LEAD Office hosts an event bringing opposite political ideologies together

By: Alexander Shedd, Mason Votes Reporter

“The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

These words, spoken by Abraham Lincoln in his first inaugural address, called for peace and unity in an America marked by cultural division. In today’s America, a nonprofit called Better Angels hopes to repair the political divide in the wake of President Donald Trump’s election.

The group held an event at Mason on Monday, Oct. 22, co-hosted by the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) office and the Office of International Programs and Services.

Better Angels, founded immediately following President Trump’s 2016 election, works with the goal of “learning from difference,” said moderator Trista Schoonmaker.

“It’s about understanding,” she said. “We’re trying to find out what we can learn from each other.”

The event, which included six to seven students who identify as left-leaning (“the blues”) and six to seven students who identify as right-leaning (“the reds”), was broken up into several parts in which the two sides attempted to understand the other’s perspectives.

“[I’m here because] I love talking to people and understanding how our differences affect us,” noted blue Elijah Nichols.

The first part divided the two groups into separate rooms and asked them to identify stereotypes about their political ideology— first by sharing stereotypes they believe the other side believes about them, discussing what is wrong with those stereotypes, and then considering what may be true about them.

Stereotypes that the blues came up with included “communist,” “snowflake (or hypersensitive),” “un-American,” and “freeriders.” Although they agreed that these terms were mostly extreme in describing their ideology, they agreed on certain “kernels of truth.”

For example, the blues discussed the fact that some blues are self-identified communists, that they do tend to be more sensitive to social issues, and that they support a social safety net for all “just for being human.”

The red stereotypes were “not caring about the poor,” “all rich white men,” “racist” and “homophobic.” They agreed that, in reality, they support a more or less “trickle down” economic system, that a large amount of reds are white men, and that a small minority of reds are in fact racist or homophobic— noting, of course, that these things do not represent the whole ideology.

The students involved found the program largely constructive.

“No one thinks they’re the bad guy,” said blue Levi Mitzen. “It’s always interesting to see how the other side sees themselves.”

“[It’s] constructive… having us think about what other people think of us,” agreed red Biruk Esubalen. “[It’s] conducive to a good conversation.”

However, not all participants were impressed with the workshop, believing that it may have missed its mark or not been effective enough in bridging the divide.

“I haven’t heard an opposing viewpoint… [it’s] too polite,” noted red Jace White about an hour into the approximately three hour-long event.

“[It’s] helped me prepare to address [the views] of people on my own side and the other,” red Leah Hoffman added.

Photos courtesy of: Nick Lennon/LEAD Office

With the 2018 midterm elections quickly approaching, knowing the candidates is essential to casting an informed vote. For those who are first-time voters, casually political, or experienced policy wonks, here’s what you need to know about Virginia’s Senatorial candidates Tim Kaine and Corey Stewart.

Tim Kaine (D)

The website of incumbent senator Tim Kaine, the Democratic candidate, touts him as “one of 30 people in American history to have served as a mayor, governor, and United States senator.” Raised in Kansas City, after growing up working in his father’s ironworking shop, Kaine graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in economics. He soon after managed a technical school in Honduras, where he became fluent in Spanish.

Kaine later graduated from Harvard Law School and became a private practice lawyer in Richmond, Virginia and a lecturer at the University of Richmond School of Law. During his time as a lawyer, he specialized in housing law and represented clients who were victims of housing discrimination.

Kaine won his first public election in 1994 when he was elected to the Richmond City Council. In 1998, he was elected mayor of Richmond, a position which he held until 2001, when he was elected Lieutenant Governor to then-governor Mark Warner (Virginia’s current senior senator).

In 2006, Kaine was elected governor of Virginia. After his term ended in 2010, Kaine was elected senator. Overlapping these two positions, Kaine was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009-2011 at the request of former President Obama.

In the senate, Kaine currently serves on the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on the Budget, and the Committee on Foreign Relations. He was also the vice presidential nominee for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Tim Kaine’s voting record shows a staunchly anti-Trump point of view. However, his campaign for reelection focuses primarily on statewide issues. His main issues include fighting for civil rights (including equal voting rights and protection against discrimination), safeguarding Virginia’s environment, expanding the Affordable Care Act, protecting immigrants and DREAMers, and preventing gun violence.

Corey Stewart (R)

Currently the county chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, Republican candidate Corey Stewart has been in Virginia politics on the local level since 2003. Originally from Duluth, Minnesota, Stewart moved to the D.C. area when he transferred to Georgetown University, where he was the first member of his family to graduate from college. Stewart returned to Minnesota to study law at William Mitchell College of Law before settling finally in Virginia.

Aside from his duties as county chairman, Stewart works as an international trade attorney. He was originally elected as chairman in 2006 and quickly established a reputation as a hardliner on immigration policy. Stewart touts a record of “more than 8,000 criminal illegal aliens” turned over to Immigration & Customs Enforcement in Prince William County during his tenure as one of his core talking points.

After an unsuccessful bid for the Republican Lieutenant Governor nomination in 2013, Stewart went on to become the chairman of the Virginia chapter of the Donald Trump presidential campaign. Stewart notably stood by Candidate Trump during many of his more infamous campaign scandals.

Later in 2016, Stewart announced his candidacy for the 2017 Virginia gubernatorial race. His campaign was highlighted nationally by his staunch pro-gun rights stances, defense of Virginia’s confederate monuments, and his use of language associated with white nationalists. Stewart narrowly lost the Republican primary to Ed Gillespie.

Stewart declared candidacy for Tim Kaine’s senate seat in July 2017, shortly after the gubernatorial primary, and received the Republican nomination in 2018. A self-described populist, Stewart’s primary campaign issues include supporting President Trump’s legislation, rebuilding infrastructure, defending Second Amendment rights, and combating illegal immigration.

Photos by: Angelique Arintok

By: Angelique Arintok  |  Courtesy of Fourth Estate, Mason’s official student newspaper.

On Wednesday, Sept. 26th, Democratic incumbent for Virginia’s contested Senate seat Tim Kaine, and Republican challenger Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart, tackled timely issues in a debate moderated by NBC’s Meet the Press host Chuck Todd and hosted by Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government. The hour-long event sparked conversation about topics like immigration, inquiry of impeachment, confederate statues, the Equal Rights Amendment and transportation.

For Stewart and Kaine, takes on the issues polled are on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Wednesday’s debate made it clear just how different both candidates view certain issues, particularly immigration. In a press conference following the debate, both candidates passionately shared their opinions on the matter.

“There is a big difference between someone who comes here lawfully, supports their family, doesn’t have a criminal background, and somebody who crosses the border illegally and commits crimes,” Stewart said.

Shortly after saying the United States is a nation of immigrants, Kaine further explained, “I am going to fight for the community … and comprehensive reform, and if Corey Stewart becomes Senator, he will always fight against the [immigrant] community.”

The candidates are divided on this matter, but junior communication major Paula Morales believes immigration is the most critical issue coming into this election.

“The issue deals with so much, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) [and more],”Morales said. “The Trump administration is just going to keep passing laws that’ll keep separating families, creating an even larger fear and distrust for the government.”

Stewart is determined that his approach is the best way. Many times throughout the live debate, he referred to how “he [will] stir things up.”

Stewart notes that he wishes to work across ethnic and racial lines to accomplish what’s needed if elected. Kaine contrasted his campaign to Stewart’s, saying it follows an  “upbeat theme.”

The two candidates may hold drastically different ideals, but both consider the Senate seat as an avenue to compromise with the opposing party. Student voters are certain which issues will carry them to the polls. Now, it’s simply a matter of selecting which candidate aligns with their personal values and beliefs.

Click here to read the full story on gmufourthestate.com.

March: Book One, this year’s selection for the Mason Reads program, is the first in the trilogy of graphic memoirs from Congressman John Lewis, written with Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell. March follows Lewis’s remarkable journey in the Civil Rights Movement, from his youth in rural Alabama, to meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to the steps of City Hall. It is a testament of the power of nonviolent protest in the battle against segregation. Lewis and Aydin will speak about the books at this year’s Mason Reads event. Sponsored by University Life and Fall for the Book.

Click here to learn more about the authors and the event.

No one knows for sure which side will conquer the enthusiasm gap, but one thing is certain: less people turn out to vote in midterm elections than do when the presidency is up for grabs. According to the Pew Research Center, “voter turnout regularly drops in midterm elections, and has done so since the 1840s. In 2008, for instance, 57.1% of the voting-age population cast ballots… [while] two years later only 36.9% voted in the midterm election.”

The same trend holds among Mason voters, but we consistently beat the national average voting rate by wide margins. Recent data from a national study (click on the chart to enlarge it) reveals that nearly 80% of eligible Mason voters turned out in the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections, while only about 30% did so in the 2014 midterms.

If you expand the population to include all Mason students (those who were eligible to vote and those who were not) 64.5% voted in 2016, while only 50.4% of Americans voted nationally. In both of the last two presidential elections, Mason beat the national average voting rate by double digits (+14.5% in 2012 and +14.4% in 2016). Of those students who were eligible to vote on campus at the university precinct polling place located in Merten Hall, a whopping 70% took advantage of that opportunity.

The data also shows that most Mason students who registered to vote (the 2018 deadline is October 15th) actually showed up on Election Day to cast a ballot. Only one-tenth of one percent of students who registered in 2016 failed to vote.

The low attrition rate between registrations and actual votes cast, taken with unusually high turnout in the 2016 election, suggests that Mason students are highly engaged in the political process and have a strong commitment to voting.

Will voter engagement on campus continue grow in 2018, or retreat to more traditional midterm levels? Find out when Mason votes again on Tuesday, November 6, 2018!

By: Jason Hartsel

By: Angelique Arintok  |  October 1, 2018

Courtesy of Fourth Estate, Mason’s official student newspaper.

Now, more than ever, there is a push for millennials to show up at the polls in November. Mason students, in particular, are paying attention and responding to the issues which matter most to them.

Before Wednesday’s debate, Mason students had clear ideas as to how they’ll vote in the upcoming midterm elections. A recent poll on Fourth Estate’s Twitter account asked student voters, “Which of [the] four issues is the most important to you in deciding who to for?” The options provided were immigration, gun control, access to higher education and impeaching President Trump. However, those with an outlying choice were encouraged to reply.

The responses pooled 73 varying opinions with gun control, leading at 29 percent. The other options came in close with immigration at 26 percent, impeaching Trump at 23 percent and access to higher education at 22 percent.

It is critical to consider that the poll requested only one response, whichever the student deemed most important.

Although topping Fourth Estate’s poll, gun control and gun violence were not mentioned at the live debate.

“Gun control is one of the most important issues for me in the upcoming Midterms,” freshman Film and Video Studies major Abby Clark says. “It’s a very polarizing topic but we need to find a common ground, where both sides can agree in order to protect innocent people from being hurt.”

Stewart and Kaine are running with separate agendas. Stewart dubs his campaign as “Take Back Virginia,” and Kaine is running with the slogan “A Virginia That Works for All.”

Click here to read the full story on gmufourthestate.com.

Photos by: Angelique Arintok

Voter Registration Deadline: Monday, October 15, 2018 by mail or in person, or online at vote.virginia.gov by 11:59 pm, Monday, October 15th.

Learn more about registration deadlines:

masonvotes.gmu.edu/a-quick-guide-to-voting-as-a-mason-student/

elections.virginia.gov/voter-outreach/

Photos by Sai Pethe

Photos by Sai Pethe