The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 03, 2004, Image 1
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3,2004
‘Bush ahead in close race
■ Presidential race
still undecided; all
eyes turn to Ohio
By MICHAEL LaFORGIA
THE GAMECOCK
President Bush pulled steadily away
from his opponent John Kerry in polls
across the country Tuesday night, but
analysts had predicted no clear winner
by press time.
Kerry’s campaign showed no signs
of conceding early Wednesday
•morning.
Wf “The vote count in Ohio has not
been completed, there are more than
250,000 remaining votes to be
counted,” Kerry campaign manager
Mar}' Beth Cahill stated in a news
release aired on CNN at 1:30
Wednesday morning.
Ohio proved the key battleground
this year, and Bush led there 51
percent to 49 with 96 percent of
precincts reporting.
Bush won Alabama, Alaska,
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida,
Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North
Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma,
South Carolina, South Dakota,
Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia,
rest Virginia and Wyoming.
Kerry won California, Connecticut,
Delaware, the District of Columbia,
Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Minnesota, New Jersey, New York,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Vermont, Washington and statewide
in Maine.
Many expected an election as close
as the 2000 race, in which Democratic
nominee A1 Gore won the popular vote
but lost in the Electoral College
Count. Candidates and their allies
spent a combined $600 million on
television ads this year, more than
twice the total in 2000, the AP
reported. _
In the months leading up to
Election Day, neither candidate spent
much time campaigning in South
Carolina. Bush won easily in the
^historically conservative state,
Brapturing 58 percent of the vote to
Kerry’s 41, with 96 percent of
precincts reporting.
Both candidates have visited USC,
however, with Kerry stumping in the
Russell House Ballroom in January
before the Democratic Primary and
♦ Please see BUSH, page 5
BUSH; PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS; KERRY: DANIEL MILLER/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Both President Bush and Senator Kerry campaigned in Ohio, a crucial swing state, on Tuesday. At press
time, Ohio and its 20 electoral votes were still unaccounted for, however Bush had 51 percent.
Students
explore
voting
options
■ Absentee
voting the most
popular at USC
By TAYLOR SMITH
and JULIA SELLERS
THE GAMECOCK
Scores of USC students voted
Tuesday on new polling
machines, but many students had
the day off to ponder their vote
via absentee ballot.
“I just knew I had work I had
to do so I knew it would be easier
to vote absentee,” said Richard
Meyers, a fifth-year education
student. “It was very easy, and
explained in detail what I needed
to do.”
Meyers, who is registered in
Greenville, said he filed for the
ballot about a week ago, but
didn’t fill out the form until
Friday.
In the case of third-year
mechanical engineering student
Jennifer Snipes, she was unable to
vote absentee because her ballot
(which she said she applied for
three weeks ago) did not arrive in
the allotted time.
“I had sent in for an absentee
ballot but I didn’t get it on time
so they said I could come down
and vote,” Snipes said. “I was
already going to be in Columbia
and I don’t have a car, so it was
going to be hard to get to
Lancaster.”
Overall, students who voted
absentee had no complaints
about the forms. In fact, voters,
such as third-year public relations
transfer student Jackie Christine,
were able to preview the New
Jersey absentee ballots before
filling them out.
♦ Please see
EXPERIENCE, page 4
U.S. SENATOR JIM DEMINT
DeMint
secures
Senate seat
•lfor GOP
By JON TURNER
THE GAMECOCK
U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint won a
Senate seat for the Republican
Party on Tuesday in a hotly
contested tace, making this term’s
South Carolina delegation its first
all-Republican Senate delegation
since Reconstruction.
The seat was vacated by retiring
Democratic Sen. Fritz Hollings, who
announced his retirement last year at
USC’s National Advocacy Center.
DeMint had been considered a
shoe-in for the seat, until a pair of
fck/idely criticized remarks fueled
Competition from state
♦ Please see DEMINT, page 5
SARAH ZILINSKY/THE GAMECOCK
Senator-elect Jim DeMint gives a thumbs-up sign to .
supporters at his victory party at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in
Columbia on Tuesday night. DeMint, a Republican from
Greenville, won with 54 percent of the vote.
COUNTING THE VOTE
^_ —
GRAPHIC BY DAVID STAGG/THE GAMECOCK
At press time, according to The Associated Press, Republican incumbent
George W. Bush holds 249 electoral votes in the 2004 Presidential race,
compared to John Kerry’s 222 electoral votes. 269 votes are needed to
declare a winner. In the popular vote, Bush is leading with 51,467,232, or
51 percent, of the vote, compared to Kerry’s 47,857,207, or 48 percent.
Ralph Nader has 354,488 votes, amounting to zero percent.
*
IN THIS ISSUE
♦ NEWS
USC dorm vote
A breakdown of how
students voted by
residence hall.
Page 4 ,j
♦ NEWS
Minibottle
referendum
Voters allow lawmakers to
change Constitution and
do away with mini bottles.
Page §
♦ VIEWPOINTS
Cocky’s skills
Corey Hutchins laments
Cocky’s smooth power over
susceptible women through
his wonderful muckraking
skills.
Page 6 *
♦ SPORTS
Holtz remains
confident
Despite three losses on the
season, Lou Holtz says team
could be “outstanding.”
Page 10 1
WEATHER
♦TODAY ♦THURSDAY
High 81 High 74
Low 64 Low 51
FOR EXTENDED FORECAST. SEE P^SE 2.
INDEX
Comics and Crossword.9
Classifieds.12
Horoscopes.9
Letters to the Editor.6
Online Poll..6
Police Report.2
Students cast
their votes
The Gamecock asked
USC students who they
voted for and why. Here are
some of the responses.
NAME: Kathy
Winkel, fourth
year Hotel,
Restaurant and
Tourism
student
VOTE: Kerry
REASON: 'I
would like to see the next four years
not be as unfortunate as the last
four in terms of losing thousands of
jobs and thousands of lives.”
NAME: Andy
Schwark, first
year international
business
student
VOTE: Bush
REASON:
Bush’s stance
on the war in Iraq and the war on
terrorism.
NAME: Zach
Shaw, second
year undecided
student
VOTE: Bush
REASON: “I’ve
always been a
Republican
and I admire the way he handled
9/11 and the war on terrorism."
NAME: Shanda
Mack, second
year undecided
student
VOTE: Kerry
REASON: “I
want to see
Bush out of
office and I'm sick of the war in
Iraq."
NAME: Karen
Williford,
second-year
graphic design
student
VOTE: Bush
REASON: "He
did a good job
the past four years and I trust
him. He is the best for our
country."
NAME:
Gretchen
Fowler, fourth
year film
studies student
VOTE: Kerry
REASON:
Progressive
healthcare. Regarding Bush: "I
don’t want to be fooled again.”
NAME: Jessica
Cornish, first
year history
student
VOTE: Bush
REASON:
"(Bush) stands
up for what he
believes in, whether I agree with
him or not, and has a stance on
all the issues.”
NAME: Mark
Paelaitis,
second-year
media arts
student
VOTE: Kerry
REASON: "I
want a change
and a leader I can respect."
ALL MUG PHOTOS ON THIS AND
SUBSEQUENT PAGES BY WINDSOR
COWART, CHRISTINE SAENGER AND
JASON STEELMAN/THE GAMECOCK