MU faculty donate more to Democrats
This support is indicative of a national trend.
Oct. 30, 2008
(Click graphic to enlarge)
- See a full database of MU faculty and staff donations here.
MU faculty and staff donated more money to Democrats in almost all races on Boone County ballots, following what experts say is a national trend.
An analysis of Missouri and Boone County campaign finance reports shows Republicans only received donations in four of the 10 races from MU faculty and staff, while Democrats received donations in eight of the 10 contests.
The data suggests nothing too out of the ordinary, political science professors said.
"Academics are Democrats and political liberals by a wide margin," political science professor John Petrocik said. "They contribute to Democrats and vote for them. So far as I am aware, there is nothing unusual about their behavior this year."
Political science professor Marvin Overby suggested people are thinking more rationally about the state of the Republican Party, including President George Bush, Republican presidential candidate John McCain and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
"You're going to have a Democratic base that's saying this is a good investment, contributing to a winner, and you're going to have a Republican base that's saying this is just not our year," Overby said. "A good many of them are pissed off at Bush, or at McCain, or at Palin or at some combination of them, and they're also just thinking, 'Regardless of what I think about the message of the Republican party, we're just not going to win this year.'"
Others argue that it is a continuation of a pattern.
"Each election cycle brings a call for change by the party that is not in power," said Keith Hardeman, a communications professor at Westminster College and president of the Missouri chapter of the American Association of University Professors.
Overby said it also seems to make sense historically. There has only been one time since World War II when Americans have elected the same party to the White House three elections in a row.
He also said the state of the Republican Party is sending educators toward the Democrats.
"We tend to be a profession that values intelligence and articulation and knowledge, and there is a strain of the Republican party, perhaps personified best this year by Sarah Palin, that sort of dismisses that and believes that everything you need to learn you learned in kindergarten," Overby said.
Overby said the Republican's attitude toward smaller government also might play a role.
"We are public employees and the Republican Party for a good chunk of the last 30 to 40 years identified itself as sort of an anti-government party, sort of routinely using government employees as the whipping boys," he said.
MU biological sciences professor Armon Yanders said many university employees have not been supporters of the previous Republican governors.
"The two most recent Republican governors have not been strong supporters of the university. We hope that the upcoming election will reverse this," said Yanders, who is also the director of the Spinal Cord Injuries Research Program.
Some faculty members supported candidates because of their overall stances on the issues.
"He stands for moral issues that are important to my wife and me," MU agronomy professor J. Grover Shannon said about his support for GOP gubernatorial candidate Kenny Hulshof. "For example, Mr. Hulshof is pro-life."
He also said Hulshof knows about agriculture, which he considers a big part of Missouri economy.
"He not only understands the needs of cities and towns, but also of rural Missouri," he said.
Even a few journalism professors donated to political campaigns, like associate professor John Fennell, who donated to Mary Still, the Democratic candidate for the state's 25th district House seat.
"Because I have been a journalist for 25 years, I don't normally donate to any political party," he said. "I made the exception for Mary Still because she is a personal friend and, I believe, will be a friend to the university. I don't even live in her district."
Even the gubernatorial race, the only race in which professors donated more to the Republican, was close.
From faculty and staff, Republican Kenny Hulshof received $5,225, and Democrat Nixon received $3,919. However, nine MU employees donated to Hulshof while 22 donated to Nixon's campaign.
Overall, 85 MU faculty and staff donated to Democratic candidates and 12 to Republicans.
The data in this report included the 30 days after primary and October quarterly reports for all local and state elections and the October quarterly for the national election. It included information from the following races: 9th Congrressional District, governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, attorney general, secretary of state, 23rd, 24th and 25th state legislative districts, 19th District state senator and Boone County administrator.
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