Although the American political system seemingly hit its climax in the 2016 election, work continues for large and small-scale organizations for the upcoming showdowns in 2018 and 2020.
\nHood College is no exception to this statement. Three months after the Nov. 8 election, both College Democrats and College Republicans are in full swing once more, working to recruit new members and campaign for their various causes.
\nNeither the Republicans\u2019 victory nor the Democrats\u2019 loss have slowed down the groups or demoralized them. Both have long-term plans for the semester and the year \u2013 Democrats are attempting to work alongside the gun control lobby, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, while Republicans discussed hosting a panel on veterans\u2019 experiences and bringing in speakers like Milo Yiannopoulos.
\nSam Kebede, the president of College Democrats and a junior at Hood, said that his organization\u2019s plans had to be adjusted after the election. As issues under their expected Clinton presidency vary from issues under the actual Trump presidency, they changed their overall approach accordingly.
\nRegarding Nov. 9, he said, \u201cOn campus, it was like someone had died. It was not a happy mood. On our first meeting post-election, people were not happy, some more than others.\u201d
\nKebede remains confident that his party will quickly recover from the temporary setback. Describing the Democratic Party as \u201cthe big tent party,\u201d he said that they had the greatest potential to recruit people from all backgrounds, and hoped more people would get involved in politics as a result of the election.
\nChristopher Gardner, the president of College Republicans and a senior at Hood, said he was enthusiastic about President Donald Trump\u2019s election and intended to keep that momentum going for his organization.
\n\u201cI like the fact that he\u2019s getting started immediately,\u201d he said about Trump\u2019s executive orders.
\nGardner said that, like the other club members, the election of Trump felt \u201csurreal\u201d to him at the time. He suggested that the Bradley Effect, which states that people will hide unpopular beliefs during controversial elections, influenced polls to make Hillary Clinton appear more likely to win.
\nCollege Republicans are planning on holding a panel on veterans\u2019 experiences out of the military, focusing on topics like education and PTSD. They also discussed finding a speaker for a campus event, with names like Steven Crowder and Ben Shapiro mentioned alongside personalities like Christina Hoff Sommers and Milo Yiannopoulos.
\nDespite their apparent rivalry with one another, the organizations often cooperate on events for Hood students. They intend to continue holding debates in the 2017 spring semester. Currently, the topic for the next debate will be health care, abortion, and euthanasia.
\nThe two groups push past partisanship in order to keep Hood students informed on the issues. Their cooperative efforts include presenting speakers at a post-election discussion by Hood\u2019s political science department.
\nWith their leaders\u2019 respective optimism guiding them, College Democrats and College Republicans seem poised to continue their work in spite of, or possibly because of, America\u2019s polarized political climate.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s detrimental to society not to talk about politics, since it affects everyone,\u201d Kebede said. \u201cPolitics is a means by which to achieve a better society.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"