2008 Woodie Awards
Race, Gender Sway Votes in Cultural Diversity Lecture
Claudia Anaya
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: News
Neither the black man nor white woman sitting on stage ever thought it would happen in their lifetimes.
"I'm in a little state of shock that the two top candidates in any political party are who they are," said Mona Field, a political science professor, who joined with Kerry Riley, an ethnic studies professor, in Kreider Hall on March 13 to discuss the November presidential campaign.
In a lecture titled "Changing the Game or Playing the Cards? Race, Gender, and Class in the Upcoming Elections," Field and Riley sat in front of the audience as Lisa Lubow, history teacher and moderator of the event asked students: "who thinks they are going to vote for Hillary? Who thinks they are going to vote for Obama? McCain?"
Some students raised their hands with confidence until Lubow asked; how many know what Obama's position is on race and racism, immigration, the economy, and the war in Iraq?
"It's to get a sense of where we stand," said Lubow continuing to ask if people knew Clinton's views on women and gender issues, economy, immigration, and the war.
After a few moments of silence, the questions were asked.
How many would vote based on "it's about time we had a woman in office? A black man in office?"
After a few people raised their hand, the discussion began.
The Republican Party seems to choose a candidate early in the race and the Democratic Party may need to "come together" and choose one as well because they both stand for change, according to Field.
"They are respecting each other by competing and not playing it safe," said Riley in a soft voice, sitting up straight. "They don't want to make race and gender an issue, but by not saying it they have made it an issue," said Riley speaking about Clinton and Obama.
Last Tuesday however, race was the issue in Obama's speech, when he tried to assure voters that his attendance of 20 years at the Trinity United Church of Christ where Reverend Jeremiah Wright has preached his anti-government beliefs due to racial issues, one of which being that the government created AIDS to kill blacks, was something that Obama did not agree with.
"I'm in a little state of shock that the two top candidates in any political party are who they are," said Mona Field, a political science professor, who joined with Kerry Riley, an ethnic studies professor, in Kreider Hall on March 13 to discuss the November presidential campaign.
In a lecture titled "Changing the Game or Playing the Cards? Race, Gender, and Class in the Upcoming Elections," Field and Riley sat in front of the audience as Lisa Lubow, history teacher and moderator of the event asked students: "who thinks they are going to vote for Hillary? Who thinks they are going to vote for Obama? McCain?"
Some students raised their hands with confidence until Lubow asked; how many know what Obama's position is on race and racism, immigration, the economy, and the war in Iraq?
"It's to get a sense of where we stand," said Lubow continuing to ask if people knew Clinton's views on women and gender issues, economy, immigration, and the war.
After a few moments of silence, the questions were asked.
How many would vote based on "it's about time we had a woman in office? A black man in office?"
After a few people raised their hand, the discussion began.
The Republican Party seems to choose a candidate early in the race and the Democratic Party may need to "come together" and choose one as well because they both stand for change, according to Field.
"They are respecting each other by competing and not playing it safe," said Riley in a soft voice, sitting up straight. "They don't want to make race and gender an issue, but by not saying it they have made it an issue," said Riley speaking about Clinton and Obama.
Last Tuesday however, race was the issue in Obama's speech, when he tried to assure voters that his attendance of 20 years at the Trinity United Church of Christ where Reverend Jeremiah Wright has preached his anti-government beliefs due to racial issues, one of which being that the government created AIDS to kill blacks, was something that Obama did not agree with.
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