Before the election was decided, before the United States knew who would take control of the highest office in January, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller was already focused on helping IU move forward.
After reaching out prior to Election Day, Zoeller joined the College Republicans and Democrats of IU in a discussion, Civility in Politics, Wednesday evening in the Indiana Memorial Union Dogwood Room.
“Partisanship has been like a cancer,” Zoeller said.
He discussed the importance of coming together across party lines and used President Obama’s health care law as an example of legislation that could have been achieved with compromise. Zoeller said he is for the idea of universal health care but Congress failed to support its potential.
“When you have all the Republicans against it and all the Democrats for it, you’re declaring war,” Zoeller said.
Partisan politics is part of the reason Zoeller is not running for another term as attorney general, he said.
After gaining experience in the private sector and working for six years as a staff member in the attorney general’s office, he said his work, not his party, helped give him the confidence he needed to even consider a run in 2008.
In the wake of yesterday’s results, Zoeller reminded the audience that despite what they may feel, the U.S. is not close to becoming 1930s Germany. The country still has checks and balances afforded by the Constitution, he said.
“The instrumentalities of government are still intact,” Zoeller said. “Our system is a lot stronger than a Donald Trump presidency.”
IU Democrats director of community outreach Kegan Ferguson said he was doubtful of this claim. He said he believes Democrats are now unfairly faced with showing humility to a president who refused to do the same at any point since announcing his candidacy.
“The onus is on all of us to come together and respect the Donald Trump presidency when the campaign hasn’t done that,” Ferguson said.
Although he did not vote for Trump, College Republicans at IU President Brian Gamache said he is ready to accept what comes next. He said Trump’s victory speech gave him hope for the next four years.
“Let’s at least try to work together moving forward,” Gamache said.
Toward the end of event, the Democrats’ social media director, junior Courtney Schwerin, cried quietly at the back of the room. She said Trump’s win has awoken a mix of sadness and disappointment inside her.
“I can’t help but be upset,” Schwerin said.
She finally broke down while listening to Ferguson tell the room Clinton faced sexism in the election and probably would have had a better chance at winning had she been a man.
For Schwerin, who wants to go to law school after she graduates, it’s hard feeling that she might be considered more qualified if she were a man.
Even as she fears for her prospects, Schwerin said she is hopeful for the future of political civility. She thinks the millennial generation has begun to make cooperation a priority for the future.
“I think we have a different attitude than our parents,” Schwerin said.
