Yes, It's Real

By Chris Rogers

In front of a red white and blue banner containing the faces of every Republican President in history, Associate Project Director John Hemingway said, "We need to make this real... That's what simulations are all about." Keeping it real was one of his three points of advice to the mock presidential election's actors. The other two were: make it good, and make it fun.

With the speeches broadcast across a large screen covering one wall, large signs for seating arrangements for delegates from each state, and campaign representatives dishing out handfuls of flyers, it definitely looked like a real political primary. And when Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care of Business" started playing, it sounded like one.

In fact, when Kristen Olson, the speaker for the John McCain campaign, apologized and said, "Unfortunately, John McCain couldn't make it tonight, because of a prior commitment," it really felt like the Western Illinois University Mock Presidential Election could have been next on his list of commitments.

Like any good Republican event, tax breaks, the war on terror, immigration, and Ronald Reagan references were on the tips of everyone's tongue. Ron Paul received loud roars for his campaign bid of small government. Teresa Spavin pointed out Mitt Romney's qualities as a family man. Rudy Giuliani's campaign emphasized the war on terror. James Rupert celebrated Fred Thompson's acting skills, by acting as the former actor/Senator Thompson and declaring "I want to be your President."

But Ron Paul is getting a lot of votes...that can't be real, can it?