Memorable quotes from the Democratic watch party and courthouse

"I think you can get more with honey than from war."- Mary Margaret Davidson. 

"I was a die-hard Republican until Father Bush came along."- Kenneth Brayford

"You don't want an interview from me."- Dennis Gillam

When asked about the election:

"Regardless of who wins..."

"Well we HOPE McCain doesn't win!"- Kenneth Brayford

Educational Platform Important to Harding Professor/Candidate

Kieth Williams, who is running for District 49 Arkansas State Representative, was kind enough to speak with us on his stance on education. A member of the school board for 10 years at Bald Knob, education is a big part of his platform.

An instructor at Harding, Williams has cut his workload by 1/3 in order to run for office. He said if he wins the election he still plans to keep ties with the university, teaching part-time. "It keeps me connected. If I'm serving down there [as a representative], I need to stay connected with education." 

Williams called himself a "conservative Democrat" and said he and his opponent--Jonathan Dismang-- agree on many social issues. The division between the two occurs when it comes to what he calls the "big business, common person/middle-class division" between Democrats and Republicans. Though they agree on many of the same state issues, Williams said his stance is more on education while his opponent tends to focus on the natural gas industry and the issues dealing with that in White County.

Though many people tend to separate economic issues from educational issues, Williams said it is impossible to do so.

"Teaching in the school of finance, I have a good grasp of the funding formula. I feel like since 60% of the state's budget goes to education, the person that goes down there needs to have an interest in education." Williams said if he is fortunate enough to win, he would love to be a part of the education committee. 

Agriculture is also a primary interest of Williams, who said it directly connects to landowners' rights issues and natural gas. 

When it comes to "No Child Left Behind," Williams finds himself agreeing with the goals, but disagreeing with the methods.

Williams said it has been a stimulus for a lot of good things in education, but lacks common sense in many of the short-term objectives.

As far as the Presidential election goes, Williams said he is frightened by the deficit spending that is going on how it will affect future generations. 

"My prediction is that if our next President does what he needs to do, he's going to be a one-term president. He is going to have to make all of us uncomfortable and do things we are unaccustomed to doing as Americans. I hope he's bold enough to do that."

{Picture above: Candidate Kieth Williams speaks with supporters at the Searcy Dinner Theater. Williams donated refreshments for the party.}

~Ashton Reely

Founding members lead the way to Democratic party

PICTURED HERE: Democratic supporters, including White County chapter founder Charles Bogan, listen intently to radio results and discuss.

SEARCY-- Upon arriving to what was supposed to be the Democratic watch party, reporter Ashton Reely and I found ourselves standing outside an abandoned Democratic headquarters- with no idea where to turn.

Thankfully, founding member Ken Brayford approach us after 30 minutes of waiting- and over an hour of his own searching for the correct party location. Brayford had a cheery and hospitable air about him as he introduced himself and led us, two lost-looking youngsters,

to the dinner theater- where groups of Democratic party members gathered in preparation. 

On the way over, Brayford proudly told us about his young daschund (an honorary member of the organization), with whom he wished to spend most of the evening. Upon arrival, we were introduced to White County Democratic Headquarter's founder Charles Bogan.

We were told about the beginnings of the organization, which first met in Bogan's living room. He said that while there were individual men's and women's Democratic gatherings, there had not yet been a coed group- until he founded it in 1993.

Brayford interjected to recount his own induction into the founding group, telling us that he had been mocked mercilessly as a former Republican.

He threw his hands up in the air when he said "I was a die-hard Republican until Father Bush (George W. Bush, Sr.) took office." He became a Democrat within a year, much to his family's dismay.  

The pair introduced us to Kieth Williams, who is running for District 49 representative, and bid us farewell. 

Brayford left to watch this historic Election Day with his beloved daschund, favoring his TV over the radio results present at the party. More to come, stay tuned. 

GOP gathers at "The Underground"

The coffee house, adorned in red, white and blue decorations, hosts local Republicans as results pour in from across the nation. The party is just beginning, but some fear the celebration may end on a sour note.


"We're pretty clear on who is gonna win tonight," said Tiffany Parrish, a Harding student.


"We're expecting an Obama win," said Chris Schandevel, President of College Republicans. "I'm just hoping that if we have to go through an Obama win that it will work towards the betterment of the country."

A screen tuned into Fox News is the main attraction. Local residents and Harding students mingle together as the numbers come in.

Students and professors look on as states turn red, blue

The Election Day watch party has picked up here at the College Church of Christ in Searcy, with Sen. Obama establishing a solid lead over Sen. McCain.

Laptops are open and flickering back and forth between news sites. Every so often Dr. Lori Klein of Harding will shout updates across the room to her husband, Dr. Kevin Klein. Dr. Steven Breezeel sits next to him, using his computer to update an electoral map that is projected up on the wall. Both men predict a win for the Obama campaign, and Dr. Klein anticipates a sizable margin of victory for the Democratic candidate. However, he remains skeptical that an Obama victory will necessarily bring the "change" that has been the hallmark of his campaign.

“People are out of the habit of elections being won by a substantial margin. They aren’t prepared to understand what it does or doesn’t mean," Klein said. Even if Obama wins the election and Democrats obtain a veto-proof majority of seats in the Senate, it will take years before we know whether this new administration will be as "historic" as it has been called. Mandates can be built upon, or they can be wasted. The United States can change for the better, for the worse, or not change at all. "Elections tell us where we are at a moment. They do not tell us that we are entering into a new era," Klein said

Each hour a new set of states falls to one side or another. Currently the electoral point spread shows Obama with 207 and McCain with 129, but the crowd began to thin out after Ohio turned blue on the map. The battleground state gave 20 electoral votes to Obama and, many watch party-goers assume, the Presidential election.

This has not visibly dampened the Republican supporters in the audience, nor has it brought the Democrats to their feet in celebration. The mood here is very casual, with red-shirted students sitting next to Obama button-wearers, talking amicably and even finding things to laugh about. As each state in the "Bible Belt" turned from grey to red, a cry of "I can't believe it!" could be heard coming from somewhere in the room. The crowd here is mainly made up of students from Dr. Breezeel’s class on Parties and Elections, and any partisan bitterness in the room seem to have been brushed aside. After all, they’ll all have to see each other again for class on Thursday.

Obama or McCain?

Here in Searcy, Arkansas tons of anxiety and excitement is in the air. I'm currently at the College Church of Christ with some of the locals here and many Harding University students as we've gathered to watch this election unfold.

We have all been faithfully following this election these past months and now the moment we've all been waiting for, the moment we've all anticipated, is finally at hand.

Now, our big question is, "Who will be our next president?" Some say Obama, others say McCain but the fact remains that we will not know until this election is over.

This year, the are many "battleground states" as one unnamed source states. However, this source believes that "Ohio will be the key state in this election. It's the state that McCain has focused the most on and it will be interesting to see who wins."


Fox News also concers with this statement, "No Republican has lost Ohio and won the election". So, if you would like to follow the election this evening but, unfortunately, cannot watch the entire election...Ohio would be the state to watch in this tight race.

Either way, whether Obama or McCain wins, it will be an earth-shattering experience. If Obama wins, it will be the first time we've had a president be a different ethnicity other than Anglo-Saxon. However, if McCain wins, it will be the first time a woman will be vice president.

I certainly look forward to this election as we revolutionize America. I hope that you will stay with me this evening as we cover this revolutionary election together.

Reporting to begin about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

Searcy, Ark.—Student journalists from Harding University will blog live reports from at least three political watch parties in Searcy after the polls close at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Your responsible comments on the coverage and on the election results throughout the night are welcome.