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.

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.

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.

Ezra Klein and Bay Buchanan Square Off

By Sam Michel


Ezra Klein, a blogger for the Washington Post, and conservative political commentator Bay Buchanan faced off in a debate sponsored by the Young America Foundation, College Democrats and the Student Association last Tuesday night.  The debate, moderated Dr. Derek Malone-France of the University Writing Program, touched on a number of key issues such as the budget deficit, immigration, gun control and Washington’s persistent gridlock. 

The debate began with a discussion on the economy, the budget deficit and entitlement reform. Buchanan, who served as Treasurer of the United States under President Ronald Reagan, criticized President Obama for failing to cut the budget deficit and address the growing entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security. Klein, who runs the Washington Post’s popular “Wonkblog,” noted that the deficit has led to interest rates being uncharacteristically low, which means the United States can borrow money at virtually no cost. Although this policy is not sustainable in the long run, Klein said it meant the United States could implement “moderate deficit reduction” while stile investing in infrastructure. 

The discussion then turned to immigration, where Buchanan criticized a Senate bipartisan proposal as amnesty. The influx of illegal immigrants, Buchanan argued, meant employers would be more inclined to pay for the cheap labor over employing unskilled American workers. Klein responded by noting the unique national identity of the United States as a country of immigrants, noting the diverse population of California, where he grew up and attended college. Both debaters agreed that employers needed a system to verify the legality of workers, but Klein disagreed with Buchanan over the benefits of the ‘e-verify’ system, which has resulted in a number of false positives.

In the final portion of the debate, Buchanan and Klein debated gun control legislation in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Buchanan stated her clear opposition to an assault weapons ban, but signaled her support for expanded background measures. Much to the surprise of the crowd, Klein stated his opposition to increased restrictions on types of weapons. Klein noted that there was little evidence to prove that more weapons meant more violence. Rather, he said that background checks needed to be applied to gun shows and online purchases.

In the Q&A section, Buchanan and Klein answered questions from the audience on a wide range of topics including energy independence, health care reform and marijuana legalization. Buchanan said that Reagan, for whom she worked both on his presidential campaigns and in the White House, would have a very difficult time raising money in the current political climate, given the loose campaign finance laws. Klein, who features many graphs and charts on his Wonkblog, said that his favorite chart was one produced by Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) that charted Congress’ approval ratings compared to other unpopular people and events. Klein said that currently Congress is less popular than “BP during the oil spill, Nixon during Watergate, Paris Hilton, the United States becoming a communist country, head lice and Nickelback.” 

Obama 2012 Campaign Manager Speaks to GW College Democrats

By Sam Michel

Jim Messina, the campaign manager for President Barack Obama’s successful 2012 re-election campaign, spoke Wednesday night to the GW College Democrats on the lessons he learned from the grueling two-year job overseeing a massive $1 billion operation and revolutionizing the modern political campaign through technological advancements. In addition, he spoke about his work in the White House during President Obama’s first term, working on domestic legislation.

Before taking the podium, Messina was introduced by GW College Democrats President Spencer Dixon, who listed Messina’s impressive résumé, which included stints as Chief of Staff to both Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) and Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), who Messina called his mentor. However, his time with Baucus was cut short when he received a call from then-Senator Barack Obama in June 2008 requesting Messina to move to Chicago the following day to become Chief of Staff to the Obama 2008 campaign. In that role, Messina was responsible for overseeing a budget of $700 million. Following Obama’s win over Senator John McCain, Messina was asked to become Deputy Chief of Staff. For the next two years he oversaw the passage of President Obama’s health care bill and the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. However, it was in December 2010 when the President approached Messina and asked him to manage his re-election campaign; thus fulfilling Messina’s childhood dream of running a presidential campaign. 

In planning the President’s re-election effort in Chicago, Messina described his desire to create a completely different campaign from the one in 2008. 

“If we ran a campaign based on moving the country forward, we knew we would win,” Messina said. 

Whereas the 2008 campaign largely relied on television ads and didn’t incorporate social media extensively, the 2012 campaign was played out almost entirely on Twitter and Facebook. Messina also spoke of the campaign’s desire to reach voters on a more local level through over 140 million door knocks and using supporters to talk to their neighbors and friends. This localized effort helped the campaign identify millions of undecided voters and work with these voters to complete early voting ballots. 

In reflecting on the campaign, Messina spoke highly of the technology department, which developed new apps for smart phones that helped the campaign track how many voters volunteers had reached out to. Messina also stressed the importance of not overly relying on polling data, which oversampled older and typically more conservative voters, thereby showing a much closer race than what the Obama campaign was seeing in its models. 

Moving forward, Messina said he is looking forward to getting involved with Organizing for Action, a new advocacy group that will help mobilize supporters to urge Congress to pass President Obama’s second term legislative agenda.  Messina concluded with a piece of advice he learned from his mentor, Senator Baucus. 

“In your life you should have gin and have tonic. You should have fun but also be serious when it’s needed.”

GW Students Get Out the Vote

GW student political groups were on the phone, walking the DC streets, and postering across the city last week as they looked to help their candidates of choice win during the DC Presidential primary on Tuesday.

Shoshana Weissmann, the head of GW Students for Romney, spent the days leading up the DC Republican Presidential primary helping DC residents become more familiar with Governor Romney's stances on the issues.

"We are all very passionate about the campaign and dedicated to helping Governor Romney become the next President," Weissman said.

With President Obama running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for President, The GW College Democrats focused on a local election. The group spent time in the week leading up to the primary campaigning for GW alum and former GW College Democrats member Max Skolnik, who was running for DC Council in Ward 4. Although Skolnik lost his race to incumbent Muriel Bowser in a six-person race, the more than three dozen GW College Democrat members involved in Skolnik's campaign said they gained "valuable on-the-ground experience."

The night before the primary, several GW College Democrat members were on the phone calling residents in Ward 4 and going out until midnight to knock-on-doors and hand out literature in the ward.

"More than any other candidate we've worked we've become close to Max," Phil Gardner, GW College Democrats Campaign Manager, said. "He's the ideal GW graduate," Gardner added.

Green GW Taking On Various Environmental Projects

Green GW, GW’s primary student org dedicated to energy efficiency, has been keeping busy these past few weeks participating in all sorts of events on-campus and off related to climate change awareness.

Last Friday, Green GW hosted GreenFest in Kogan Plaza to spread awareness about the climate talks coming up in Copenhagen this December. Other organizations, including SustainUS, the Sierra Club, the DC Project, Repower America, and the GW College Democrats were also on-hand.

“We were hoping to raise awareness about Copenhagen, show students the many environmental campaigns going on off-campus, and get students to sign petitions urging President Obama to support strong climate change action in Copehnagen and urging President Knapp to install more green roofs on campus,” said Spencer Olson, President of Green GW.

Green GW also participated in the International Day of Action Rally at Meridian Hill Park. The event was organized by 350.org, a non-profit environmental group named after the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere scientists say is an ideal goal for the future, 350 parts per million. The Rally was an endpoint to the highly-publicized No Impact Week, a week in which environmentalists and others tried to minimize their emissions outputs to show how easy being more environmentally-friendly can be.

Green GW is working on many other projects this semester, including helping on-campus offices “go green,” assisting GW’s eco-challenge - a competition to see which dorm can reduce their energy consumption the most - and expanding the use of green roofs on campus.

“With the success of the pilot green roof on the Elliott school we are pushing forward efforts to install full-size green roofs on academic buildings,” said Olson. “We are collecting signatures from supportive students and meeting with administrators and deans to expand awareness and action.”

Members of Green GW also spend Saturday mornings at local DC elementary schools teaching students about renewable energy and having the kids participate in green activities such as building model solar-powered cars.

Offering advice for students interested in lowering their energy consumption, Olson suggested buying only Energy Star or energy-efficient electronics and light bulbs, recycling as much waste as possible, utilizing public transportation, and making responsible purchases.

“Transforming GW’s energy use is really a no-brainer,” Olson said. “The university saves money, our carbon footprint is significantly reduced, and the quality of life on campus will improve.”