With snacks to eat, friends to converse with, and their televisions tuned in, students around UCLA gathered to watch the results of the New Hampshire primary.
But rather than witnessing an expected victory for the front-running candidates, they found the presidential election taking another turn toward the unknown Tuesday with the surprising victories of Sens.
John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) in their respective primary elections.
McCain saw his support increase in recent weeks, and had been campaigning heavily in the state that also gave him a victory in the 2000 Republican primary election. Clinton, on the other hand, had been trailing in most New Hampshire polls over the last several days.
Their victories signal the increasingly likely possibility of a long, hotly-contested nominating process for both parties.
Mac is Back
Gathering off campus, with conversations that ranged from history to film to politics, the Bruin Republicans witnessed the McCain victory with little pomp and circumstance.
Though excited about the victory of their candidate of choice, in general, feelings about the results were mixed.
“For the first time in a long time, Republicans don’t have a frontrunner or a favorite candidate,” said Tim Rozelle, a second-year political science and history student.
“With McCain winning, it shows how divided the Republican Party is.” he added.
For some, the division has spread over the direction of the party and the state of the Republican field of candidates in general.
“I’m disappointed in the field as a whole. I think that what the party needs right now is someone who is able to reclaim issues that are important to the party as a whole.” said Shauna Peterson, a fourth-year political science student, and the vice chairman of Bruin Republicans.
For her, some of the important issues included fiscal conservatism and small government.
But, the discussion did not focus only on the state of Republican field and the future of its candidates. Among those at the party, there was also discussion of the Democratic field and what it would take for Republicans to win in the fall.
“I think it will be important in this election to be less partisan and demonstrate willingness to work with members of the opposite party to solve the key problems that face our country,” said Rozelle.
For Rozelle, the candidate that can do that is McCain, but there was no doubt the election overall was still too close to call.
There’s always a next time
In such a close and unpredictable presidential race, president of Bruins for Hillary, Teddy Schwartz, attributed Clinton’s win to a change in her campaign strategy.
“Hillary spent a lot more time listening to people; she took questions for hours on end. A lot of women turned out for Clinton, I think that was important, and a lot of young voters also responded to Clinton,” said Schwartz.
While Clinton supporters celebrated in New Hampshire, members of Bruins of Obama, gathered around a coffee table in a Westwood apartment watching the campaign coverage for hours, were not deterred by a second-place finish.
“The energy this group (Bruins for Obama) has, if it’s replicated across the country ““ we have more than a chance,” said Flavia De La Fuente, external vice president of Bruins for Obama.
Members of the group are traveling to Nevada this weekend to continue campaigning for Sen. Obama before the next primary, in addition to calling voters in the following weeks.
With one victory each for Obama and Clinton, students who support both candidates remain rooted to the issues that initially drew them to that candidate such as their views on health care and the War in Iraq.
Aside from specific polices, supporters for both candidates are drawn to what each candidate may represent overall.
“He (Obama) wants to change political culture ““ no more party bickering. We reject the notion that there’s a red American and a blue America ““ there’s one America,” said co-president of Bruins for Obama Curtis Whatley.
Schwartz, meanwhile, was drawn to Sen. Clinton because of her political experience, among other reasons.
“I think that they are all talking about change. But how do you actually bring about change? Well it takes experience ““ Sen. Clinton has that,” Schwartz said.