Passionate students congregated in Thomas Hall to address Trump’s ongoing influence in Washington with an expert guest.
Loyola’s Crescent City Connections lecture series welcomed popular pollster and political consultant Rob Faucheux, to their student-led discussions on Feb. 7.
Justin Nystorm, director for Loyola’s Center for the Study of New Orleans, explained the goals of the series in a press release.
“Through the ‘Crescent City Connections’ program, Loyola aims to advance engagement in civic life and make an enduring contribution to the intellectual wealth of New Orleans,” Nystrom said.
For an hour, Faucheux unpacked student concerns with the modern political landscape, as well as offering his own insight on Capitol Hill discourse. Known in his career as an analyst for being a strictly non-partisan and authoritative source, Faucheux voiced his disdain towards fierce competition in Congress, citing career-oriented politics and division as threats to democracy.
“I remember when people used to go into politics for idealism,” Fauchuex said. “Now, there exists a Washington subculture, and I believe it’s a perverse one.”
Summer Abukhomra, history senior, linked the conversation to the origins of the Constitution.
“What do you think the Founding Fathers would say about our current political structure, in terms of the corruption and bureaucracy you mentioned?” Abukhorma asked.
Faucheux responded that it’s likely not what they had in mind.
“As it stands, I think our Founding Fathers would be very upset at the state of our political system and its legitimacy, they would run to their graves. There’s no one person you can appoint to remedy this bureaucracy, it will be long and difficult.” Faucheux said.
Abby Perkins, mass communication senior, called into question the electoral college’s role in the presidential election.
“I don’t understand how there was such a discrepancy with the popular vote, but the electoral college didn’t reflect that at all in the end,” Perkins said.
Faucheux offered that Trump’s victory from state-by-state claims on key electors across the country underscores systemic issues with representation.
“A voter in this information age doesn’t need to know about how the electoral college in order to be a good citizen. If an official’s own constituents won’t hold him accountable who will?”
Later, Nystrom voiced how unpredictable he feels U.S. politics have become.
“There was this idea that of all the Republican nominees in the primary election would be moderate, and then we ended up with Ted Cruz and Trump as the final nominees.” Is this an indication of where the party is?” Nystrom asked.
Faucheux ended the discussion by analyzing three central revolts embodied by nominees in the 2016 election.
“From the left, we saw a revolt in the form of Bernie Sanders. From the right, we witnessed Tea Party ideals as a revolt. For the revolt against moderate politics, there’s Donald Trump.” Faucheux said.
The next Crescent City Connections featuring Electric Girls executive director Flor Serna will take place on February 21.
