Ben Newhouse is an Oberlin graduate from the class of 2004 and a former Oberlin Review news editor. After graduation, he began working on John Kerry’s presidential campaign in Washington, D.C. and on GOTV in Maine.

What is the aftermath of the elections from the point of view of someone who has been working on it for the past five months?

Clearly, we have a lot of work to do as a party. It seems we can either go closer to the center or to the left, and I don’t know which one I would want it to do. I think we need to figure out how to convey that religion does not have a monopoly on morality.

How did the past week go for you?

We had to clean up the office, and then I drove home and I have been sitting in the dark ever since. Oh, and I’ve been playing up the pity-me-ex-Kerry-staffer-schtick to get a date. It hasn’t been working that well.

How about any interesting experiences during the campaign?

Working with Elizabeth Edwards would be it. She was really a wonderful woman. She knew something about everybody in the office. She didn’t treat you like you were a stupid intern. She studied all the issues in every state and gave amazing interviews. Never in an individual have I seen so much grace and so much humility.

Are you still in touch with the Edwards’? How are they doing?

I can’t answer this question. I don’t know anything about them, I am not in touch with them anymore. I am assuming she is going through therapy.

What are the things that you think should have been done differently?

Before I talk about that, I should convey that I am really proud of all the work people did across the country. This was my first time working on a campaign, as it was for many others, and I am really proud that they gave whatever time they had. I heard that in Oberlin some people stood in line for five hours and in Cleveland up to 13 hours to vote, and I think this is both horrendous and amazing.

But on the other hand, we didn’t get the turnout from young voters that we expected. There were young people who understood the importance and still didn’t vote. Others thought that just voting was enough, but it wasn’t. You have to go there and find someone on the fence and talk about it.

I do not blame Kerry and Edwards or the campaign. I blame people who voted for someone who told them what they wanted to hear instead of what was the truth, who put their own personal values before the American values and the Constitution. I blame the Bush people and the people who didn’t vote, who were able to help but didn’t.

You heard about Oberlin’s participation?

I heard about the lines, I heard about Andre Heinz coming to Oberlin. I know that Kerry and Theresa Heinz visited LCCC and a nursing school in Lorain.

In general, I really don’t know anything about how it went in Oberlin, but I know that people there could have done a lot and I hope they did. I heard that an Obie Naderite traded her vote with a friend in California. That’s illegal. But thank you nonetheless.

What are your plans now?

I am gonna go back to sitting in the dark. I don’t know. I will work as a reporter and maybe work on somebody’s senate campaign in 2006, I don’t know where or how. But if any Oberlin women want to pity me, they should give me a call.