The (US) Election and Higher Education

wp-contentuploads200801picture-3.pngThe Chronicle of Higher Education has is running an election blog and today’s story deals with the candidates’ stands on science. But of even greater interest to me are the side-bars. A running straw poll for both parties (Obama leads the Dems and McCaine Republicans, see image) and an interactive bit that lets you see which candidate has be given how much from the academic world, including names!

For example:

Hillary Rodham Clinton
U.S. senator from New York

Total donations from college employees: $1.64-million

Top college: Harvard U., $67,100

Five top donors: [it doesn’t scroll so you can’t actually see all five]
Ronald B. Rapoport, professor of government, College of William and Mary, $18,400
Archana Maheshwari, assistant professor of English, Schoolcraft College, $7,900
Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, senior research scholar at the Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford U., $6,900
Eileen L. McDonagh, professor of political science, Northeastern U., $4,950

Not surprisingly, if the poll is any indication, Obama has significantly more income from academics.

Barack Obama
U.S. senator from Illinois

Total donations from college employees: $2.11-million

Top college: Harvard U., $146,550

Five top donors:
Ronald B. Rapoport, professor of government, College of William
and Mary, $9,200
Bruce D. and Charlene K. Bainum, psychology professors at Pacific Union College, $4,600 each
Henry Louis Gates Jr., director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research, Harvard U., $4,600
Marci A. Hamilton, professor of law, Yeshiva U., $4,600

Now, consider the Republicans:

Mike Huckabee
Former governor of Arkansas

Total donations from college employees: $25,000

Top colleges (tie): Patrick Henry College, U. of Central Arkansas, U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, $2300 from each institution

Three top donors: [Apparently he doesn’t even have 5 top donors from academia!]
J. Barry Ballard, president, Ouachita Technical College, $2,300
Michael P. Farris, chancellor, Patrick Henry College, $2,300
Lu Hardin, president, U. of Central Arkansas, $2,300

And even the leader in the poll (which is likely skewed because they allow you to vote for both Dem and Rep, I would hazard a guess that there would be very few votes for any Rep otherwise), John McCain is well behind the Dems in donations.

John McCain
U.S. senator from Arizona

Total donations from college employees: $228,250

Top college: Baylor College of Medicine, $9,100

Five top donors:
Mark J. Dannenbaum, neurosurgery resident, Baylor College of Medicine, $6,900
J.H. Beales III, associate professor of strategic management and public policy, George Washington U., $4,600
Gaylen J. Byker, president, Calvin College, $4,600
Geoffrey T. Manley, associate professor of neurological surgery, University of California at San Francisco, $4,600

So, how about a poll or our own? Vote now! (See my own sidebar to the left.)

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