Published: February 06, 2008 11:59 am      

FSU students gather to track primaries

FROSTBURG - While Sunday's Super Bowl might be viewed by more people, Super Tuesday could arguably affect more Americans.

As polls closed in 28 states and U.S. territories, Frostburg State University students and faculty gathered in a lecture hall inside the Guild Center and discussed their favorite presidential candidates, issues near and dear to them, ate pizza and watched the returns announced on CNN.

The gathering was organized by the university's political science professors and attended by students majoring in subjects from political science to business to computer science.

One question discussed on campus - can a black man win the presidency?

Jay Stokes, 21, a senior from Baltimore, certainly believed so Tuesday night. The triple major - political science, history and philosophy - feels Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is willing to tackle issues most politicians choose to ignore.

"Everybody wants things, but nobody wants to pay for it," said Stokes, who aspires to work in international diplomacy. "Everything costs money. He tells us what we want to hear as well as what we need to hear. That's a leader."

Steve Twing, chairman of FSU's political science department, isn't so sure Americans - at least white Americans - will vote for a black man. Twing, who favors Obama, talked of the Hawaii native's ability to unite people in partisan politics.

Obama led in the polls leading up to New Hampshire's primary, Twing said, only to finish second to New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

"There was some concern" about race in New Hampshire, Twing said. "Obama was polling pretty high" and then lost, attributed in part to "white voters not being willing to tell a pollster they're not going to vote for a black candidate."

R.J. Caster, 22, a senior from Gaithersburg, couldn't be happier if both Obama and Clinton fall flat in the primaries. The conservative political science major, went from being a "Fredhead" supporter of former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson to being a "McCainiac," rooting for Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2004.

Now, however, he prefers Mitt Romney, "a true conservative."

Being an Army brat, national security is an issue that's always been on his mind, said Caster, a political science and international relations major. Another issue close to home is the economy. He said an IT company he works for recently was purchased by a firm from India.

"I'm worried about my job being outsourced," Caster said. "I was torn. It took me a long time to decide" on a candidate.

Michael Martel, 19, is an Avilton transplant from Anne Arundel County. While the president of FSU's College Republicans can't endorse a candidate for the organization, he personally supports McCain because of his "electability" and supports McCain's more liberal stances on issues such as immigration and campaign finance reform.

McCain's wins Tuesday in liberal-leaning states such as New Jersey and Connecticut seem to support Martel's claim.

Martel's counterpart, Daniel Hull, 21, of Cumberland, plans to vote for Clinton largely because of her experience in office and her ability to "move the country forward."

He admits, however, that Clinton's apparent flip-flop on the Iraq war - she voted for it and now favors troop withdrawal - could be an issue.

Bridget Vernon, meanwhile, plans to vote for Obama - and against Clinton. Vernon, 19, of Carroll County, said Clinton is "too inconsistent" on too many issues.

Vernon is a sophomore business student. Her brother, Ronald Kliem, is a 22-year-old Army veteran currently serving his second year in Iraq, "and I want him to come home," Vernon said.

Sitting beside Vernon, friend Ashley Riffle, 21, of Walkersville, said she supported McCain because "I'm a conservative."

Riffle, a senior biology major, admitted, however, that "I don't really know a whole lot" about the candidates.

If McCain doesn't win the Republican nomination, Riffle said she will switch her vote to Clinton because "I think it would be cool to see a woman" in the White House.

One seat down sat Justin Waldron, 22, also of Walkersville, who supported Obama - though he mispronounced the candidate's name and sheepishly admitted he was there for the pizza.

Waldron said that Obama "appeals to the younger generation, I guess."

Twing said the younger generation could be key to Obama's campaign. Each time candidates have relied on the "young" vote, they've failed - largely because the young voters fail to materialize at the polls, Twing said.

This year could be different, he said.

Contact Kevin Spradlin at kspradlin@times-news.com.