by Matthew Ch†vez and Katy Knapp
Daily Lobo
As Sen. John Kerry conceded and President Bush was declared the victor of both the popular and Electoral College vote, tension continued to brew across campus Wednesday.
UNM senior Lane Mogford, a nursing student, said his car's windshield was smashed, because he displays a Bush campaign sign on his dashboard.
He said he parks near Tijeras Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
"I guess it's just lashing out," he said. "It doesn't serve any good."
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He said he made a deal with his fellow students. If Kerry won, he would buy them a beer. If it was a Bush victory, they would buy him a beer.
"They went for that," he said. "That's a better way to do it."
Marilyn Rodriguez-Wong, an exchange student from Peru, said Bush's re-election will have little impact in her home country.
"He only pays attention to what is important for this country," she said.
She was amused by the U.S. election system, she said, which differs from Peru where voting is mandatory. She said Peruvians who don't vote must pay a fee and can lose other rights.
A postelection protest gathered on the UNM Bookstore plaza yesterday afternoon.
On one side, a small group of students protested what they called election fraud and the Republican manipulation of votes. On the other side, Republicans held signs and chanted "Four more years."
Venezuelan graduate student Mayra Madriz said she was not protesting alleged election fraud but rather the GOP's election tactics.
"The Republican Party exploited social issues that were highly divisive," Madriz said.
She said many voted for Bush based on his anti-abortion rights and anti-gay marriage positions - two issues she said should be delegated to states and individuals.
"The priorities of a president are economic policy and international relations," she said.
Republicans wielding Bush-Cheney signs said they were celebrating, not protesting.
"I drove by, and they're sitting here crying and saying they're mad about Bush, and this guy is yelling over here that the election was stolen," Mike Sheyka said. "I guess if the polls were jacked, then there was a stolen election. But other than that, the people cast their vote, and the numbers spoke for themselves."
UNM student Aaron Brown said he was standing up for Bush.
"The election is over, and that's what we're trying to prove to these guys over here," he said. "We're tired of people complaining, and that's kind of our point."
Gary Haug, UNM's interim director of accessibility services, said he is relieved a vote recount was not requested.
"I'm glad it got settled quickly," he said. "Given the expectations people had that this might go on for a very extended period of time, I think it's a good thing for the country and a good thing for the democratic process."
He was impressed, he said, by Kerry's conciliatory remarks during his concession speech.
"That was a very gracious speech that struck just the right note for the times and the circumstances given the bitterness of the campaign," he said.
Student Aaron Posey said he is glad Bush was re-elected.
"I voted for Bush," he said. "I agree with his plans on Iraq. We are already there. We might as well finish the job."
He said he would have accepted a Kerry-Edwards win, however.
"Whatever happens, happens," he said.
Posey said he too noticed the bad mood on campus and had some words of advice.
"Deal with it," he said.
