Many students are dissatisfied that Proposition 19, the proposition that would legalize marijuana did not pass during Tuesday’s election.
“It’s interesting in a lot of ways,” said senior Erik Zornes, history major. “Everyone acts surprised but it’s a state that voted yes on Proposition 8.”
Many students thought it was important to pass it because it would have helped with taxes.
“(The) most important thing I thought was the taxes but you usually don’t know where money is going,” said junior Mayra Amezcua, liberal studies major.
Nareg Babaians, the incoming vice president for the Young Democrats Club, said the club is happy with the election results when it comes to California.
“We got everyone in, in regards to the Democratic Party,” he said.
When it comes to the Republican Party taking over the House, Babaians said it happens.
“It’s not something that horrible,” he said.
Babaians said it is how politics work.
If there is a Democratic president like there is now, who wants to enact a very different change, people get impatient and don’t understand, he said. So they turn to the other side because they think they will do the job faster.
Babaians said everybody’s voice is heard at the end of the day.
“I am glad democracy works still and by putting Brown and Boxer (in office), it shows our efficiency in voting,” said senior Victor Luu, kinesiology major.
John Brady, political science professor, said it was unexpected that the Democrats would lose in the House.
He said what is most puzzling about the whole election season is that the Republican Party was able to say they were defenders of the “little guy” and the middle class when in fact many of the policies were not about the middle class.
Brady said the Democratic policy on foreclosures was meant to appeal to the middle class and the economy, but it backfired because it was voluntary and it did not look good in terms of politics.
He said the Democrats should have forced it upon the banks to help the homeowners.
“It shows the Democratic Party doesn’t quite understand the depth of economic anxiety and suffering,” Brady said. “They should have taken a more aggressive approach on economic policy.”
With the passage of Proposition 25, the proposition that would lower the budget-voting requirement from a two-thirds vote to a simple majority, Brown’s job will be made easier, Brady said.
He added that it was interesting to see voters reject Proposition 27 about redistricting, which still shows there is still some room for reform.
Gabriel Gutierrez, associate chair of the Chicano/a Studies Department, said he figures Brown is better than Whitman.
“You have to be guarded in terms of what he will produce,” Gutierrez said. “I hope he will go to bat for students but the way things have been that’s not a guarantee.”
Gutierrez said he urges people to continue to be vigilant about issues and listen.
When it comes to the House, Gutierrez said he wonders about the Tea Party and whether if in two years they are going to be the incumbents that people are upset about.
“It was somewhat gratifying to hear students interested in their futures,” Gutierrez said.
Daniel Santana, history and Chicano/a studies major said he is still unsure what to think, but that Jerry Brown was the lesser of the two evils.
Pro-choice Students for Boxer are happy with the results in the senate.
Dana Drecher, campaign organizer for Pro-Choice Students for Boxer, said the midterm election is about turnout and it is very clear that the efforts made on the CSUN campus made a huge impact.
