Opinion writer Zach Richards, a sophomore studying education, argues that low name recognition Democratic candidates should not have started running in the first place. With Tom Steyer recently becoming the 11th person to qualify for the October Democratic debates, a new question should be asked about which candidates deserve to see the light of day. Even with the recent spate …

Opinion writer Maddie Kramer, a junior studying political science, elaborates on why the new anti-gun violence advertisement from Democratic candidates is important for voters. Ahead of the next Democratic debate on Thursday in Texas, eight prominent Democrats running for the presidency debuted a joint advertisement against gun violence.  In a time where candidates are attacking each other left and right …

Athens has some new competition for a couple of City Council seats. A majority of the competitors are Democrats, with only one Republican vying for a spot. Sarah Grace Grace is one of three candidates running for an at-large seat on the council. She is an OU alumna, local small-business owner and a former candidate for Ohio’s 94th District seat. …

Presidents of College Democrats from across the state of Ohio put aside their school rivalries and acted in unison Wednesday to condemn Sen. Rob Portman’s (R-Ohio) record on education with a joint statement. “College Democrats are committed to informing students about Rob Portman’s record of making it harder and more expensive to get a college degree,” said in a statement …

It is far too soon to be thinking about the 2018 Ohio gubernatorial election. This 2016 presidential election has so many implications as to where American politics is going that whatever happens next is basically unpredictable. That being said, it would be foolish to believe that both potential candidates and the state political parties aren’t thinking about the 2018 election. …

College students: have you heard Bernie Sanders promise for free tuition? No matter who you’re voting for, it’s time to hold our candidates accountable. The Scene for 2016’s Bianca Hillier tells you whether or not free tuition is actually in our future.

President Barack Obama asked the media on Friday, “Why is it that so many Republican politicians are so down on America?” It is a valid point when you think about it, but Obama did not stop there. He went on to compare the GOP to the culture phenomenon Grumpy Cat, according to a Politico article. GOP candidates have been ranting …

Athens residents that attended the Homecoming Parade the morning of Oct. 10 may have noticed a surprise marcher. Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland walked with the Ohio University College Democrats to promote his campaign for the U.S. Senate. Strickland visited Athens just two weeks earlier for a campaign event at The Pigskin on Court Street. The New Political reporter Austin …

It has been a week since the first Democratic presidential debate aired, and no major surprises occurred with regard to “front-runners” and “also-rans.” Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders seemed to have had the best evenings, with Clinton getting the “win” by most accounts. But what about the other three lesser-known candidates, and the one potential candidate who is keeping the …

The New Political followed along with the first Democratic presidential debate, hosted by CNN, Tuesday night. See our compiled coverage from Twitter below. [View the story “#DemDebate ” on Storify]

Since last August, there has been speculation that Vice President Joe Biden is flirting with the possibility of starting a late entry into the 2016 primaries to become the next president of the United States. For me, this has filled me with excitement because Biden is someone I know I can get behind and offers a common ground between the …

In the lead up to the 2016 presidential race, the Democratic side has remained relatively quiet. Hillary Rodham Clinton is considered a strong contender for 2016 due to her vast amount of experience and popularity. As a result of this superiority, Democrats haven’t been lining up to challenge her in the primaries next year. Yet since being elected to the …

According to Time magazine, Congress has a nine percent approval. But according to the Washington Post, Congress has a 90 percent incumbency rate. According to the nonpartisan, Center for Responsive Politics, “…in 93 percent of House of Representatives races and 94 percent of Senate races it was the candidate who spent the most money who ended up winning”. These statistics clearly show …

City elections are less than a month away and Independent candidate Troy Gregorino is attempting to shake things up with his bid for city council. Gregorino’s run for At-Large City Councilman puts the number of candidates at four. There are three available seats. Currently the seats are held by Democratic incumbents At-Large Council members Steve Patterson, Christine Knisely and Jennifer …

From economics and health care to abortion and gay rights, Republicans and Democrats always seem to be on opposing ends of the political spectrum. So when it comes to another controversial topic, environmental regulation, it is surprising that the two parties might actually agree on something. The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act was proposed by Sen. Rob Portman of …

Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s new budget includes some potentially big changes for homeowners, and Democrats in the state legislature aren’t too happy. The state has canceled the 12.5 percent property tax rollback that has been in place for 40 years. This could be bad news for school districts that are trying to drum up support for tax levies that will …

The recent debates over fiscal cliffs and firearms reveal a deeper problem that afflicts social life in the United States: the problem of political fundamentalism. Issues like these split people into separate camps and then fan the flames of fanatical fervor within each camp. When people hear that Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, “I know of no country in which there …

An enourmous sum of $100 billion, including large tax cuts and plans for education reform, also known as Gov. John Kasich’s 2014-2015 budget, has prompted a large-scale debate about the future of Ohio’s economy. In addition to the proposals, Kasich also has The Budget of Stabilization Fund, known as the “Rainy Day Fund.” This fund currently holds $482 million and …

“As Ohio goes, so goes the nation” is a line that was drilled into our collective heads over and over again this election season and for good reason, as it is rooted with deep historical backing. Since the 1944 election between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Thomas Dewey, Ohioans have sided with the losing candidate only once – choosing Nixon over …

From the Holy Bible to Abraham Lincoln it has been said that a house divided cannot stand. This week has shown us what we all have known to be true for quite some time – that we are living in that house that so many others have spoken of. With a near percentage tie in the presidential popular vote that …

As students eagerly queued up to attend President Obama’s rally last week, some may have been surprised to find protesters more likely to quote Ayn Rand than Ronald Reagan. Signs bearing phrases such as “Atlas is Shrugging” and “Come Talk to a Libertarian” wove through the line, reminding all in sight that the Republican Party does not represent all those …