CU students and potential voters are still forming opinions on the upcoming presidential election, and many say the next two years could determine which party they plan to vote for.
As Obama adjusted to his presidency, students were able to see whether he stayed true to his campaign policies, or left them on the lectern. After nearly two years of the Obama presidency, students are better able to judge their votes from the 2008 election.
Duri Jun, a 21-year-old junior advertising major, said he voted for McCain in 2008. He said he questions Obama’s health care policies.
“How are you going to pay for everyone?” Jun said. “And now, there are all of these baby boomers getting old, and it’s going to be on us.”
But Jun also said he thinks that Obama has made some positive progress as president.
“I like how he tried clearing up the credit card companies policies,” Jun said. “Now they can’t take advantage of consumers with things like interest rates.”
Yet Jun said that he probably would not vote for Obama in 2012.
Fifth-year studio art major Zane Shaffer, 23, said he is content with his decision to vote for Obama in 2008.
“I think most people misunderstand what power the president has in following through with his agenda,” Shaffer said. “Obviously there is a bunch of disagreement in the legislative body that makes it hard to do so.”
Shaffer said that he would probably vote democrat in the near future.
Tamara Lackey, 23-year-old junior linguistics major, said she voted for McCain in 2008, but she doesn’t think Obama is a bad president.
“Obama is doing the best he can with a bad situation,” Lackey said. “I don’t know if either Obama or McCain would be able to make everyone happy.”
Tamara said, however, she does not agree with Obama’s health care policies.
“Universal health care failed in Europe and is proven not to work,” Lackey said. “I think it would be better to try something that has not been tried, something that has not been disproved.”
Lackey said she will probably vote republican in 2012, but she will see how Obama progresses in the next few years before deciding.
Jake Safran said he voted for Obama and he is happy with his vote.
“I appreciate how he talks to people, how he relates, he seems more in touch with the people than past presidents were,” said Safran, a 20-year-old junior economics major.
Safran said that he would vote for Obama in 2012.
“Yes, I’d vote for Obama,” Safran said. “I’m not saying that because he’s a democrat. I don’t go one way or the other, but I like what he’s done. I think he’s a great president. I’d vote for him again”
Kyle Krebsbach, a 24-year-old old senior psychology major, said he voted for Obama, but that he disagrees with some of his decisions.
“I’m mainly surprised to see that we haven’t wrapped up our goals in the Middle East, and that we are still dying and killing over there,” Krebsbach said.
Krebsbach said that he would most likely continue to vote for the Democratic Party.
Sean Sutherland, a 20-year-old junior environmental studies major, said he didn’t vote in the 2008 election.
“I turned 18 in 2008, and I had to listen to 80 percent of kids give reasons for voting for Obama like, ‘he’s black,’ and ‘he’s going to bring change’ and other reasons that a four year old could come up with,” Sutherland said.
Sutherland said that he probably would have voted for McCain.
“I feel like the whole voting thing has to do with what’s most beneficial to you,” Sutherland said. “So because both my parents are doctors and under Obama doctors get paid less, that’s all the basis I have, McCain would have benefited my family more.”
Sutherland said he would be more inclined to vote in the 2012 election after he learns more information about it.
Charles Honeycutt, 20, said he didn’t vote in the 2008 election because he was lazy, but he thinks Obama is doing a good job.
“I think he’s fine, and that we wouldn’t be better off with McCain,” said Honeycutt, a junior electrical engineering major.
Honeycutt said he probably would not vote in the 2012 election.
“I’ll probably still be lazy, but it all depends,” Honeycutt said.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jon Tattum at Jonathan.tattum@colorado.edu.
