The Journal

Issue date: 11/9/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Max Gersh Political observers cram into the University Center Sunnen Lounge for former Gov. Bob Holden's Election Night 2006 Party. The event featured call-ins and visits from analysts, candidates and political party members, who fielded questions from the audience. By the end of the night, more than 200 people had attended.

Media Credit: Max Gersh Abby Heft colors in Democratic seats for the U.S. Senate in the UC Sunnen Lounge on Nov. 7.

Media Credit: Max Gersh Mark Abels (left), friend of former Gov. Bob Holden (middle), watches election statistics on a computer while Political Science Director Dan Hellinger watches the results on CNN.

Students packed the University Center Sunnen Lounge the night of Nov. 7 for former Gov. Bob Holden's Election Night 2006 Party. As election results began pouring in, Holden fielded questions to several guest speakers from both sides of the political spectrum.

More than 200 students filtered in and out of the room while televisions lining the walls updated the crowd on local and national elections. Republicans and Democrats alike turned out, fraternizing with one another and contributing questions to the speakers.

As CNN called the House of Representatives for the Democrats, however, a chorus of cheers revealed the party affiliation of much of the crowd.

After 12 years of nearly uninterrupted Republican control of Congress, election night proved a major success for the Democrats, who took a projected 28 seats in the House and six seats in the Senate as of 4:15 a.m. Nov. 8. To regain a majority, Democrats needed 15 seats in the House and six in the Senate.

"I think the whole thing's a referendum on the Bush administration, it's a referendum on a lot of key issues," said Kathy Corley, a film and video professor. "I am so excited that people have been re-energized about politics, particularly the student population."

In Missouri's U.S. Senate race, challenger Claire McCaskill unseated incumbent Republican Jim Talent by a razor-thin margin, giving Democrats a much-needed victory in an already-tight bid for control of the Senate.

"If you're a Republican, you'd better have a life jacket on," said Republican National Political Consultant call-in Steve Grand.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), also over the phone predicted major changes in public policy to come with Democratic control of Congress, including changes in U.S. fiscal policy, altering the conduct of the War on Terror and the war in Iraq, and moving to enact the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, the group that investigated the attacks and issued a report to Congress.

"You'll actually have a two-party system," Durbin said.

James Brasfield, president of Webster's Faculty Senate and the former mayor of Crestwood, said he expected Democrats to force President George W. Bush to adopt a more inclusive, bipartisan agenda for his last two years in office.

"Bush is going to have to be bipartisan not only in terms of working with the Democrats, but he's also going to have to take a more moderate approach in some of his policy positions," Brasfield said.

Brasfield further anticipated that working with Democrats may actually help the president pass some of his agenda, such as immigration reform.

Senior Asher Mendel, an audio production major, said while Democratic control of Congress was crucial this election, there would be no serious changes in U.S. policy in Iraq until Americans elect a Democratic president.

"I think it's very important that the Democrats, in the best interests of the party and balancing out the political spectrum, gain control of the Senate as well," Mendel said after the Sunnen Lounge projection screen showed CNN announcing the House for the Democrats.

Junior Courtney Kennedy, a video production major, said though she was usually apolitical, she was unhappy with President Bush.

"This is a chance to do what people should've done two years ago," Kennedy said.

Junior Andrew Bryson, a political science major, said even with one house of Congress, Democrats could cause major changes in the executive branch.

"I think you're going to see Bush come a lot more to the center, he's going to have to abandon the far right policy that he's been pursuing," Bryson said. "He's going to have to draw back to the middle, not a bad thing for anybody."

Also on the ballot, Amendment 2, an initiative that would protect stem cell research, squeaked past with barely 51 percent of the vote. An 80-cent tax increase on tobacco products, Amendment 3, failed narrowly. Proposition B, an initiative to increase the state minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.50, passed with overwhelming support.

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