Thursday, September 18, 2003 • Page 6
NEWS
The Pendulum
Cook addresses upcoming elections, political climate
Ellis Harman
Copy Editor
One of the nation’s leading
authorities on United States elec
tions and politics was on hand
Monday to discuss the upcoming
presidential election and the state of
American politics. Political analyst
Charles Cook spent the day visiting
several political sciences classes and
wrapped up his visit with a speech at
8 p.m. in Whitley Auditorium.
Cook, the editor and publisher of
The Cook Political Report, has
served as an election night commen
Katic Walkiewicz / Photographer
Charles Cook discussed the state of American politics and upcoming
elections in a presentation held in Whitley Auditorium Monday night
tator for both CBS and NBC since
1990, writes a political column and
analysis for The National Journal
and has spent the past 31 years in
Washington, D.C. examining voting
trends and elections. Cook is also an
analyst for CNN’s “Inside Politics”
and has made appearances on sever
al major network shows, including
NBC’s “Meet the Press,” ‘The CBS
Evening News” and ABC’s
“Nightline.”
Cook used his political experi
ence to illustrate American politics
and elections for his audience. He
said he believes that though the
Republican party controls most
government offices, the country is
still evenly split along the party lines
and that the country is entering an
interesting and exciting era politi
cally.
Cook said he believes next year’s
presidential election could go either
way, depending on a number of fac
tors. He stated that the state of the
country, both economically and in
foreign affairs, could determine the
outcome of the election.
‘The fact is, if the economy is
really strong, the Democrats could
nominate the reincarnation of
Franklin Deleanor Roosevelt and
they’d still lose,” he said. “If the
economy and Iraq are going well,
and people want to re-elect .
President Bush, it doesn’t really
matter who the Democratic candi
date is. And of course, the reverse is
true. If the economy is going badly,
if Iraq is going badly, it won’t mat
I would argue that social and cultural issues,
such as major issues like abortion and gun control,
are starting to redefine political issues.
—Ctiarles Cook, columnist and political analyst
ter who the Democratic candidate is.
Seventy to 80 percent of whether or
not Bush gets re-elected depends on
circumstances, not who the
Democratic candidate is.”
Though he said he thinks the
election hinges upon the country’s
frame of mind come next winter.
Cook said both parties are strong
across the nation. Though the
Republicans control most of the
power or government seats. Cook
said he believes party support is
evenly divided, which will lead to a
close presidential election.
Cook also spent time discussing
the possible Democratic candidates
who might have a chance against
Bush. Right now, he said the candi
date with the most running power is
Howard Dean, who has raised the
most money for his campaign.
However, Cook said the culture of
American politics is constantly
changing, making it an unpre
dictable science.
“I would argue that social and
cultural issues, such as major issues
like abortion and gun control, are
starting to redefine political values,”
Cook said. “Environmental, gun
control and abortion issues all cost
the Republicans support among
‘soccer moms.’ These social and
cultural issues are becoming
increasingly important, and that’s
why we are where we are today.”
Cook also addressed the idea of
political polling and its effect on
voter turnout. He said he did not
believe in the “bandwagon effect,”
and that the only people these polls
really affected were those whose
candidate was losing by a landslide.
It was only then, he said, that people
decide not to run to the polls to cast
their vote.
George Taylor, the director of the
Elon Institute for Politics and Public
Aflfairs, which shared sponsorship
of Cook’s visit with the political sci
ence department, praised Cook’s
abilities as a political analyst and
said he was glad Cook could make
an appearance at Elon.
“Charles Cook is probably one
of the political gurus, apd knows all
about political races,” he said. “If
you tell him what state you are liv
ing in, he can tell you who is run
ning for every representative seat
for your state. He’s that good.”
Contact Ellis Harman at pendu-
lum@elon.edu or 278-7247.
Love School of Business readies for AACSB accreditation review
Erin Mahn
Reporter
Graduiites of the Love School of Basiness
could soon be considered some of the top busi
ness students in the nation. Tliis spring, the
Love School of Busine.ss will know if they met
the qualificatioas to receive Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
aamlitation. This honor Is only panted to
schools with high standards in curriculum and
faculty and Ls an impotlant achievement to both
faculty and students.
“It Ls important to graduate (rom an accredit
ed business school because as a graduate of one
of the few accredited institutioas, I will have a
cutting-«dge advantage in competitive fiekl of
business,” said Courtney Grill, a freshman busi
ness felk)w.
Currently, more than 400 schools worldwide
have obtained the AACSB accreditation. TIk
accreditation committee is visiting Elon Feb. 8
through 11 to as.sess the business .school’s
pDgress toward achieving aorcditation status.
The committee coasists of thiee members:
Gregory Bruce of LaSalle University, Nicholas
J. Beutell of Iona College and Ronald Shifller of
Georgia Southern Univei^ity. The oMTimittee
will be checking for specific standards in the
school's mission and objective, faculty compre-
heasion and development, curriculum content
and evaluation, instructional resources and
responsibilities, quality of students and the intel
lectual content of the faculty.
John Buibridge, dean of the Love School of
Busines.s, says that the accreditation is important
to attract the best and brightest students to Elon.
He said the accreditation will also increase
Elon’s .students’ probability of getting accepted
to graduate school.
The Love School of Business started prepar
ing for this process in 1996 by conducting an
internal review to determine the feasibility of
reaching accreditation status. After determining
it was a possibility in 1997, the school devel
oped a five-year plan to meet the requirements
of its fSBcandidacy statas.
Over the yeans, the basiness school has made
numerous organizational changes to work
toward AACSB. Curriculum and course
requirements have been adjusted to meet the
accreditation standards.
The school has also increased its number of
full-time faculty. Burbridge said the accredita
tion will help traasform the Love School of
Business fk)m a good business school to a busi
ness school that has achieved excellence in its
missioa
“The Martha and Spericer Love School
desires to be an excellent provider of undergrad
uate and MBA business education. By doing
what is needed to be an excellent school, the
Love School of Business will also be meeting
all the AACSB International standards.
Accreditation and the desire for excellence
complement each other,” said Buibridge. After
the accreditation committee visits in Febmaiy,
the grcmp will prepare a written report.
Notification of the school’s acceptance into
AACSB woukl be announced by April 2004.
Contact Erin Mahn at
pendulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.