Bryce Colquitt
English junior
Obama Report
In the midst of two wars and a long struggle to pass a health care reform bill, President Barack Obama marks his first year in office today. MSU students weigh in on his performance.
As the one year mark of Barack Obama’s presidency passes, hear reactions from some of MSU’s most active campaigners during the 2008 election. Democrats Bryce Colquitt, an English junior, Brad O’Neil an international relations junior, and Brittany Griffin, a comparative cultures and politics sophomore, and Republicans Chris Noffze, a political theory and constitutional democracy sophomore, and Brad Dennis, an international relations junior, debate Obama’s policies before and after the campaign ended.
Politicians always seemed to be catering to an older crowd, which is why Bryce Colquitt gravitated toward Obama.
Colquitt, the president of MSU Students for Barack Obama during the presidential primaries, said he finally had a candidate in Obama who was concerned about education and issues facing young people today.
“(A lot of politicians) talk to people who are older than us, and that’s all they’re concerned about,” Colquitt said. “It’s partly young people’s fault because we don’t exert ourselves in the political process as much as we should … He spoke to students and he actually tried to reach out and compel students to get involved in the process.”
Although once Obama was elected president, Colquitt said the president needed to turn his priorities to issues such as the economy, health care and two wars, which left Colquitt feeling like his voice wasn’t being heard.
“I don’t feel like he has made young people a focus, but I’m not necessarily sure that should be his priority right now,” he said.
Chris Noffze
Political theory and constitutional democracy sophomore
Obama made more than 500 promises on the campaign trail, and although Chris Noffze didn’t support Obama in his run for president, he said it would be impossible for any candidate to meet every promise.
Noffze, who volunteered at campaign events for John McCain on campus said he has been disappointed in how much time Obama has devoted to health care since the inauguration.
“When the economy is in the state in which it is and he is spending so much time on health care reform it makes people wonder could that time be better spent,” he said.
The public’s faith in Obama, including college students, is starting to wane, Noffze said.
“It’s too early to judge success of this past year,” Noffze said. ”Most people would say we have to look at what track we are headed on right now and a lot of Americans are scared about where we are headed and that is definitely felt on MSU’s campus, too.”
READ MORE
Brittany Griffin
Comparative cultures and politics sophomore
Two summers ago, Brittany Griffin was all “fired up and ready to go,” canvassing for Obama before Election Day in 2008.
“People (were) saying they strongly believed that Obama was a different type of candidate,” Griffin said.
Griffin’s family always has been involved with the political process — her uncle is state Rep. Martin Griffin, D-Jackson. Given her political ideology and family history, Griffin said she supports the current administration’s first year of work.
“I think he is doing the absolute best he can given the circumstances,” Griffin said. “His major speed bump has been Congress. It’s disappointing to see them being so … childish.”
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
Griffin said she credits the president for continuing to listen to the American public through his first year in office.
“I think it’s pretty big that he’s doing a lot of the same things he did while campaigning,” Griffin said. “I think it’s awesome he’s continuing to do that.”
Brad Dennis
International relations junior
Brad Dennis knew the 2008 election would be pivotal. When he found John McCain wouldn’t be the country’s next president, fear set in.
“I felt pretty poorly about what policy was coming,” said Dennis, the former co-chair of Students for John McCain. “It isn’t like we are surprised about the different policy trying to be pushed through Congress now, whether it is cap and trade, whether it is health care or a second stimulus.”
Many Americans would call Obama a “uniter,” Dennis said. But efforts to pass universal health care and heal the economy are pulling the country apart, he said.
“(Congress is) not really willing to work with both sides of the country because they have the majority to and the ability to pass legislation,” he said.
Obama’s efforts to pass universal health care are so urgent that he is forgetting about his commitments to the people, Dennis said.
“Not only does the nation not know what is in the bill, despite the guarantees of a transparent discussion of this bill … also with a lot of the favors and back door deals granted, it’s becoming obvious the legislation isn’t going to be a pie for people,” he said.
Brad O’Neil
International relations Junior
On this day last year, Brad O’Neil celebrated five months of political advocacy with millions of Americans in frigid Washington, D.C. O’Neil said he is relieved to be celebrating Obama’s first year in office in his warm apartment and the changes of the past year will be at the forefront of his thoughts.
“There has been a lot of criticism about how little he has accomplished, but I continue to support President Obama,” he said. “He has taken the country in a fundamentally different direction. He deserves our patience and our support so he does have a chance to
follow through on the promises he made on the campaign.”
The progress made toward universal health care and the closure of Guantanamo Bay prove Obama’s dedication to change, O’Neil said. But most importantly, Obama has created a change in the American psyche, O’Neil said.
“His general approach to the world, his philosophy,” he said. “He has created an environment conducive to preserving and maintaining the peace even in the midst of two wars.”
