Students react strongly to presidential address

United States President George W. Bush's State of the Union Address last night incited mixed reactions from Democrats and Republicans on campus.

Still, all seemed to recognize the speech's ramifications for both Bush and the Democratic candidates in the current campaign season.

Political Science Professor Jack Nagel called Bush's address "a good speech, well-delivered."

However, "there are lots of points where Democrats can counter it," he said. "They will have to have an effective voice to do it."

Rich Eisenberg, president of the Penn College Democrats, said that he believed any of the Democratic candidates would be able to effectively respond to Bush's statements last night.

"Each of our candidates has really been rebutting what he said tonight throughout the campaign," he said.

Many felt that the decision to move the date of the address forward by one week was politically motivated in order to overshadow the results of Monday's Iowa caucus.

"He will get an immediate lift from" the speech, Nagel said. "How long it will last, I don't know."

Additionally, Bush put notable emphasis on foreign policy, but "the question is whether that is what people will vote on," Nagel added.

College sophomore John Backes said it was "suitable" that Bush devoted so much time to discussing U.S. involvement in Iraq and the war on terrorism.

"Democrats ... don't seem to understand that Americans want a proactive foreign policy," said Eric Rechtschaffen, executive director of the Penn College Republicans.

It was "smart for him to focus" on those issues, he added.

Eisenberg said that he supposed the Bush campaign was hoping to run the president's re-election with a focus on the war in Iraq, one which he says is based on "unfounded premises."

Nagel said he was "struck by the several lines that were clearly aimed at [Democratic candidate] Howard Dean" -- including Bush's statement that America is more secure now because of the war in Iraq and the capture of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Additionally, Nagel said that Bush's statement that terrorism is not a criminal justice issue betrayed the president's preparation for a Dean victory in Iowa that did not occur.

Bush's success in the 2004 election may hinge on his ability to turn around his response to the Democratic Party, especially now that Dean's nomination is less likely, Nagel said.

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