On the second floor of the students ballroom Wednesday evening, students and faculty gathered in elation or dismay to talk about the 2016 presidential election.
The Center for Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement hosted the event, and almost 50 students packed the Ballroom. Jeffrey Bourdon, the main lector of the event, spoke in detail about how Donald Trump made it to where he is today: the president elect.
Bourdon began by explaining that the road to Trump’s current position began 500 days ago when he announced his candidacy. He gave eight reasons why Trump went on to win the election: reality star, style, Twitter, trinkets, money, anti-establishmentarianism, media and timing. He said these eight aspects of Trump’s campaign were effective because they created the illusion of cutting out the middleman.
“The tactic of ‘cutting out the middleman’ was effective in Trump’s campaign because it made the public feel like they knew him personally,” Bourdon said. “(They) are what ultimately vaulted him to the top.”
When Bourdon finished, he opened the floor to student questions. The lecture itself lasted only 17 minutes, while the questions went on for nearly an hour.
One student asked what other Republican candidates should have done to increase their own chances of winning.
Bourdon said he believed the role of age was underestimated in this election. He pointed out that both Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are 45 years old, while Trump is 70.
“Young candidates made young mistakes,” Bourdon said.
Another student asked if corruption played a role in the results.
Bourdon answered yes. He said voter corruption has taken place in every election across history, dating all the way back to 1824.
Bourdon said there were two problems with public opinion polls during this election. He said polls focused on suburban and urban areas, not rural areas, and that there were a number of Trump supporters who lied about their voting affiliation.
Former student Purvis Cornish shared his reaction to Tuesday’s vote.
“Absolutely devastated. I was devastated. I was concerned. I watched my friends doubled over in tears, in fear. Just fearful,” Cornish said.
“My immediate reaction upon realizing that Trump was going to win was disappointment. I think it became apparent that the rights of minority groups like the Black Lives Matter community, to so many Americans, are secondary issues,” freshman international studies major Rebecca Kinsey said.
Graduate student Madeline Stewart voiced concern about women’s rights.
“(Clinton) was really supportive of women’s rights, too. That I feel really strongly about. Like reproductive rights, birth control and abortion.”
