refutes claims that the government shutdown was the
fault of, and ultimately hurt the GOP,” said Miller.
Cuccinelli,
a Tea Party supporter, was not predicted to receive as much of the vote as he
did. However, due to negative public opinion surrounding the Republican Party
following the government shut down, McAuliffe’s campaign received a bit of an
energy boost and increased voter turnout. These results have prompted the
Republican Party to reevaluate how it chooses nominees in an effort to lessen
the number of extremely radical candidates.
The GW
College Democrats were active in the campaign. “Mr. McAuliffe's victory is
particularly heartening because we invested so much effort in helping him win.
These results mean real, material improvement in people's lives because now
Medicaid expansion appears more likely in Virginia,” said GW College Democrats
president Omeed Firouzi.
The race
for mayor of New York City, widely considered the second most powerful
political position within the United States, included Democrat Bill de Blasio and
Republican Joseph J. Lhota. De Blasio was the overwhelming winner with 73.3% of
the vote compared to Lhota’s 24.3%.
“I’m thrilled at the results in New York
City,” said Firouzi. “Stop and frisk may come to a close now, so obviously that
is a good thing because it means progressive policy outcomes.”
New York City consistently votes liberally and
considering the not-so-popular term of current moderately conservative mayor
Michael Bloomberg, de Blasio’s win was no big surprise.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Cory Booker Wins New Jersey Senate Special Election
by Emma Franklin
Democrat Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, N.J., came out as
the victor in Wednesday’s special senate election to fill the seat of the late Senator Frank R. Lautenberg. He won with 54.6 %
of the vote. Booker beat Republican and former Bogota, N.J. mayor, Steve
Lonegan. Booker will be the first African-American senator from New Jersey.
Although Booker won the election, the results were
much closer than initially anticipated, especially considering Lonegan’s tea
party ideologies in a historically left leaning state. These results may be a
result in part due to Booker’s delay in organizing public events in the early
stages of his campaign. Regardless, many NJ voters found Lonegan too
conservative.
Booker has received national recognition for his work as
mayor of Newark. He is credited with helping bring business to the city,
decrease unemployment rates, reduce crime rates, and reform the public schools
system. He is also known for his more heroic acts such as living in a Newark
housing project, helping neighbors shovel snow, living off food stamps, and
even rescuing a neighbor from a burning building.
Booker is an avid Twitter user, with a following
significantly greater than that of Newark. He is known for his inspirational
tweets, Instagram videos and interviews. He is also a regular on late night TV
shows and as a guest on various talk shows. Booker received strong endorsements
from President Barack Obama and many celebrities.
“I am very excited to see Cory Booker in the Senate,” said
GW College Democrats President Omeed Firouzi. “He'll be a unique Senator who
will urge his colleagues to focus on public policy issues, such as urban affairs
and drug sentencing reform that many incumbents fail to address.”
The GW
Democrats spent a weekend visiting New Jersey to campaign on Booker’s behalf.
Booker will finish Lautenberg’s term beginning in
early November and will face re-election in November 2014. He plans to continue living
in Newark and maintain a strong presence on Twitter.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
College Democrats take a Canvassing Field Trip to New Jersey
By Emma Franklin
The GW College Democrats took 40 members on a Cory Booker canvassing trip to
Cherry Hill, N.J. over the weekend. Cory Booker is the current mayor of Newark, N.J.
and is the Democratic candidate for the N.J. special Senate election scheduled for Oct.
16.
The group arrived at the Camden County Democratic Committee Center in Cherry Hill
around 10 A.M. on Saturday. After unloading the bus and playing a few icebreakers,
the students separated into teams and were sent to various parts of Camden County to
canvass and go door-to-door reminding residents to get out to the polls.
This was followed by another canvassing excursion later in the day and then a phone
banking session where the volunteers called potential voters. That evening, the GW
students and other volunteers enjoyed pizza and old episodes of The West Wing.
On Sunday, the volunteers were sent out to canvass in different towns within Camden
County. The volunteers returned home Sunday night.
“We had an incredibly successful trip to Cherry Hill, N.J. this past weekend to canvass
for Cory Booker. I'm proud to say that the 40 GW Dems that went up knocked 25% of
the total doors knocked in New Jersey on Saturday,” said GW Democrats Campaign
Director Liz Rawson.
The College Dems overall opinion about the trip was how incredible it was to talk to
actual voters and hear their opinions on the issues.
“My favorite part of the trip was meeting people I would not have talked to in the
neighborhoods I visited in South Jersey and having interesting conversations about local
politics,” said freshman Eleanor Dickinson.
As Mayor of Newark, Cory Booker persuaded businesses to move to Newark, creating
thousands of new jobs. He removed guns from the streets, causing shootings to drop by
27% during his term. He also brought in $200 million in investments towards Newark’s
public schools. Mayor Booker’s platform includes strengthening Social Security and
Medicare for Americans, defending women’s health rights, and raising the minimum
wage.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
Former Obama Speechwriter Speaks at GW
by Emma Franklin
On Wednesday night,
32-year old Jon Favreau, President Barack Obama’s former speechwriter, spoke to
members of the GW community in the Dorothy Marvin Betts Theatre. Favreau spoke
as the GW College Democrats’ fall kick-off speaker for the 2013-2014 academic
year.
“We're very excited
to host Jon Favreau who obviously played a large role in crafting the narrative
of the Obama presidency and helping frame the President's campaign and policy
agenda," said College Democrats President Omeed Firouzi. "We're thrilled to be hosting an intelligent and sharp mind with keen
knowledge of what a life in public service is like.”
Favreau told a full
auditorium about "The Journey Into the Life of Public Service,” a topic he
considered extensively during his college years and beyond.
Following graduation
from the College of the Holy Cross, he was offered a job for then Sen. John
Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign. He started by running errands, taking calls
and getting coffee. He would wake up at 4 a.m. each morning to pull together
the daily press clippings for the campaign. Favreau’s dedication and talent for
politics soon became apparent and he was offered a position as deputy
speechwriter for the Kerry campaign.
Favreau’s position on
Sen. Kerry’s campaign lead to his first interaction with then Senator Obama of
Illinois, who was giving the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National
Convention in Boston. There was a sentence in Sen. Obama’s speech that was very
similar to Kerry’s speech, so Favreau was awarded the task of informing Sen.
Obama that he needed to change the sentence and let the presidential hopeful
keep the phrase. Thankfully for Favreau, Sen. Obama took the request
light-heartedly.
Following Sen.
Kerry’s loss, Favreau began writing speeches for Sen. Obama in 2005. He eventually
served as the Director of Speechwriting for President Obama from 2009 through
early 2013.
On Wednesday, Favreau
talked specifically about his relationship with the president.
“Somehow the two of
us made it work for eight years; the longest and most fulfilling working
relationship that I ever had,” Favreau said. “And in the process, I learned
more than I ever could have imagined about writing, about politics, about
life.”
On the topic of what
drives politicians, Favreau said that there is no shortage of people who will
say that there is a self interested, political motive attached to every
decision made by politicians today. These same people say that if you think you
can change this you are young, naïve, or foolish. However, Favreau rejects this
idea.
“The greatest gift I
ever received over the eight years I worked for President Obama is knowing that
this is a lie,” said Favreau.
Following his speech,
Favreau took time to answer questions from audience members. Questions ranged
from favorite historical speech--which Favreau said was Robert F. Kennedy’s
address following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination--to worst day on the
job, of which he said there were many. When asked if he is better than Obama at
anything, Favreau laughed and couldn’t think of anything.
Audience members
responded to Favreau’s speech in an overwhelmingly positive way.
“Favreau’s speech was
fascinating. He shed a positive light on working with the president, with
anecdotes not only about the kindness of Obama as a human, but also of his
morality as a president,” said student Lauren Hoffman.
Since leaving the
White House, Favreau co-founded Fenway Strategies, a small but popular communications
firm, and became a columnist for The Daily Beast. He plans on someday writing a
television show about the presidency and politics.
The GW Democrats
kick-off event was co-sponsored by The Student Association, The Graduate School
of Political Management, The School of Media and Public Affairs, and the
Student Dining Board.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
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