We chanted, yelled and waved our signs like fans at the Super Bowl.

“Four more years!” we screamed as the other team’s fans responded with “No more years!”

Friday night carried a feeling incomparable to any other. From the buzz of a helicopter hovering overhead and the howl of sirens engulfing the streets to the color of the presidential SUV that transported Bush and his wife to the University, none of us will forget the little details of that night.

When I received a call from the Illinois Republican Party and the Bush/Cheney victory office with the offer to provide the SIU College Republicans and our closest friends with a charter bus to the debate, saying “no” was never an option.

About 60 Bush supporters jumped at the opportunity to support their cause. Even a few College Democrats asked if they could come along with us on our bus. “Sorry, it’s for Republicans only.” I would respectfully respond.

There may have been a debate inside the University halls, but, as the College Republicans soon found out, the real battles took place outside of Washington University.

Emotions and tempers became heated as the afternoon developed into night. Kerry supporters confronted us with questions like “What has Bush done for you?” We replied with our reasons such as the hefty tax refund checks that we received.

There is nothing greater to respond to than the accusation “Bush is an idiot.”

We never forgot to remind our esteemed colleagues on the other end of the political spectrum that Bush received his bachelors in History from Yale as well as his MBA from Harvard.

For someone to call Bush an idiot with the education such as his must have quite the educational background. A family name may get you into a highly respected school, but it will not get you through it.

Bush earned his degrees.

“Bush can’t talk, he stumbles on his words!” they would persist.

As Bush may stumble on words, some psychologists would argue that people with an above average intelligence have brains that work much faster than one with average intelligence.

Their words will get jumbled at times because their mouth does not act as quickly as their brains. This was another fact that we would throw into the flurry.

Bush may also be accused of losing his temper during the debate when in fact he is standing up for what he believes. It is necessary to see a leader take issues affecting America personally.

This is a quality that is rarely seen in Senator Kerry.

Bush took Sept.11 personally and that was shown by the impromptu expression that struck his face while reading a book in Florida to a classroom full of children while Andrew Card first whispered the news that the World Trade Towers were hit.

The look on Bush’s face seemed as though he had just gotten word that a close family member was in the building when it was hit. This attitude showed Americans that we would be safe, because it is something that he is taking personally.

If one thing is to be learned from Friday, it is that politics are just like religion. There may be two opposing viewpoints, but neither side can argue the other into taking their stance.

People are set in their beliefs. Facts, information, and arguing will only create animosity between the different sides. The SIU College Republicans carried themselves with class and dignity when others did not. We may have learned a lot on Friday, but I’m sure that the others learned much more from us.