College Democrats preview candidates at forum
Nov. 30, 2007
Although the 2008 election is still a year away, the races for the nominations are well underway. The College Democrats played host to a Democratic presidential candidate forum on Wednesday with members of Mizzou for Obama, Mizzou for John Edwards and the Hillary Clinton for President organization representing their chosen candidates.
The forum began with five-minute opening statements, followed by four questions for the candidates and an open forum. Each representative had a few minutes to respond on the major issues of health care, the war in Iraq, global warming and immigration.
MU sophomore Margaret Wessner said she attended the forum to further educate herself on the candidates.
"I got the impression they wanted to give a better understanding of the candidates," she said. "That's something I'm interested in because I want to make an educated decision."
Mizzou for Obama representative Glenn Rehn began by stressing the strength of the entire field.
"These candidates are all very qualified," Rehn said. "They are all Democrats, but there are differences."
He argued that the biggest issue for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, is the war in Iraq, since the senator has held a strong stance against the war from the beginning, something few candidates can claim.
Rehn also presented Obama as the candidate with the widest reach through his heritage, his job experience, places he's lived and people he's worked with.
Laura Frye, the presenter for the campaign of Sen. Clinton, D-New York, began with a portrayal of the reason behind her support for her candidate.
"It's not so much the specific policies," Frye said. "For me, it goes back to 1993 when she first initiated universal health care."
Frye emphasized Clinton's early and consistent efforts for universal healthcare, including mental health coverage and more comprehensive insurance, with an emphasis on more preventive health measures.
Frye also emphasized Clinton's experience and insisted that she had the most comprehensive understanding of the government.
"The only thing that can prepare you for being in the White House is being in the White House," Frye said.
MU junior Nate Kennedy represented the Mizzou for John Edwards group. Kennedy said he supports Former Sen. Edwards because he believes he will do the most once in office.
"What we have to decide in choosing our next president is what are they going to be able to do when they take office," Kennedy said.
Kennedy's strongest stance in support of Edwards came on the topic of Iraq, citing the candidate's plans to withdraw 40,000-50,000 troops immediately upon entering office.
On many topics, the candidates' plans are similar, which is something all three presenters recognized.
"The issues in this election seem pretty clear cut," Frye said. "There's not a lot of room for difference between the candidates' plans."
Obama and Clinton have similar plans for gradually scaling down the troops in Iraq, including shrinking military operations to preserve stability.
All agree that global warming is a real problem that must be faced soon. To tackle this dilemma, all agree to reduce dependence on foreign oil and cut foreign oil imports, as well as promote emissions caps and trades.
"Global warming is one of, if not the biggest issue facing the country and the planet," Rehn said.
Freshman Amanda Shelton said she came to the forum to learn more in order to determine her favorite candidate.
"I hesitate to throw my support for a particular candidate, but I will vote in the primary," Shelton said.
Shelton said she felt the forum was beneficial in that it helped to clarify some things, particularly the fact that Edwards is the only candidate with a clear plan for immediate removal from Iraq.
Shelton said she has recently had friends enlist, so the issue of Iraq is starting to impact her more directly.
Also, she is recognizing that after graduation, she'll no longer be covered by her parents' health care, so insurance will become a factor.
"This election is really becoming a personal investment for me," she said.
College Democrats President Mark Buhrmester said this forum was needed because there has not been much explanation of the candidates besides promotions from the three groups.
Although the candidate promotion is supported as a way to gain more activity and reach more students, the College Democrats know that once a single candidate is selected, all camps will unite.
"We all realize we're on the same side," Buhrmester said. "There's not been any hostility, no animosity. We are all Democrats working for a Democratic president."
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