The Bowdoin Orient

Are students upset with the current stepped-up presence of Brunswick police during weekend parties, or with the long-standing ban on hard alcohol consumption? How have these policies affected their behavior? How do Bowdoin students feel about President Barack Obama, and how closely do students follow politics in the news?

I want to make a prediction. Barack Obama is going to win the presidency next Tuesday. Hardly earth-shattering, of course, but I'd like to make a very precise forecast on the number of Electoral Votes Obama will win. I'll say more on that below.

Barack Obama announced this week that his campaign raised $150 million in September. Imagine the money rolling in: $5 million a day; $208,000 an hour; $3,470 a minute; $58 every second of the day. And keep in mind the context: Obama opted out of the public funding system, which would have given him $85 million after his convention and limited him to spending that much for all of September and October. By contrast, McCain opted into the system, and cannot raise (with some exceptions) any money in the final eight weeks of the election. The imbalance in funds begs an important question: If Obama wins, could we say he "bought" the election?

I love watching television. I also love politics. It only makes sense then that I love watching politics on television?and specifically political commercials. Indeed, as we get closer and closer to Election Day, it's hard to avoid these 30-second nuggets during local news, game shows, and the late night comics.

American elections are often boring and easy to forecast. Ninety-five percent of incumbents win re-election, and public opinion polls do an excellent job of predicting winners. At the same time, however, we live in an age of polarized partisan politics, where "blue staters" and "red staters" battle over cultural, economic, and international issues.