Presidential vote spawns sibling rivalry in Ashland

November 4, 2008 04:23 PM Email| Comments (2)| Text size – +

By Lisa Kocian, Globe Staff

ASHLAND -- Eighteen-year-old Stephanie Cowern and her older sister Amanda, 20, walked out of Ashland High School this afternoon bubbling with the visible excitement of first-time voters.

That enthusiasm, however, quickly gave way to sibling rivalry. Stephanie, a high school senior, gave her vote to Democratic Senator Barack Obama. Amanda, a sophomore at Massachusetts Bay Community College, opted for Republican Senator John McCain.

"You got to go with experience when you're voting," said Amanda, who high-fived her father, Don Cowern, another backer of McCain.

Stephanie argued that she agreed with Obama on a host of issues such as healthcare and countered that she did not like that McCain has voted so consistently with President George W. Bush. Then, the younger sister brought out her big gun to end the conversation, invoking the name of the Republican vice presidential candidate.

"Palin," Stephanie said. "Done."

» Back to Front Page

2 comments so far...

Why does it sound as if the people interviewed for the articles on voting have no idea about why they voted the way they did? Why does it seem as if those folks have little if any knowledge about the principles upon which this nation was founded?

Our nation was established with the concept of liberty translating into a restraint of government power. Their concept was to be able to have a government that was subject to the people.

In Massachusetts, we lionise Samuel and John Adams. We love to talk of Robert Treat Paine and Elbridge Gerry. Yet, if we were to sit and chat with them, our supposedly sophisticated attitudes would be aghast at the fire and belligerence those men possessed.

These Founders did not envision income taxes, capital gains taxes and a host of other repressive measures.

They were for liberty, not big government. They revolted against big government--a tyrannical system that imposed taxes without the consent of the people.

On our ballot today, we're voting on a proposal to eliminate the state income tax. Win or lose, this is representation. This conforms more to the spirit of Sam Adams than anything in Obama's platform. Furthermore, the people who got this referendum on the ballot understand more of the heart of Sam Adams than most of the people who are students in our schools and colleges.

So why not seek out interviews with people who are fully conversant on the issues? Not flippant people who project their own concepts on the principles of liberty and a Constitutional Republic.

Posted by Michael Carl November 4, 08 07:14 PM

Wow Carl !! How long did it take you to copy that line BS out of text book.

Posted by Brian November 5, 08 03:18 PM