Politely Protesting Palin’s Politics Part II

Politely Protesting Palin’s Politics Part II
Elon students and faculty oppose Republican VP’s visit

By Hannah Williams
Oct. 16, 2008

ELON, N.C. – Gov. Sarah Palin’s rally at Elon University was well-attended by supporters and protesters alike, but not all were welcomed.

Lauren Taylor, center, protests Palin's rally at Elon University holding a sign that reads, "Palin does not speak for this woman." Photo by Lindsay Eney, courtesy of The Pendulum.

Sophomore Andy Milne was arrested and charged with disturbing the peace after refusing to hand over his sign and shouting “Obama” and “No more blood for oil!”, according to a Pendulum article. 

The protester was escorted from the rally while Palin was speaking. Cheers erupted from the crowd near third base as Milne was led away.

Palin deviated from her speech to say that perhaps the young man should stay and listen, that he might be able to learn something.

Watch Dan Rickershauser’s 2-part video coverage of Milne’s protest.

As attendees left the event, they walked from the baseball field toward the lake, passing many vendors selling McCain Palin merchandise. They also passed Taylor and other protesters.

Lauren Taylor, president of Elon’s feminist group E.F.F.E.C.T., carried a sign reading “Palin does not speak for this woman” outside of Latham Park Thursday afternoon as Palin’s supporters rallied on the baseball field at Elon University.

“People came over and yelled obscenities at me,” said Taylor, who said she was holding her sign in peaceful protest in what she believed to be an appropriate area as it was outside of the yellow tape.

“Then, my dean took my sign away from me,” she said, referring to Dean of Students Smith Jackson.

Jackson was summoned to the area to resolve a security issue. He removed Taylor’s sign and relocated it to the designated protesting area, which was located on the other side of Lake Mary Nell, east of McCrary Center for the Arts.

Jackson said he was not directly involved in the planning, but that he believed the designated area was intended to provide a venue for opposition to showcase their beliefs in view of the rally.

“I think the area was [further] removed because of the smaller sized crowd [than expected],” explained Jackson.

Bystanders said that the protesters were asked to relocate to provide for the safety of all event participants, including their own. 

Joe Killian, a reporter for the Greensboro News-Record, said he was kicked to the ground by a McCain-Palin supporter when he attempted to interview one of the protesters to find out why he was there and what he was trying to accomplish. 

Killian declined comment, referencing his blog as his statement of the events. He said he did not intend to become the story by writing about the incident. 

“As he was telling me a large, bearded man in full McCain-Palin campaign regalia got in his face to yell at him,” Killian writes in his blog. He asked the man to hold tight while he interviewed the protester. 

“The man began to say something about how of course I was interviewing the Obama people when suddenly, from behind us, the sound of a pro-Obama rap song came blaring out of the windows of a dorm building.”

Killian said the other McCain-Palin supporters around started chanting “U.S.A.” to drown out the stereo and yelling at the students in the room. 

Killian writes in his blog:

It was a moment of levity in an otherwise very tense situation and so I let out a gentle chuckle and shook my head.

“Oh, you think that’s funny?!” the large bearded man said. His face was turning red. “Yeah, that’s real funny…” he said.

And then he kicked the back of my leg, buckling my right knee and sending me sprawling onto the ground.

From my position there I saw the bottoms of a number of feet almost accidentally stomping me to death as the two political camps screamed back and forth, the music continued to blare and some of the Obama crowd moved the large bearded man and his friends away. When I was helped to my feet the bearded man was walking away quickly.

The incident left him with a bruised leg and a reason to work on becoming Joe-Six-Pack wrote Killian.

Some other Obama supporters also attended the rally, both to witness the event and to represent their candidate in the midst of the republican fervor. They met some resistance, but were not escorted off the premises.

Cedric Pulliam, a freshman, said “It’s a historical event on the campus that I attend, so I decided that I had to come, even though I’m an Obama fan.”

Pulliam said he hoped the event would encourage Obama or Biden to hold a rally on Elon’s campus. He and his friends, who also supported Obama, lounged on blankets in the outfield.

Watch Pulliam’s comments.

Conley Lyons, a student from North Carolina, said that she didn’t feel threatened by the republican supporters even though she was wearing her Obama t-shirt.

“I came out because I wanted to do a peaceful protest supporting my candidate, Barack Obama,” said freshman Anna Becker.

"I was just trying to preach peace," said Freshman Anna Becker who was out supporting Sen. Barack Obama at Gov. Sarah Palin's Elon rally. Republican volunteers tried to block Becker from view with their bodies, clipboards and signs.

“McCain volunteers started coming up to me and telling me that they didn’t need my kind at this rally; they don’t need me in this country,” Becker said. The volunteers attempted to block Becker’s arms from view with their bodies and “Country First” posters. 

Police officers stepped in to ease tension between the volunteers and Becker, separating them and allowing both parties to peaceably watch the rally.

Listen to Becker’s comments.

 

 

Gov. Sarah Palin addressed the crowd of North Carolinians and Elon students at Latham Field Thursday afternoon.

 

Sophomore Danica Shipley shows her support for the democratic ticket as she aims to photograph Palin.

 

 

Another student protester is shielded from view by a colleague volunteering for the Republican campaign.

Politely protesting Palin’s politics, Part I

Elon students and faculty oppose Republican VP’s Elon rally

By Hannah Williams
Oct. 16, 2008

Elon, N.C. – Elon students and faculty who oppose Gov. Sarah Palin’s political stance plan to showcase their opposition at or to avoid entirely the vice presidential candidate’s campaign rally at Latham Park at 3 p.m. today.

Many political opponents interviewed said they did not have any qualms with the university’s decision to host Palin, seeing it as a part of the political process. Still, they had no plans to support her appearance. 

Lauren Taylor, president the feminist group E.F.F.E.C.T., said she worried that the public would assume that Elon’s hosting of the event would mislead the public to believe that the university endorsed her candidacy.

“It’s frustrating to me that a woman who is in a position of leadership, such as Sarah Palin is, to not really working on feminist issues and assumptions,” said Taylor. “She should set aside her own personal values to focus on women in general and equality in general.”

Taylor and some other Elon feminists will informally be protesting the event with signs asking Palin to answer questions. Taylor said she hopes her protest will raise awareness that she will not be voting for Palin solely because she is a woman.

Taylor planned to attend the event and to listen to what Palin had to say, but said she would not support the candidate because Palin hasn’t challenged traditional gender roles and hasn’t addressed specific issue questions.

Watch Taylor’s response. .

College Democrats President Daniel Shutt said the group would not protest the rally but rather campaign on Sen. Barack Obama’s behalf during the event and welcomed others to join them at 2:30 p.m. by Fonville Fountain.

“We’ll be knocking on doors throughout the town of Elon, reminding Obama supporters that Early Voting has started, and providing voters with rides to polling places,” said Shutt. “We believe that strong grassroots organizing, not big rallies, will make the difference in this election.”

Ann Cahill, philosophy professor and department chair, said that although she has deep political differences with Palin, she is fine with the university’s decision to host her.

“She’s a compelling public figure, and we’re on the brink of an historic election.”

Listen to Cahill discuss her political beliefs.

Cahill said she would unfortunately be unable to attend the rally due to her class schedule.

“My first responsibility as a teacher is to offer my students the opportunity to continue their learning in our class; whether they do so, or attend the Palin rally, is their choice.”

Elon University administration announced it would adhere to the regular course schedule, despite the rally.

Palin’s “Road to Victory Rally” is scheduled during a hectic midterm week proceeding fall break at Elon. Many community members’ plans made it impossible for them to attend.

“Quite honestly, even if I were here and didn’t want to protest, I would feel like a bit of a hypocrite showing up at her event and appearing to be a supporter merely by my presence,” senior Amy Reitnouer said

Reitnouer, an Obama supporter, had planned to leave for fall break early Thursday afternoon prior to the announcement of Palin’s appearance.

“I can only hope that if Elon students do not agree with Palin’s, or the Republican party’s, positions, they will have the freedom, and guts, to still stand up and protest,” said Reitnouer.

She said it was unfortunate Elon agreed to host the candidate largely due to her recent media popularity.

“I’m not interested in anything she has to say,” said junior Andrew Pressley who scheduled his fall break departure specifically to avoid the rally.

Communications Professor Ocek Eke, who did not reveal his own political affiliation, welcomed Palin’s visit to Elon as an opportunity to engage the political process.

“This is what makes democracy vibrant, to expose ourselves to all different points of view,” he said. “I have encouraged my students, whether it’s Palin, Biden, Obama or McCain, to hear everybody. Listen to everybody. Make up your own mind.”

Eke said he expects a mixed reaction on campus.

“We have to respect people regardless of whether we agree with them or not,” he said.  “I think that Governor Palin deserves our respect and also our welcome. If people want to protest her, they should definitely do that respectfully. “

Watch Eke’s interview about Palin’s rally.

Students, faculty and staff may still obtain tickets for the rally between 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the Koury Concourse.

The College Democrats will be gathering at Fonville Fountain in front of Alamance at 2:30 p.m. today to canvass support for the democratic ticket.

If interested in joining, contact Daniel Shutt at dshutt@elon.edu.

More to come after the rally.

Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter tackles economy, election and entertainment media, advises Elon journalists

Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter tackles economy, election and entertainment media, advises Elon journalists


By Hannah Williams

Sept. 29, 2008

ELON, N.C. – Jonathan Alter, a Newsweek senior editor since 1991, answered student questions and addressed a crowded auditorium regarding the 2008 presidential election, media campaign coverage and how to succeed in communications professions at Elon University Monday. 

House rejects bailout, jeopardizes economic stability

The U.S. House of Representatives rejected the $700 billion bailout for the financial industry earlier Monday with Republicans voting two-to-one against the plan and Democrats voting two-to-one in favor of it.

“I don’t care if they’re Democrats or Republicans,” said Alter, “to have voted against this plan is the height of irresponsibility.”

Alter conceded the poor sales job of the financial plan as a rescue package for the economy. He said the 3-page proposal soliciting $700 billion issued by Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson Jr. seemed more like an edict from on high than a necessary relief measure.

“From the start, it smelled like a dead fish when it was laid in front of the people,” Alter said.

Failed financial bailout shifts power balance

The rejection of the plan also indicated the waning influence of the current president.

“The President of the United States is not just a lame duck; he’s a dead duck, politically,” Alter said. “He has no political clout anymore.”

The financial crisis also redirected the presidential campaigns of Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama.

“The bad news is our financial system is in danger of melting down,” Alter said. “The good news is (‘Other than that, what did you think of the play, Mrs. Lincoln?’) … that we’re focusing on something serious and central to our country, which is the stability of our economic future. “

Alter said the rejection of the bailout shifts campaign coverage from antics to pressing issues.

“The period of what we look back on and remember as the lipstick-on-a-pig phase of the 2008 campaign, when the process could be hijacked by trivia, stupid attack ads, gaffs and other sort of distractions, may now be ended,” Alter said. “We can focus on the real issues.”

Youth voters may decide president in historic, chaotic election

“In politics the only constant is change,” Alter said. This election has been marked by the engagement of youth and the introduction of technology.

Both candidates will have to garner the youth vote and use technology to their advantage to secure the presidency.

“Literally, the votes of the students on this campus could change the outcome of this election,” Alter said.

This is the first YouTube presidential election said Alter, who said he is in favor of democratizing the democratic process via technology. Since its launch in 2005, YouTube has freed democratic engagement from real-time constraints. 

“Now we have a tower of Babel, but it’s in the great democratic tradition of argument,” Alter said. “As long as is relatively civil, not personally insulting, the political noise is a positive.”

Election outcome still unpredictable, big stakes in vice presidential debate

“In a lot of ways, politically, these are the good years, when we’re having a very vivid, and if the last debate is any indication, substantive debate,” Alter said.

Neither intelligence nor experience alone dictates a successful presidency, said Alter.

“Certitude plus ignorance equals disaster,” Alter said.

The selection of a running mate tells a lot about a candidate’s character, said Alter.

McCain established himself as a candidate of change with what Alter described as his “hail Sarah pass” – selecting Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

“The Republican Party felt they had been rescued by this moose-hunter and mother-of-five from Alaska,” Alter said.

Obama’s selection of Sen. Joe Biden adds more experience to the Democratic ticket.

“There is really only one issue in this election,” Alter said. “That issue is which candidate can restore America’s leadership position in the world. Every other issue is related to this.”

Alter said he’s asking the following questions to deem which candidate earns his vote: “‘Who’s the right person for the particular challenge at the time?’ and ‘who has the temperament, judgment and wisdom to confront a vast array of different issues?’”

Alter said neither candidate has the presidency in the bag.

“At this point I would put $5 on Barack Obama, but I wouldn’t put $10 on him,” Alter said.

Campaign coverage guidelines follow media’s golden rules

Alter said that pop culture references in news media are successful to attract the attention that news deserves.

“Give ‘em a little bit of candy to get them to the meat and potatoes,” Alter said.

Alter’s wife works for The Colbert Report. He said shows like this educate people and require people to stay informed; otherwise they won’t get the jokes.

In order to be a successful communications professional, Alter suggested to students, “Keep in mind the things you learn in kindergarten. If you’re in journalism, you don’t make it up. If you’re in PR, you don’t lie.”

He offered the following advice to student journalists: Be diligent. Be knowledgeable. Be just. 

Sam Bianchetti, a sophomore broadcast major at Elon University, shared her reaction to Alter’s question-and-answer session.