IvyGate Baracks the Vote
With the exception of our of endorsement of Francis Martel, IvyGate hasn’t traditionally thrown its weight behind presidential contenders. But in light of the excitement Barack Obama has generated throughout the Ivy League - and the excitement he’s generated in our own heads - we hereby Barack the Vote. We endorse Barack Obama for President.
Let’s go through some of the support Obama has garnered. First, we owe Andrew Mangino a mea culpa; it turns out the YDN does not consist of Clinton stooges. Following the lead of their Editor-in-Chief, the YDN has endorsed Obama:
An Obama presidency promises a reassertion of the natural, American optimism for which JFK stood, but also new reforms of which he could only have dreamt. Let us not let this moment slip away.”
So has the Crimson:
Obama represents an opportunity for a Democratic nominee who represents the value of service, intelligence, and judgment, and, most of all, an opportunity for real change, unburdened by favors owed and ideals lost.
And then there are the literally zillion articles about student support for the junior Senator from Illinois. Brown loves Obama; Columbia student and ex-IvyGate contributor J.D. Porter endorses Obama; at Cornell, 1,100 people “Rocked for Barack”; Larry David came to Dartmouth just to talk about Obama; and a different Prince columnist seems to endorse Obama every other day.
After the jump: some more thoughts about America’s future.
Some perfectly-formed ideas about the election from a Washington Post piece by Michael Chabon:
Most of these people tell me they would like to see Obama become president. No question, he comes off as at once brilliant and sensible, vibrant and measured, engaged and engaging, talented, forthright, quick-witted, passionate, thoughtful and, as with all remarkable people whom experience has taught both the extent and the bitter limits of their gifts, reasonably humble. In a better world, people tell me, in theory, sure, having a president like Barack Obama sounds great. But not, you know, for real. Not in the base, corrupt, morally spent, toxic and reeling rats’ nest that we like to call home. Things are so bad we just can’t afford to waste our votes, people tell me, on some fantasy super-president with magical powers. We need someone electable, someone, as I have been told repeatedly in the past year, who can win.
We’re voting Obama. We want a super-president. For serious.
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Read more: barack obama, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, endorsements, IvyGate, Princeton
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February 5th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Now, I could say that I told you so about Mangino, but instead I’ll just applaud the endorsement. (:
February 5th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Of course, The D will never endorse a candidate - they seem to have a policy against voicing actual controversial opinions on the editorial pages. (See last week’s “The admissions office should only accept good people” or, from previous weeks: “Women should be treated fairly”, “Tuition should be lower”, “They should hire more professors”, and “We highly recommend that you vote.”)
Well I registered to vote in NH and attended all the campaign events to get informed before the primary on Jan 5, but I wasn’t going to actually vote until the D told me to in lieu of endorsing a candidate. Thanks, guys!
February 5th, 2008 at 8:29 am
That Rock for Barack thing was not a Cornell event, but rather just a bunch of hippy Ithacans. The Obama “rally” on Ho plaza the day before had about 20 people max.
February 5th, 2008 at 8:41 am
GO OUT AND VOTE FOR OBAMA TODAY. DON’T FORGET.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Why did Hillary have to come this far??????
February 5th, 2008 at 10:49 am
not all college students are on the obama bandwagon
February 5th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Ack, the D prints the most asinine crap. IvyGate should have excoriated the “Opening Windows, Closing Doors” opinion yesterday - lamenting that the broadening of financial aid would cause applications and selectivity to continue to rise? “Our presence presence at Dartmouth is a barrier to the presence of others”? We owe it to the thousands who didn’t get in to make the most of our Dartmouth experiences? Maybe she should transfer out so there would be a spot for some poor Stanford student to enjoy the seasons.
http://thedartmouth.com/2008/02/04/opinion/finaid/
February 5th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Go Mitt Romney!!
February 5th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
@d08:
Since the D’s endorsement invariably spells the end for their favorite candidate (at least in SA elections), I think they’re wise to keep quiet.
February 5th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
that’s a greeeeat joke, John… so, wait, who are you ACTUALLY voting for?
oh, you were serious about mitt slimy?… i’m sorry, i mistook you for a rational and decent person.
February 5th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
give me a break, ivygate. if your main schtick weren’t covering which drunk college students have peed on their one-night-stands, i’d take this more seriously.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Also, the complete dominance of the Obama team on GoCrossCampus right now speaks volumes (although I am surprised that Colbert isn’t making a stronger showing).
Ron Paul all the way, motherfuckers.
February 5th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Barack is like, so cool. He’s like totally for change and stuff.
Please IvyGate, spend some time looking at the issues.
Go Clinton.
February 6th, 2008 at 12:37 am
humans are biologically programmed to be led by dominant males, not females. especially not ones who are 70% botox by volume
February 6th, 2008 at 12:44 am
DISREGARD THAT, I SUCK COCKS
February 6th, 2008 at 12:44 am
But that is an awful suit, it’s huge on him!!
(p.s. I’m voting for Ron Paul, but I still hope Obama wins)
February 6th, 2008 at 1:09 am
It’s best for the D, whether they know it or not, to not endorse a political candidate. They could, theoretically, loose their non-profit status if they did.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:39 am
clearly a decision in the wrong direction. obama=mouth full of hot air. so sad, ivygate. i expected more of you.
February 6th, 2008 at 9:38 am
did hillary boil all the hope out of you? did she season and stew you until you could no longer believe?
obama’s got the creds on policy, he just happens to be a great orator on top of that and far more likely to win the general (esp. against john mccain).
YES WE CAN! OBAMA ‘08
February 6th, 2008 at 11:01 am
@DISREGARD THAT
Good one. That’s exactly the maturity I have come to expect from someone who supports Obama.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:04 am
And @ndawg and reality check:
I’m sick of people saying that people who don’t support Obama have given up on hope. Obama has not done ONE THING to “change” anything. We say he is all rhetoric because he IS all rhetoric. That is all he has done. At least Clinton can stand on her record.
February 6th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
When Hillary loses, it’ll be because of that tone, the whole “anyone who’s against Hillary and for someone else is stupid, so let’s mock them sarcastically and feel falsely superior.” She does it all the time, and, apparently, her supporters do the same.
What, you think because I choose Barack and not Hillary Clinton I’m like a like, dumb like, sorority girl or something? OMGeee you are sooooo right. I only voted for Barack cuz of like that video where that girl sings.
Get over yourself. Hillary’s only a junior senator, and last I checked, ignoring your philandering husband so that you could run for President and creating a war over a failed health care plan (1993 people, check it) doesn’t count as experience.
But it’s that close-minded superiority, the sour grapes, the desperate resorting to cheap insults (again, do we really want a presidential contender who plays politics so negatively) that makes people dislike her, and why she’ll never win for President.
But like, I like, obviously don’t know what I’m talking about, riiight?
February 6th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
To your comment that 1) Obama hasn’t changed anything, and 2) Hillary has a record to stand on, I say again:
1) Obama did a lot in the senate, in Illinois, and as a community organizer - and united both parties in doing it. But you’d rather judge than do some research on his time as a senator and in Illinois.
2) Hillicare, again. Enough said.
February 6th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
obama!
February 6th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
as a foreign citizen, i can’t vote, but i’ve got to say: people abroad are pretty pumped about the idea that obama could become the next president. if that happened, the us would get on track to restoring some of the credibility and respect that it lost during the bush years.
February 6th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I’m voting for Billy Bush whenever he’s up. But seriously, is it cynical of me to think neither democratic candidate has a chance against McCain?
February 6th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
@ y07 Lmao@ the USA getting back on track, as though the slimy World were worthy of respect. Delusional foreigner, suck my American Balls.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Screw Billy Bush, I want Billy Carter. Mmm… Billy Beer.
February 7th, 2008 at 10:29 am
I’m a wealthy white kid and I’m voting for the black guy! I’m so hip! …..You’re all just a bunch of followers.
February 7th, 2008 at 11:15 am
If you really wanted to offer Mangino a “Mea Culpa,” you’d take down the erroneus post.
I can’t believe this blog’s main readership consists of Ivy League students. If you want to talk about our country’s intellectual decay, look no further than these comment boards.
Mangino is one of the most intelligent people you’ll ever meet, and for someone as successful as him at this age, he’s remarkably unpretentious and down-to-earth.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
You don’t know what you’re talking about, to answer your question.
And please–just as Clinton supporters believe Obama supporters are just liberal young kids who don’t get the real issues America has to deal with, so too do Obama supporters think Clinton supporters are just cynical, mean spirited people who have given up on hope, love, true democracy, and integrity. You get over yourself.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:38 am
If you really meant your apology to Mangino, you’d take down your erroneous post about him. He may be ambitious, but anyone who’s met him knows he’s incredibly down-to-earth and modest for someone of his brilliance.
So why should there be an Internet page devoted to smearing him (read some of those comments!) when it’s not even true.
Also, Mangina? Really guys? These are Ivy League students?