Getting Ready for the Election
| Published 09/24/04

Graphic by: Tim Tuley

Republicans and Democrats are getting ready for the election. At Club Fair, Young Democrats President Shawn Healy represented the club at their table near Cook Hall.

Healy, a 21-year-old majoring in political science, sat wearing a dark blue t-shirt in his chair in front of a bunch of pamphlets. Healy eyed the myriad of students moving about the fair and would ask them if they were interested in the club when they passed by. Many students who signed up were enthusiastic about Young Democrats, and the table was the center of all sorts of political discussions.

"The Democratic Party appeals more to me right now, because it's better than Bush," said Robyn Amos-Kroohs, a 19-year-old sophomore majoring in biology and psychology. "I don't agree with everything the Democratic Party has to say, but right now, it's the lesser of two evils."

Getting 18 to 24-year-olds to vote has been difficult ever since the voting age was lowered to 18 in 1971. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at the University of Maryland reports that since the voting age was lowered, turnout among 18-24-year-olds has declined 13 percent. In the 2000 election, only 42 percent of that age group voted.

Also, 18-24-year-olds with college experience are twice as likely to vote as those who have not been to college. About half of the 18-24-year-olds in the country have no college experience. Healy believes there are more issues affecting college students today than in 2000. He said when young people saw the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the war in Iraq, they became more concerned politically: it was becoming clear they could be drafted into a war.

"[Young people] are not sure why we're exactly going to war with Iraq and other countries," Healy said. "This is why I think more students are interested in this election."

He also believes the Democratic Party is more appealing to college students. Healy mentioned that College Republicans stopped voter registration on several college campuses. "For [College Republicans] to stop doing bipartisan voter registration shows that they're worried that a certain group does have an advantage over them," he continued.

Healy added the issues that Senators Kerry and John Edwards talk about - the environment, education and social welfare - concern young people more. If Kerry and Edwards win, Healy hopes "they make good on every promise." He also hopes it will encourage people to stay politically active.

Chris Halsey, a 22-year-old senior majoring in information science and technology, and who was the executive director for College Republicans Federation of Virginia in 2003, said the Republican Party wasn't as appealing to college students. He believes this is because most students are open to new ideas.

However, Halsey believes College Republicans has an advantage over Young Democrats, and College Republicans is a better organization. "[College Republicans] are organized a lot better, and [College Republicans] have a lot more funding," Halsey said.

To persuade students to vote Republican, the club tries to get people active. Students interested in the club take part in a literature drop, which is currently passing out pamphlets.

If Bush is re-elected, Halsey hopes the administration can lessen the problems in Iraq and further stabilize the country. He also wants minimum wage to increase, which he admits was not in the administrations' plans.

"If you raise the minimum wage and give tax breaks, that's an enormous amount of money people are going to have to spend," he said.  "The economy will be booming."

Halsey said the accomplishments President Bush has made during his presidency included giving the country guidance after the 9/11 attacks. He supports the president because he believes there is no one better running. He added that Kerry flip-flops when he votes.

There are a number of issues that College Republicans will disagree with Young Democrats over.

Over the past few months, gay marriage has become a hotly contested issue in the country, starting when San Francisco passed out marriage licenses to homosexual couples.

Virginia Young Democrats Vice-President Peter Feddo said, "The legal obligation of the state to join two people in a civil contract of union should not be discriminatory of any kind of relationship."  He added Young Democrats "oppose any efforts to take away the rights of two same-sex partners."

But the plank College Republicans Federation of Virginia adopted concerning gay marriage states the organization "endorses beyond all limit" the need for the traditional family. The plank also states "the College Republican Federation of Virginia believes that homosexuals should not be able to adopt children because it does not constitute the traditional family and corrupts the institution of marriage."

Halsey differs with College Republicans' official stance on gay marriage. "People are going to have the right to choose no matter what," he said. "[A constitutional amendment] will never get through congress."

Another hotly contested issue in the country is abortion. Halsey supports President Bush's stance on abortion and stem cell research. However, Amos- Kroohs said "abortion should be allowed to an extent."

On the topic of the war, Halsey supports President Bush's position and blames the decision to go to war on faulty intelligence, not the administration.

Feddo said, "Young Democrats stand with John Kerry and the Democratic Party on the war in Iraq." He also stated the Bush administration went to war without reliable intelligence and lacked an adequate plan for implementing democracy. Feddo further said Kerry had first hand knowledge of combat environments, had an appreciation of American soldiers and their families and would only send forces into combat when there were no other options.

Like 2000's election, there will be three candidates running. Ralph Nader will be an independent candidate, despite the wishes of some Democrats.

Halsey said Nader could affect the election in two ways. He could take away votes from President Bush or Kerry. But, he added, "[Nader] will take away votes from Kerry's far-left supporters."

Healy does not think Nader will have a big impact on the election. "I believe most Americans have been educated enough to know that within the battleground states, their votes should go for either of the major party candidates," he noted. Healy added that within non-battleground states, people haven't been as informed and will cast their ballot for the candidate who best fits their beliefs.

Young Democrats will be giving out information about the election. The club is also helping students get registered. They plan to have an open debate with College Republicans and have Kerry's campaign manager speak at RU. The Student Government Association plans to have a debate concerning the election in coming weeks.

It is unknown if College Republicans are active on campus. A table was not sighted for them at Club Fair and they were not listed on the fair's broacher, although they still have a mail box in Heth Hall.