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Tuesday, Jan. 21
The Indiana Daily Student

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Students react to Bush re-election

Kerry concession speech spurs debate among IU Democrats, Republicans

When news organizations began announcing President George W. Bush the winner of Tuesday's presidential election late in the night and early Wednesday morning, junior Michael Schuler was extremely happy.\n"My first thought was that it was a great day for President Bush and for the American people," said Schuler, who advocated the president's re-election in a story appearing in the Oct. 26 issue of the Indiana Daily Student.\nOn the other hand, senior Shaunica Pridgen, who supported Democratic Sen. John Kerry in the same story, felt saddened by the election results.\n"I think the best way I can put it is that I had a profound sense of disappointment," said Pridgen, who interned since June with Indiana Governor Joe Kernan. Kernan lost last night's election to Mitch Daniels.\nThe campaigns leading up to Tuesday's election were some of the fiercest in recent history. Though Kerry briefly disputed the results of polls in Ohio, the nation avoided the election controversy witnessed in Florida in 2000. In the end, the dust settled relatively quickly and it looked as though Bush had won and Kerry was drafting his concession speech.\n"This is a big celebration for Republicans," said Angel Rivera, chairman of the IU College Republicans. "The President will continue his plan to strengthen the American consensus and working on those things that will improve the quality of living for Americans."\nThe results of the Presidential election did not surprise Schuler, who thought the President would likely win the election by 3 to 5 percent. \n"The American people realize that we are going to need a great leader to take us through the domestic and foreign problems that we are going to face," he said.\nPridgen was still unconvinced by the president's leadership abilities.\n"Maybe once he starts bringing people together, being a uniter and not a divider, I can gain some faith in him," she said. "I think it's going to be difficult, though. It's going to require a lot of diplomatic sensitivity."\nRivera did not fault Kerry for trying to extend the election by contesting initial reports Bush had won Ohio. Mandy Carmichael, president of the IU College Democrats, said it was important Kerry was sure he had lost the election before he conceded it.\n"So many states were so close, not just Ohio, but many," she said. "I don't think it was unreasonable to wait until it was certain."\nRivera said the next four years looked optimistic with Bush at the head of the nation.\n"They're going to make the tax cuts permanent, they're going to pass health care reform, social security reform and win the war on terror or at least continue to make forward progress on it," he said.\nPridgen does not look to the future with such optimism.\n"I foresee more of the same. George Bush has not indicated any change in direction," she said.\nDespite the Democrats losing the presidential race, eight U.S. congressional races and the Indiana gubernatorial race, Morgan Tilleman, the financial vice president for the College Democrats said his party must move forward.\n"There is another election in two years, a presidential election in four," he said. "There is a government to be run, there is lots of work to be done."\n-- Contact nation & world editor Michael Zennie at mzennie@indiana.edu.

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