Have you ever been hassled by others because you had opinions that stray from the norm? Senior Kyle Russ-Navarro is a dedicated Republican in a left-leaning environment, and his differing views have landed him in more than one sticky situation.

“I remember in eighth grade, I was actually physically assaulted for being a Republican,” he said. “And I found my backpack in a trash can a couple of times at Terman. So I have often felt mobbed at. It kind of sucks the political fervor out of one.”

Russ-Navarro admits he is a more moderate Republican, but he still firmly believes in his conservative viewpoints. “I tend to agree with the Republican Party on economic issues, while I favor the Democrats for some social issues,” he said. “In general, I am for smaller government in both economic and social situations. It is not the place of the government to legislate how I am to spend my money.”

While Russ-Navarro cannot confidently predict the winner of the upcoming election, he believes that both John McCain and Sarah Palin are better candidates for the White House than Barack Obama and Joe Biden. “For Republicans to win, we need a candidate that is not strongly affiliated with George W. Bush,” he said. “McCain has been a maverick in the Senate, opposing Bush on many issues, such as torture. And while Palin is more socially conservative than I would prefer, she does a nice job of countering McCain’s old-man-ness. I would say she is an okay, albeit unexpected, running mate.”

Currently, the economy is at the forefront of voter issues, and Obama and the Democrats’ economic plan would only worsen the economic slump, according to Russ-Navarro. “Based on Obama’s voting record, he is one of the most far-left of the Democratic Party,” he said. “He has voted in favor of larger government in every way. Though he does not say it directly, he wants to raise taxes on businesses and transactions and raise the minimum wage. Such policies only de-motivate people from starting and expanding businesses.”

Furthermore, McCain’s foreign policy is more rational and reliable than Obama’s, Russ-Navarro said. “The two things Obama lacks are experience and experience,” he said. “For his policy on Iraq, he wants to pull out as soon as possible with a set deadline. At this point, we need to stay there until there is a stable self-sufficient democracy, as Iraq has been making substantial progress over the past few years. Pulling out prematurely would make our efforts thus far in vain.”

Russ-Navarro contends that Obama shows his inexperience in other situations too. Ultimately, the Republicans have the more qualified Commander-in-Chief, according to him. “Obama is your classic ‘United Nations’ kind of a guy,” Russ-Navarro said. “When it comes to international affairs, no one is right or wrong. Obama thinks he can ‘negotiate’ his way through Iran and North Korea.”

Russ-Navarro’s family is also Republican. “My mother loves Palin,” he said. “Palin has a son with Down Syndrome, and my brother has the disorder too. And both my parents think that Obama is a fool economically. Obama may bring out the young crowd, but many people are also strongly turned off by him. “

No matter what party you choose to affiliate with, Russ-Navarro suggests learning basic economics before voting. “Take an economics class, and consider not just the short-term, but also the long-term consequences of political matters,” he said. “Do not jump to conclusions based on what naively ‘sounds nice’ or ‘feels right.’”