A Democratic Presence

If wild whoops and enthusiastic applause are any indication of party affiliation, the Democrats have a strong presence here at Frist. Ben Cardin and Casey Jr. received the loudest cheers yet when their projected wins were announced. Mixed reaction to Joe Lieberman—“I hate you, Connecticut!” definitely echoed from Democratic mouths—but blue is definitely the color of choice.

“It’s not surprising," College Democrats campaign coordinator Cindy Hong '09 responded, "because this campus is overwhelmingly Democratic, despite popular perceptions." She also told me that Democrats may have been more likely to show up to the party here because of hopes of flipping the House and Senate.

But Hong doesn't expect both houses to flip. “I think the House will [flip] and hopefully Pelosi will become the speaker. In the Senate, I think we’ll take four. We might not win Virginia…and Missouri is shaky as well. Obviously I want them to win.”

Democrats on campus may also have contributed to the New Jersey win. The College Democrats, several of whom were working at polling stations, saw 289 people register for District 1, most of them students. Of those votes, the ratio of Menendez votes to Kean Jr. votes was 4:1, Hong said.

But the Democrats are doing well around the country, having yet to lose an incumbent seat.
“I think it’s great," Hong said. But..."We don’t like to count our chickens before they’re hatched.”

--Rachel Dunn, Frist