Campus
groups prepare for 2004 presidential elections
Politics:
College Republicans and Campus Progressives
begin to focus on upcoming event planning
for elections.
By
Laura Goolsby
On-line Forty-Niner
November
2004 may seem far off to many students,
but for political groups at Cal State Long
Beach, the time to begin preparing for the
upcoming presidential elections has arrived.
The College Republicans and Campus Progressives
have already begun initial planning for
various events such as guest speakers and
fundraising events in what some feel is
a crucial time for campus politics.
"This
is the time where student groups need to
start planning their semesters," said
Pamela Fiber, assistant professor of political
science at CSULB. "So that by the time
the elections come, they're not simply rushing
to get their name out there, they're actually
discussing issues. This is certainly the
place where you start planting the seeds."
The
College Republicans began their campaign
for Bush-Cheney '04 last weekend with a
kickoff at a USC football game, according
to Alex Omel, chairman of the Long Beach
chapter of College Republicans, "That's
the start, that's our local kickoff for
L.A. regional stuff," Omel said. "We're
in the parking lot registering voters, passing
out Bush-Cheney footballs, signing up volunteers,
stuff like that."
Although
the Campus Progressives do not endorse one
particular candidate due to the inclusive
nature of their organization, a majority
of them said they feel that the Bush administration
should not be re-elected, according to Neil
Rivas, a member of the Progressives.
"As
far as I know," Rivas said, "most
of us are anti-Bush for 2004."
"I
think [Bush] has mishandled a lot of opportunities
he's had," said Elisa Herrera, member
of the Campus Progressives. "Just the
way he's leading the country on both foreign
and domestic issues."
Several
students in the Progressives are working
on bringing guest speakers to campus and
are currently focused on getting Dennis
Kucinich, a Democratic candidate for president,
according to Herrera.
The
College Republicans have plans for a campus
barbeque to support Bush in the spring semester
and feel that the recent California recall
election has spurred their chances of gaining
California for the Republicans.
"I
would say it's kind of hard to get California,"
Omel said. "But we're looking at good
results from the recall election. Getting
Schwarzenegger elected was a shot in the
arm."
"Schwarzenegger
will attract more federal attention to California,"
Fiber said. "As it turns out, he is
a really good fundraiser for the Republicans.
I think overall it is a boon to the Republican
Party of California."
While
the Republicans and Progressives are busy
planning their next moves, no official campus
group exists to campaign for the Democratic
Party, according to CSULB's Office of Student
Life and Development.
Omel
said he feels that the most serious threat
to the Bush-Cheney campaign is Howard Dean,
one of the frontrunners for the Democratic
nomination.
However,
some feel that having no Democratic organization
on campus may be detrimental, especially
to students.
"I
think it will be costly for the Democrats
because it's a good place," Fiber said.
"Campuses are notorious for organizing
students politically and getting out the
vote. Basically, word of mouth politics
is incredibly important on college campuses."
Meanwhile,
both the College Republicans and the Campus
Progressives have taken this sentiment to
heart by amplifying their efforts.
"We're
doing a lot," Omel said. "We're
going to get people registered and signed
up. We're going to bring some speakers on
campus and we're going to get people motivated."
"Even
if it's not recognized nationally, campus
activism can have a big impact," Herrera
said. "Our main goal is to get people
interested in ideas and communicating with
each other."
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