By ryan November 6, 2000
The time for shaping public opinion is past. Like every other voter across the country, Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice PresidentAl Gore will head to the polls tomorrow after more than a year of campaigning, with the dawn of the next presidency and new leadership for the country in mind. “I presume most people have made up their minds [of which candidate to support],” said Prof. Martin Shefter, government. Even those who are still undecided can be categorized now, Shefter said. He attributed indecision this late in the game to dissatisfaction with the incumbent party. “It seems to me that anyone vacillating between Bush and Gore at this point will be likely to go for Bush,” he said. Polls have been predicting one of the closest elections in history, and with an electoral tie possible after tomorrow’s votes are counted, (literally) nothing has been decided. Indeed, The Santa Fe New Mexican reported a dead heat in a poll conducted last Wednesday and Thursday in that battleground state, and in Gore’s home state of Tennessee, no favorite could be determined by a Zogby poll. Not even campaign veterans like Bush’s father could rest easy at the finish of the campaign season. “I’m probably the most nervous father in the United States,” said former President George Bush while campaigning in Iowa, one of several swing states that may determine who claims the White House. Gore began the final week of the election two percentage points ahead of George W. Bush in Iowa, according to the Des Moines Register, but his lead is considered well within the poll’s margin of error. A Florida study indicated a one-point lead for Gore, the same margin found in a Wisconsin poll. In Missouri, Pennsylvania and Washington as well, the election is anybody’s guess, according to the latest Zogby research. So with just hours remaining in the campaign, both candidates seek to shore up a final advantage in a swing state that may therefore swing the entire election. “I won’t always be the most exciting politician,” Gore admitted yesterday in Philadelphia, ” … but I will work hard for you every day, and I will never let you down, and I’ll fight for you with all my heart.” “I’ll work my heart out to give your children a healthier, safer, more prosperous world … we will protect this Earth God gave us and create the America of our highest ideals,” Gore said. The campaigns of Gore and Bush have been characterized by sharp distinctions and unique ironies. Gore is playing to his advantage of experience in public service, having already spent over 20 years in Washington. On the other hand, Bush is considered a relative novice in federal government, but he has experience at the state level, having served as Texas’ chief executive since 1995. He also was involved in his father’s two presidential campaigns. ”I sat in a room on one miserable night in 1992 when my mother said, ‘It’s over, get over it,”’ Bush said, recalling the defeat of his father by President Bill Clinton. ”She had a pretty good point: move on with your lives.” Gore was on the victorious ticket that night, but like the 1992 Bush team, Gore had fought a losing effort to win the White House four years earlier. During the current election, Gore was expected to benefit from the debates, but Bush managed to maintain a lead in public opinion polls throughout the debates. Still, Bush has been noted as an awkward public speaker, often caught stumbling on words and phrases. “Only eight speeches to go,” he said in a quiet aside early yesterday morning, sounding a note of relief as he arrived in Jacksonville, Fla. That four of Bush’s speeches were on a barnstorming trip across Florida — rallies in West Palm Beach, Miami, Tampa and Orlando — underscored the closeness of the race in its final hours. In such a close election, differing viewpoints are easy to come by, and the only agreement Democrats and Republicans seem to share is that the election may not be determined until the last votes are counted. “These are pivotal elections,” said Amy Gershkoff ’02, chair of Leaders for Lazio. Gershkoff added that the presidential election represents the traditional choice between big and small government that often separates the parties in voters’ minds. “Every single Cornellian will be affected by the outcome of this election, because most of us now, and all of us eventually, will pay taxes,” Gershkoff said. The interest that students have taken in the election will be represented by their turnout at the polls tomorrow. In one voter registration drive, the Cornell Democrats helped over 1800 students register for tomorrow’s election, according to Mike Moschella ’02, president of the Cornell Democrats. Recalling the high voter participation among students in 1992, Moschella said, “That really helped to aid Bill Clinton’s election, and I hope that will be the same here [tomorrow].” While Moschella suggested that higher voter turnout will help Gore’s election this year, others doubted that students will rally behind either major party candidate the way young people did for Clinton eight years ago. “It’s impossible to predict anything that’s going to happen. It’s going to depend on turnout,” said Mark Greenbaum ’02, a member of the Cornell Democrats. Unable, however, to resist the temptation to peer into the future, Greenbaum offered one thought for the results of an election with low voter turnout. “I fear that because of Gore’s personality, he is going to be on the short end of the stick,” Greenbaum predicted. In one final stab at bringing out the Democratic base tomorrow, Gore raised this proposal at a recent campaign rally: Forward, “to build on this foundation of prosperity,” or, with Bush’s $1.3 trillion tax cut, backward to the budget deficits of the Reagan-Bush era. He laid out his priorities — universal child health insurance, public school improvements, pollution reduction and a Medicare benefit for prescription drugs. Gore added, “[It] makes a difference if you have somebody who has the experience to win those battles for you.” In response, Bush supporters asserted that voters would benefit with change more than they would with Gore’s experience. “Make no mistake,” Gershkoff concluded, “this election is a referendum on personal freedom, on the liberty to decide things for ourselves, and on the right to free ourselves from the shackles of an oppressive government,” she said. Similarly, Joe Sabia grad, chancellor of The Cornell Review, appealed to students’ personal interests. “If Cornellians care about keeping more of the money they earn, they will benefit from a Bush presidency,” he said. Sabia evoked several traditional Republican issues — such as small government, lower taxes and military strength — to urge support for Bush. “If [Cornellians] want to rely upon America’s own oil supplies, and not run over to the Middle East every time Saddam Hussein sneezes, they will benefit from a Bush presidency,” he said. “[And] these are the stakes.” Bush will appear today in Tennessee, Wisconsin, Iowa and Arkansas for last-minute rallies before heading home to Austin, Texas to vote — and then either accept victory or concede defeat. Gore will focus his final push on the battleground states of Florida, Michigan and Missouri, before returning to his home state of Tennessee. — The Associa
By ryan November 6, 2000
It was the kind of game that just makes everyone happy. For the seniors, it was a grand finish to an illustrious time in Ithaca. For the underclassmen, it was a shoot out to the rest of the league, warning them of a powerful team in the making. For the coaches, it was a game to smile back on — and to thank Princeton just for being there. For the third time in four meetings, Cornell upended the Tigers in an all–around dominating game, winning 14-3. Numerous seniors played their hearts out, wowing the crowd with magnificent play after magnificent play. The first quarter saw the Cornell defense come out uncharacteristically flat as Princeton used its first series to drive to the goalline. The men in Red quickly tightened up the holes however, and forced a field goal. The Tigers then forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but the defense would not let them go anywhere. The Red offense finally got on the field and put together an impressive 70–yard drive finishing with a touchdown pass from senior Andrew Goodman. Freshman tight end Michael Ormsby caught his third touchdown of the season. Goodman played especially well as he led a 50–yard drive to begin the second half. Not wasting any time, Goodman took the ball in from two yards out, giving the Red an insurmountable 14–3 lead. The defense then completely shut down the Princeton offense. Senior Bo Sangosanya went out with a bang, blocking a punt and recording his third interception of the season. Throughout his four years as starter for Cornell, he has certainly compiled a plethora of memories. “The fondest memories that I have had involve the amazing times that I have had with my fellow teammates that have come and gone throughout my four–year career,” Sangosanya recalled. “I would have to include the tiresome yet fun times spent on the practice field prepping for games, this past victory against the Princeton Tigers because it marked a bittersweet ending to my playing career, and our 6–0 victory over the Tigers last year, which was a remarkably played defensive game on our parts.” Senior tri–captain Jon Krautmann also played a solid final game at middle–linebacker. “It wasn’t until a couple of hours after the Princeton game had ended that I realized that my senior teammates and I had played in our last football game,” Krautmann reminisced. “As I look back I feel fortunate to have been blessed with the opportunity to continue my football career after high school. In that sense, all of us were really lucky. “After high school ended Cornell gave us the chance to keep playing a kid’s game. There is something about this game that helps keep that ‘recess–kid’ inside of you alive. I’ve had some rough days at school here in the fall, burdened by tough classes and viscous tests. But I knew that no matter how tough a day, at the end of it I would always have the chance to strap on my helmet and run around on the grass with my buddies chasing after a football. “A year from now I think that wherever we are we will look back and smile when we think about all of the memories we shared here at Cornell playing the game we loved.” Largely considered one of the best defenses ever seen in Ithaca, Cornell will truly miss the contributions made by Sangosanya, Krautmann, tri–captain Imad Baggar, Alex Chen, Jeremy Kipling, and Lee Rudofsky. “It means the utmost to be part of one of the best defenses ever coached by [head coach Terry] Cullen, but I would have to attribute it to an overall team desire and effort by the 11 individuals on defense, who have pretty much being through it all together,” commented Sangosanya. “But most of all, such an accomplishment couldn’t have been obtained without the tutelage of the coaching staff, which includes coach [Paul] Lang, coach [Terry] Daugherty, and coach Morris.” The offense has had a lion’s share of contribution of seniors as well. Goodman, tight end Sam Walcott, wideout David Minami and linemen Ryan Akin, Zachary Iscol, and Aaron Sweeney gave it their all, every Friday night. “I have a lot of great memories since freshman year,” Iscol said. “My fondest is probably the first day I met coach Cullen. When I showed up in his office for the first time I was a 145 lb. freshman with long curly hair, he told me I could play, but I was small, would probably get the crap kicked out of me, and had to get a haircut. He’s been like a father ever since.” “I really enjoyed playing on the kickoff return team,” Akin said. “Nothing beats blindsiding some poor Princeton or Penn guy and laying him out.” Sophomore Charlie Tam has had the pleasure of playing with many of the seniors. “It was good to see a change on the sidelines,” he noted. “Everybody was really happy, and they all contributed. Goodman was really emotional, and Bo and Krautmann had great games. It has been a great season and it has been a lot of fun of the seniors.” For the fans, it has a been a pleasure to watch them play. Senior Aaron Sweeney has been an anchor for the offensive line at right guard, earning all-league honors. His services will truly be missed. “It was great to go out a winner,” Sweeney said after the game. “Despite suffering losing seasons every year I played for Cornell, I have fond memories of the program. It did not matter whether we won or lost, I always came away feeling like I accomplished something.”Archived article by Sumeet Sarin