July and August 2016 brought the presidential political conventions to Cleveland and Philadelphia. Campaign rallies, especially by Donald Trump, generated protests and counter-protests, as one of the most heated presidential elections in modern times captured our attention.
Penn State journalism students covered the election and campaign for newspapers throughout Pennsylvania providing publications with text, photos and video from the conventions.
Donald Trump addresses the Republican National Convention ~ photo by Antonella Crescimbeni
President Barack Obama endorses Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention. ~ photo by Gabrielle Mannino
Twin opinions @ the DNC
~ by Matt Martell
PHILADELPHIA –– Simply saying, “they look the same,” wouldn’t come anywhere close to describing the mirroring mannerisms of identical twins Joanne Tosti-Vasey and Linda Tosti-Lane.
Here in this city that has turned red, white and blue for the Democratic National Convention, the sisters – one from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and the other from Seattle, Washington, walk the same, talk the same and display a rather reserved demeanor in comparison to many of the other Democratic delegates and guests at the Pennsylvania delegation breakfast at the DoubleTree hotel.
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Really, it’s their dueling buttons that reveal the only noticeable difference between the 62-year-old twins. Joanne’s button flashed “Bernie Sanders” written over a rainbow-colored background, while Linda’s offered her support to Hillary Clinton.
“I support Bernie because I’m a single-payer health care advocate,” said Joanne, a Bellefonte delegate for Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District.
Linda, who said she missed being named a Washington state delegate by one vote, traveled across the country to attend the convention and joined her sister as a guest at Tuesday’s Pennsylvania breakfast.
Linda said Joanne’s unwavering stance on health care was the only reason for their differing presidential candidate preferences.
Joanne’s support for a single-payer system dates back 27 years to when she was diagnosed with leukemia. Said to have less than a week to live, Joanne needed a bone marrow transplant. Lucky for her, she had an identical twin whose marrow was a perfect match. Paying for the procedure, however, proved to be the toughest obstacle Joanne faced.
“My insurance company said they wouldn’t pay for the transplant because Linda wasn’t on the insurance,” said Joanne. “Hers wouldn’t cover it because she wasn’t the one who needed the surgery.”
The important thing: Linda was her donor and the transplant was successful.
They both developed their political identity gradually over the years. Joanne and Linda are both members of the National Organization for Women – and they pinpointed a cause that ignited their interest in politics.
Growing up in Virginia during the Civil Rights movement, the twins said it wasn’t uncommon to see racial injustice. One day, a riot broke out at their high school in response to news that a black student wasn’t allowed on the cheerleading team.
To peacefully put an end to the riot, Joanne and Linda joined some other students and played Frisbee in the middle of the skirmish.
“If you want to make a change get involved with a party,” said Linda, who became actively involved with the Democrats in 1980. “It doesn’t matter which one.”
Tuesday, even with the conversation veering into talk of leukemia and racial injustices, Joanne and Linda remained light-hearted, each feeding off what the other said. At times, the discussion turned into a playful competition.
Joanne wasted no time in trying to one-up her sister after Linda said she became involved in politics in 1980.
“I was first!” Joanne said.
Linda fired back, pointing out that she’s the older twin.
But in typical
younger-sibling
fashion, Joanne got the last word in: “By 29 minutes.”
Trump @ Lawerenceville, NJ
Donald Trump's campaign stops brought into conflict dedicated supporters and equally fervent protestors whose behavior often devolved into taunting and childish behavior.
The kid and the cop @ the RNC
~ by Waiss David Aramesh
CLEVELAND – An 11-year-old aspiring police officer walking up to an Ohio State Trooper to chat on Thursday is an example of the positive interaction that many Cleveland residents have had with members of law enforcement from across the country in the past week.
“I learn about police officers from home,” said Chrishaun Butler, who noted that he would also accept comedian or professional basketball player as a career backup.
“I read books about them and I watch the news about them and I even watch television shows about them,” Butler said.
The state trooper, Shane Zehnder, 46, said that Butler came over and started talking to him while working at his family’s vending booth selling Donald Trump T-shirts and campaign buttons on Euclid Avenue.
Zehnder, who was in town as part of thousands of officers coming to Cleveland to assist with police activity throughout the Republican National Convention, said that things haven’t been too bad through the duration of the week.
“The community is why the police is here,” Zehnder said, gesturing to the people walking up and down the street. “We’ve been in town since Friday and the first couple days were basically moving in.”
While hundreds of protestors have demonstrated, police agencies, as of Thursday afternoon, have largely tamped down serious incidents. Police had made just 23 arrests, and 18 of those were the result of a flag-burning event Wednesday afternoon, according to police.
Butler, who said he’s got his “whole life planned out” for him, also said that he knows that the troopers were there to help make sure everyone was safe during the convention.
“You’re trying to protect people downtown because you know there be a lot of commotion,” Butler said. “I watch the news.”
“I’ve seen some crimes,” Butler added, in between discussing his favorite basketball teams and his enjoyment of soccer with the state trooper.
Meanwhile, about 10 feet away, Butler’s uncle, Saleem Muhammad, was busy stacking tees on the stand in order to sell. He said he didn’t have any strong feelings about seeing his nephew interact with the trooper.
“I notice it, but it’s not a big deal,” he said.
These exchanges between the community and law enforcement in Cleveland throughout the week were not one-of-a-kind. From the time conventioneers arrived in town on Sunday, police offers were mingling with passersby, even buying Skittles and M&Ms on the street from children.
Butler said that he walked up to Zehnder after noticing that the trooper was wearing a gray uniform. Butler said he had been able to distinguish different police agencies by their uniforms.
Zehnder said that there was law enforcement personnel from 23 states.
“I’m so glad that I met this trooper,” Butler said.
California delegates scream 'guilty' while Chris Christie speaks about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton on the second day of the Republican National Convention. ~ photo by Antonella Crescimbeni
Bernie supporters and delegates held a silent protest inside the media tents outside of the convention during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 26, 2016. Many Bernie delegates walked out of the convention after Hillary Clinton was chosen as the nominee. ~ Photo by Antonella Crescimbeni
Stephen Colbert, dressed as the character Caesar Flickerman from "The Hunger Games" franchise, stares at the Wells Fargo Center stage while he pets his pet weasel Caligula, the day before the start of the Democratic National Convention. ~ photo by Antonella Crescimbeni
~ September 1, 2016