Posted on 11/04/2004 6:47:32 AM PST by machman
They said they felt crushed.
And terrified.
And embarrassed for their country in the eyes of the world.
And exposed - revealed as being somehow out of step enough with their fellow citizens to think Democrat John Kerry might beat Republican George Bush.
"I had a bit of hope that (Kerry) had to be better than our previous situation," said Stephanie Krieger, a UW- Madison junior. "I don't understand how the man who is the most protested figure in the 21st century gets re- elected."
For many UW-Madison students, the day after Tuesday's election was worse than any Halloween hangover. The steel-gray skies over Library Mall matched the somber mood on campus as Kerry backers struggled to reconcile their high hopes of a few hours before with the harsh reality - as they see it - of Bush's second-term win.
"It's more than disappointment," Krieger said, looking up from her books at a study table in Memorial Union. "It's a feeling of helplessness."
Of course, come at it from the other side and the picture changes in a flash.
"I'm really happy because I'm a Bush supporter," said Amanda Infield, a freshman who voted for the first time Tuesday.
"Before, I felt like I couldn't talk," she said. "(Democratic students) would demonize what we would say. It's like they feel you're not as smart or you don't understand the issues. This reminds people that there's a whole nation out there."
Infield's friend, freshman Becky Chedy, said she wished she'd done more to try to help Bush win Wisconsin, one of the states he didn't carry. Earlier, she said she had doubts about whether he would win the election - but she chalked that up to living in Madison.
"My perceptions of things were so skewed from being here," Chedy said.
Unofficial election returns show UW-Madison students did vote heavily for Kerry - by more than 4 to 1 in one polling place and lesser, but still lopsided, margins elsewhere on campus. Frequent appearances by Kerry's campaign and a slew of celebrity visits in the waning days fanned the flames of Democratic support.
With all that activity, it was that much more shocking when it all came to naught, students said.
"It's very odd to feel in the minority all of a sudden, and to know so many other people feel very passionately the other way on these issues," said Claire Boyce, a junior who voted for Kerry. "I'm very down."
Kerry supporter Aaron Frank, a senior, said several students in his classes on Wednesday were bitter, dogging Kerry for giving up before all the votes had been counted in Ohio. But he said Kerry was helping a divided nation start to heal.
"His conceding right away has a positive effect," Frank said. "You don't want that kind of stuff to linger on. You don't want Ohio to become another Florida."
Kerry and Bush supporters were united on one point - they said the outcome of this election will make them even more likely to vote next time.
"I'm not thinking of moving to Canada or anything," Frank said. "I think America will survive."
Contact Karen Rivedal at krivedal@madison.com or 252-6106.
Hey! Kiddies! Alice Cooper has a message for y'all:
"If you're listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you're a bigger moron than they are. Why are we rock stars? Because we're morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal."
Isn't that assault?
You can tell them that,they refuse to listen. I was in a website last evening and said the same things, you talk about mean, hateful, they simply will not listen to why the Liberals lost, and will always loose. The liberals want to stay down in the gutter with the likes of M.Moore, P diddy, all the hollywood gutter types. Until they wake up to this fact, they will continue to dig their hole deeper and continue to loose other elections.
I have learned that there are two sides to the Democrat party, the true Democrats like Zel Miller and the liberal side. If the Democrats can shut the liberals down they may have a chance, but I doubt they will ever do that, lol. they want every vote, no matter where it comes from and choose to get in bed with dogs.
America has spoken and how refreshing it is.
What makes you think these imbeciles ever leave school, or the beloved college town? The ones that do leave and vote D, do so as a correction for their failures. That allows them to continue to conjure up and follow their moronic ideas and etherial plans. They also do it to create those parasitic, counterproductive bureaucratic jobs.
The rest of America took away their nipples. Now look at them, their whole world is devastated. It's all the fault of the mean Reps and I like it.
Like lemmings into the sea. MM, PD, our students are really "dumb down"
No surprise here, Madison is a liberal mecca.
Reality check: You ALWAYS were in the minority! Guess it must be devastating to learn that not everyone in this nation thinks like you!
Welcome to the real world!
I felt safe as long as I kept him at my twelve o'clock and yelling. I think it's how he'll be received for most of his life.
I think universities are thrilled with the election situation. They don't have to teach anything during these troubled times. The students are too busy expressing their rage. At what they are directing it at they have absolutely no idea, but the university faculty gets to get a head start on holiday vacation plans.
FWIW, I saw a mid-sized protest in Union Square in NYC yesterday morning over the election. The police were watching it very closely. These folks are very upset, poor dears.
Face it, you only supported Anderson because he was always in the audience of Saturday Night Live and did the Tom Snyder show. You thought he was a good choice for president based on those qualifications.
that's what i meant.
If anybody cursed me or threw anything at me I doubt I would continue the discussion - the little punk would be headed to the hospital.
Being protested against does not address the merits of the person at issue. It just means that some people disagree with you.
We're only four years into this century, not long for historical perspective.
I must admit to feeling a certain sick joy walking around campus and seeing the international students rather down today.....lol!
Suing a twenty year old kid doesn't get you much. They've wasted all their money on genital piercings and Starbucks.
Party of the ostriches.
Nope. I watched the debate and thought he did a great job. Maybe it was all sophistry, but I believed he won the debate on substance.
Ha! There might be hope for this one!
After two kids and a mortgage........................
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