Debate
shows CSULB apathy
By Kari Schneider
On-line Forty-Niner
Despite
Monday’s televised gubernatorial debate
many Cal State Long Beach students are still
uncertain as to who should lead California.
“Honestly I don’t know much about the candidates,”
said Tim Boggless, a junior in communications.
“I usually vote, and I want to know more
about the candidates before I do.”
Many students on campus did not watch the
debate on television because of class or
because they did not know it was happening.
Yet at noon, Democrat Gov. Gray Davis and
Republican Bill Simon traded charges on
live television.
“I didn’t know about the debate. I don’t
even know who is running,” said Thomas Bang,
a senior in management information systems.
Richard Haesly, assistant professor of political
science said, “I was surprised to hear that
the debate was during the day.”
Haesly said that it is pretty clear that
Davis doesn’t want to debate. By having
the debate in the middle of the day, it
impacts the percent of people who could
have watched it.
“Davis has focused his campaign on ads encouraging
democrats to vote,” Haesly said.
Yet, some students are ready for the upcoming
election.
“I am voting for Davis, I am strongly democratic,”
said Robyn Halfhill, a junior in history.
“I have strong issues that I support and
if one candidate would do more for [the
issues] than the other, then I would switch.”
The governor wants to rebuild voters’ confidence
after the state’s energy crisis last year.
“This has been an election that has been
so lacking in a discussion of the issues,
and the voters have told us that’s what
they want the candidates to do,” said Mark
Baldassare, survey director for the Public
Policy Institute of California.
Liam Scheff, a senior in education said,
“Most people don’t vote because both parties
are beholder to large economic interests
not to the people they represent.”
During the hour-long debate Davis defended
his four-year record, while Simon used the
appearance to blame the current governor
for the state’s economic downturn and for
spending the record surplus budget. Simon
accused Davis of mismanaging the state budget
from a record budget surplus into a record
budget deficit.
Simon called on Davis to apologize to all
Californians for the disastrous four years
in office, particularly the awful ethical
tone that has been set in the administration.
Davis responded using his progress on education,
health care, the environment and public
safety.
Statewide polls show neither candidate is
popular with voters.
The Associated Press contributed to this
story.
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