What’s new with the presidential campaign? After announcing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice… What’s new with the presidential campaign? After announcing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate at the Republican National Convention last week, Sen. John McCain has made progress in the polls, taking a small lead over Sen. Barack Obama. The Pitt News Election Focus Group sat down this week to discuss the recent support for the Republicans and Palin’s addition to the party ticket. What are students saying? ‘ ‘I felt a lot more secure with [Palin] as McCain’s running mate, given McCain’s age, given the fact that sometimes McCain is seen by a lot of Republicans as not conservative enough. I believe Palin will be essential in grabbing those swing voters, especially the evangelicals. ‘ -Charlotte Bonilla, Republican ‘ ‘[Palin] draws from every category. I really think she’s a good pick for what they’re looking for. I don’t think she’s great in terms of her experience. However, she’s exactly what his campaign needed.’ -Carrie Weintraub, Unaffiliated ‘ ‘I think that it’s amazing that [Palin] is stepping up to the challenge and that she is going to do it. I think she will do a great job and, based on her speech, that she is ready for it.’ -Josh Vezza, Independent ‘ In an effort to better report on the presidential race and what Pitt students think about it, The Pitt News has assembled a focus group to discuss the big issues of this year’s election. The group, which consists of seven student volunteers, will be moderated by The Pitt News. Each week through Election Day, the group will meet to discuss major issues regarding the 2008 presidential election. The Pitt News will report on the talks in print and on pittnews.com. ‘It’s more of an open discussion.’ Unless you’re a political science major, it’s somewhat taboo to discuss politics on campus,’ said participant Lauren O’Leary, a registered Democrat. The group consists of a mix of students dedicated to both candidates along with some who are undecided. ‘This is a good experience for people to really see both sides. I like to play devil’s advocate so people can see both sides of a discussion,’ said Carrie Weintraub, who is unaffiliated. The Pitt News will report on the happenings of the focus group every Thursday through Election Day. Check pittnews.com next week for multimedia from the sessions.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ – Drew Singer , News Editor