If it were up to Howard University students, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) would be the next president of the United States. Tuesday, 511 undergraduate students, graduate students and staff cast their votes in the Howard University mock Super Tuesday election.
Not surprisingly, Obama came in first with 448 votes, or 88 percent of the vote. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) came in second with 39 votes, or 8 percent, and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) came in third with 11 votes, or 2 percent of the vote.
Howard University College Democrats President Debauch Ward believes Obama is the right choice for college students.
"I generally thought that the Howard University support would be with Barack Obama because I feel that he represents a lot of the ideals that we embrace here," he said. "We live by Leadership for America and the global community, and Sen. Obama exemplifies that motto."
Comparing this primary season to that of 2004, Ward said students this time around have more passion for America's political future.
"I was here in 2004 when the 'Vote or Die' movement was really big," he said. "People weren't sitting around talking about the difference between Howard Dean and John Kerry. People are actually sitting down and having that conversation this time around."
Although Clinton and Obama are the only Democrats in the race, there are students who support the underdogs. Chigozie Onyema, a senior African studies major, supports Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio).
"Kucinich was my candidate and still is my candidate," Onyema said. "But if I had to pick, I would certainly pick Obama before Clinton. Her stand on the war was a bit more conservative. I'm a bit more optimistic about what Obama represents because Clinton is a more polarized figure." After the campus totals where tallied, Howard political enthusiasts walked across the street to Duffy's Irish Pub and Restaurant to watch as the delegate count accumulated.
CNN was on every television, tuning everyone's attention into the primary race.
"It's really exciting, full of aggravation at some times but excitement at other times," said senior international business major Paris Walker, the vice president of the College Democrats, while at Duffy's.
The students, Democratic and Republican alike, raised their voices and glasses to a night full of anticipation as Americans come closer to knowing who will be the party front runners in the race for president of the United States.
