Zogby predicts the future

By Kelly Morse

Edited by Sarah Schuch, Meredith Mayberry, and Amanda Crabtree

John Zogby, president and CEO of Zogby International, announced who he thought will win the presidential election.

He gave his predictions to a full audience in Anspach Hall Friday afternoon.

“I don’t think Hilary is going to win, but she’s also a Clinton and she goes by a different book” Zogby said.

Zogby International has been tracking public opinion since 1984 in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, according to the website www.zogby.com.

He made the joke that when Hilary does make it into the oval office she will serve two terms and will eventually work her way up to the position of Pope.

Two groups support Hilary: women over 45 and Latinos. About 10 percent of Latino voters said that they would vote for McCain over Obama if Hilary didn’t make it.

Barak Obama has about 93 percent of the African American votes along with the young voters.

"For the African Americans, it’s all about a sense of history," Zogby said.

After examining the polls, Zogby predicts McCain will win the presidency. He said that the Republican party has a good chance because they can cast fears and anxieties into middle America. Plus, the party has a strong agenda whereas the Democrats seem more divided.

“If there is any Republican that can distance himself from Bush, it’s McCain,” said Zogby. “Some say that a Democrat will inevitably win just because a Democrat is change. What some don’t realize is that McCain is change too.”

His predictions did not come without opposition, however.

“I think he’s mostly right,” said Amanda Powel, a freshman from Bloomingdale. “I think he ignores some things though. He understated that it will be progress either way [with Clinton or Obama]”

Although Zogby believes he knows who will win, he does not know by how much. He said the election could be between a couple 100 thousand votes, but it could also be a blowout.

Number one issue is the economy. Seventy-four percent say our country is in a recession. About one-third of all voters with some form of employment based health insurance is afraid of losing all or some of that.

“This is what separates the middle class from the lower class,” said Zogby.

The second issue is the Iraq fatigue. Almost three quarters of the U.S. population wants the troops to come home.

Number three is the environment. Americans have bought into the notion that global warming is real. A growing number are adopting the view that we leave a carbon footprint, which is the amount of carbon that is emitting during daily activities.

Zogby not only stopped by Central Michigan University to speak to the campus community, but to also pay a visit to an old friend.

Tim Hartshorne, a psychology professor, first met Zogby while working for a high school in Utica, New York. Hartshorne later moved to Michigan.

“About eight years ago I heard him being interviewed on NPR’s show ‘All things Considered’ and I was like, ‘I taught at the same high school as him,’” Hartshorne said. "Today Zogby is a little bit harder to get a hold of, I'm glad he could make it though."

Zogby travels all over the United States giving speeches about polling and has given over 100 this past year.

“I was very pleased with the turnout. It’s something I wish the whole campus could’ve heard” Hartshorne said.